Bamboos are unfortunately too often kept out of gardens for fear of their invasive qualities or lack of hardiness. In truth, these elegant grasses, encompassing both woody and herbaceous forms, can achieve dramatic yet restrained effects in a range of climates. Tropical and subtropical bamboos present many possibilities for landscapes in warmer climates, while the hardier species can be grown as far north as Minnesota.

Bamboo expert Ted Jordan Meredith provides a thorough and multifaceted treatment of these ancient grasses, including insight into selecting the right plant for the right situation. The bulk of the book is an encyclopedia of bamboo genera, species, and cultivars. More than 300 bamboos from 40 genera are described in detail, including information on size, lighting and temperature requirements, native range, physical characteristics, and landscape and other uses. Excellent color photos and clear line drawings effectively illustrate both the details and broader effects of these exquisite plants.

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5 Responses to “Bamboo for Gardens”

1. Silvia Hernandes says:

   April 6, 2010 at 12:00 am

   This book is awesome! Learnt a lot about the topic and and great it is to use bamboos. Recomend it!
2. K. M. Usher says:

   March 7, 2010 at 12:00 am

   Full of very useful information on how bamboo grow and how to get the best out of them, plus lots of species descriptions. The author is very knowledgeable and an excellent writer, making this book an enjoyable read. I put “Bamboo for Gardens” at the top of my list of my books on bamboo for the quality and depth of information and also the quality of production, with beautiful photos.
3. twets says:

   April 18, 2009 at 12:00 am

   As an amateur gardener who had to learn everything about bamboo – in a place where my neighbors were paranoid that all bamboo runs rampant, this book could answer all my questions and give me detailed information on bamboo in general and then by each species. I now know what bamboo to contain (and how) and what bamboo can keep my neighbors fretting to a minimum.

   I also learned that many types of bamboo have been wrongly classified (or reclassified) so it is important to know their various Latin names when e-mailing garden centers for info.

   The book is well-written in layman’s terms and I would recommend this book to anyone starting out learning about bamboo. It is my bamboo bible – I keep it up by my bedside and often open it up just to learn about another type of bamboo – they are so different and varied!
4. Arthur C. Grimes says:

   April 15, 2009 at 12:00 am

   Had this book recomended to me by an expert on this interesting subject. It has now become a most valuable part of my collection. The author covers almost every aspect of the study of bamboo. The only thing I think lacking is a good key to genus and species. However a great book
5. Richard R. Ashbaugh says:

   September 26, 2008 at 12:00 am

   If you only own one book on bamboo propagation, this is the one! Although it does not cover some of the newest hybrids, it covers more varieties than the average person can easily absorb.