Greening up the outside dining area at Mellow Mushroom in Jacksonville

Black Running Bamboo in a planter at Mellow Mushroom in Jacksonville, FL

Yesterday when Tim was delivering bamboo to customers in northeast Florida, he stopped for dinner at Mellow Mushroom along Rt. A1A.  Last year, the Jacksonville location of Mellow Mushroom purchased two kinds of running bamboos from Beautiful Bamboo.  Mellow Mushroom is one of our favorite restaurants and ever since the Jacksonville location purchased plants from us, we've been curious about how they looked.  Yesterday Tim had an opportunity to find out.

The object was to break up the starkness of the tall wall with some greenery.  In just one growing season, Semiarundinaria fastuosa viridis (Green Hedge Running Bamboo) and Phyllostachys nigra (Black Running Bamboo) did the trick!

Running bamboos are not right for everyone because they are invasive.  They must be controlled so they don't spread into places where they are not supposed to be.  However, when used as a container plant, running bamboos have many advantages.  The container prevents them from being invasive and the plants' upright growth pattern works perfectly for narrow spaces.  Since running bamboos are also very cold hardy, they are an excellent choice as container plants throughout the United States.  They actually grow taller and have larger diameter canes in colder parts of the country than they do in warmer climates.
  

Another photo of the wooden planters used to contain the running bamboo

Our Homegrown Green Bamboo Poles Draw Attention at Convention Show

Bill Overland of Overland Designs recently purchased assorted lengths and diameters of our freshly cut homegrown bamboo poles to use in displays at an Orlando-based convention.  He sent us the following email: 

“Back from the show which was was very successful.  The client loved the bamboo creations and I've attached a picture of one of them for your website.”

Bill’s use of large diameter bamboo poles as a stand-alone decoration has become very popular in home decor.  Freshly cut bamboo stays green for several weeks before fading to a warm rice color.  Even as dried poles, the bamboo adds beauty and originality to any interior, whether residential or commercial.

Elephant Leg Bamboo Poles

The two poles on the right are freshly cut Moso poles that have not been kiln dried or hand torched like the four poles on the left.  Green poles are available by special order only.

Notice how the space between the nodes changes from bottom to top.  Toward the base, the space between the nodes is only a couple inches wide but toward the top the space is a half-a-foot or more.

Go Wild over our Spotted Leopard Bamboo Poles

If you are looking for a bamboo pole that's not like most poles, take a peek at what we call Spotted Leopard  Bamboo Poles.  Culled from our own groves of Vivax Running Bamboo, The canes of Spotted Leopard Bamboo Poles are light colored - almost white - with black spots spaced irregularly throughout their length.   These poles make an interesting addition to displays of bamboo canes in large vases or urns.  They work well as windchimes or for interior or exterior decoration.  Because the poles tend to bend or arch slightly, they are best reserved for projects that don't require straight or uniform poles.

Spotted Leopard Bamboo Poles vary in diameter from about 1" to 2". 

'Chunky Monkey' - Bamboo poles with character

Using bamboo poles for interior decor

A customer from NC, Lexington Home Brand, used our 2” x 8’ polished black poles in a recent home show display.

Customers often ask, "Which bamboo poles should I use in a large vase inside my house?"

The answer is, "There isn't just one kind."

All of our bamboo poles – homegrown, imported, domestic-grown designer-quality - work well for interior décor. The key is deciding which type you like best. Your choice will depend upon the look you are after, your own personal tastes and aesthetic values.

Our homegrown poles are the most natural looking option. They are irregularly shaped and completely untreated. Homegrown poles are not as smooth as either the imported or domestically grown designer-quality canes nor are they as straight or even colored. Nonetheless, they have a rustic charm that works well in informal decors.

The imported poles are very traditional looking with smooth tan surfaces occasionally patterned with a natural patina. The imported poles tend to be very regular and straight although they occasionally bow outward and might have slight hairline surface cracks.

The domestically grown, designer-quality poles are the most finished looking. To achieve their smooth shine, freshly cut poles are dried in a low-oxygen high heat kiln. These poles are generally straight and crack-free although, like all bamboos, occasional fissures and bends sometimes occur.

Different types of poles as well as different lengths and diameter poles can be mixed together. Again, what you decide to use will depend on your personal tastes. Some people want all their poles to look similar while other people prefer a more irregular look with varying thicknesses of canes, different color finishes (like mixing black canes with the tan ones) and different length poles.