Looking to add some Asian flair to your home garden and backyard? Bamboo adds both a touch of the East as well as the help of utility. Using bamboo poles to construct any number of additions to your backyard is one of the cheapest and easiest ways to add style and practicality to your landscaping scheme.
While bamboo grows wild throughout the world to heights of over 100 feet tall, growing your own, purchasing cultivated poles from your local garden center, or ordering from online vendors like Cali Bamboo is a convenient way to update your patio, yard, or improve your garden’s plants.
Many plants, most commonly tomatoes, require support as the vines grow. To properly stake a tomato plant, bamboo is a fantastic prop. Either plant the tomato seed and the stake deep into the ground, 8 to 12 inches in, right next to each other, or if you’ve already planted the tomato, drive the bamboo in right next to the plant. Use twine or twist ties to secure the vine to the bamboo pole. As the plant grows, make sure to prune the plant so that only those strongest vines attach to the bamboo pole, and secure with more twine. For multiple tomato plants, use additional bamboo poles to construct “cross” stakes, allowing your plants to spread out, and ultimately, produce more tomatoes! Instead of cross stakes, you can also surround your tomato plant and arrange the bamboo poles teepee-style. Bamboo (and twine) is also compostable and biodegradable, and makes for great support not just for tomatoes, but any other unwieldy perennials (like pole beans).
For step-by-step directions and even instructional videos, check out the following sources with videos:
Do It Yourself Bamboo Tomato Plant Cage
Bamboo can also quickly transform any outdoor space. Hosting a barbeque or summer lunch any time soon? Simply drive four bamboo stakes into the ground, and then drape and secure a rectangular canvas cloth over them to create an impromptu lanai. Add a string of lights or paper lanterns for some atmosphere. The whole project will cost only a few dollars, take a few minutes to set up, and just a few more minutes to take down!
For a more permanent bamboo structure, gather and tightly bind together a row of bamboo poles to form a makeshift roof – then bind to bamboo stakes that have been driven in to the ground to create shade for your backyard. It won’t keep out the rain, but it will provide respite from the sun and a quaint and charming Asian touch to your patio or porch.
How about bamboo to build your fence? Make your fence look attractive while creating borders and privacy for your backyard. Below are few videos on how to construct a bamboo fence:
Bamboo is multi-functional enough that its options for garden décor are nearly endless – so tell us what creative ways you find to incorporate bamboo into your backyard design!
Further reading on how to make a bamboo fence:
“Building Bamboo Fences” by Isao Yoshikawa
