Oh dreadful wind... leave my bamboo alone!

Casualty of the fall winds. Since clumping bamboo shoots in the late summer and fall, they are still pretty tender and can see new culms snap during high winds. Luckily, this is the only one I have found off of a Bambusa oldhamii 'Giant Clumping Timber Bamboo'.

Sean

Mad Man Bamboo

www.madmanbamboo.com

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Bamboo poles used in Hindu ceremony called Hanuman pujas

I am honored yet again to donate some fresh bamboo poles for a Hindu ceremony. I didn't initially ask what it was for the first time (two years ago). But asked this time out of curiosity (and appreciation for other cultures) and here is how the ceremony was explained:

"...the bamboo is used to fly a red flag of the devotee or Hindu god name Hanuman. This is a ceremony to offer prayers and special sweets to this particular god which is done in the home. At the end of the ceremony ( Hanuman Pooja) the red flag will be placed on the bamboo and will be mounted in the back or front yard of the residence. This ceremony is very common in the West Indies specifically where Hindu reside Guyana, Trinidad, Jamaica, Surinam Fuji etc…"

I also found a blog that explains the ceremony more ("Hindus perform Hanuman pujas to either give thanks to God for continuous good health and prosperity or to remove any difficulties, grief, sorrow or a likelihood or impending unhappiness in one’s path. Hanuman pujas are only performs on Tuesdays and Saturdays." - click here for more.

I am happy to see my bamboo used for such a purpose.

Cheers!

Sean

Mad Man Bamboo

www.madmanbamboo.com

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Bamboo for Friends Contest is back!

We're at it again! Suggest our Mad Man Bamboo Facebook Page to your friends and get a chance to win a $40 gift certificate good for a bamboo plants and other bamboo goodies.

It's easy, use the 'Suggest to Friends' link at the top left of our Facebook page. After you send the suggestion to your friends, post the number on our Mad Man Bamboo Facebook Page. For every person you suggest, we put an entry in the hat for you. We choose a winner at 9 pm on January 31.

Good luck and Suggest Away!

Sean

Mad Man Bamboo

www.madmanbamboo.com

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Coffee, a treatment for pests on plants, including bamboo

David, a fellow bamboo connoisseur, sent me several articles on the use of coffee to prevent pests. The Bambusa multiplex series of bamboo is particularly susceptible to sooty mold at the nodes which attracts ants. This often happens during warm humid evenings and is a nuisance, but does not harm the plants themselves. I'll usually manually remove it by blasting the mold (and ants) off with a high pressure water stream.

Another alternative is to use coffee to repel the ant in the first place.

Read more on this method using coffee here.

The nice thing is, if your not a coffee drinker, like me, places like Starbucks give them away for free, you just have to ask.

Cheers!

Sean

Mad Man Bamboo

(916) 300-6335

www.madmanbamboo.com

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Still lots of bamboo to choose from... get yours by appointment

It's a great time of year to plant bamboo. Planting it now gives the plant several months to develop its root structure and gather enough energy to shoot in the spring (for running bamboo) and the following late summer (for clumping bamboo). As we close out the season, we have lots of bamboo, both running and clumping, to choose from. Here is a list of what we have:

Clumping Bamboo

Bambusa textilis 'Weaver's Bamboo' (15 gallon only; $95)
Bambusa ventricosa 'Buddha's Belly Kimmei' (5 gallon; $39)
Bambusa multiplex 'Hedge Bamboo' - $22 Special for 5 gallon
Bambusa multiplex 'Alphonse Karr' (5 gallon; $39)
Bambusa oldhamii 'Giant Clumping Timber Bamboo' - $22 Special for 5 gallon
Bambusa beeceyana 'Beechey Bamboo' (15 gallon only; $75)
Yushania Boliana (5 gallon; $39)
Borinda Fungosa (5 gallon; $39)
Himalayacalamus hookerianus 'Blue Bamboo' (5 gallon; $39)
Himalayacalamus hookerianus 'Teague's Blue' (5 gallon; $39)
Fargesia murileae 'Umbrella Bamboo' (5 gallon; $30)
Fargesia rufa 'Sunset Glow' (1 gallon; $12)
Fargesia denudata (1 gallon; $12)
Thamnocalamus crassinodus (1 gallon; $12)
Faregsia nitida 'Fountain Bamboo' (5 gallon; $30)

Running Bamboo

Phylostachys glauca (5 gallon; $20 or 15 gallon; $75)
Phylostachys heteroclada 'Water Bamboo' (5 gallon; $20)
Phylostachys nigra 'Black Bamboo' (5 gallon; $39)
Phylostachys nigra punctata 'Giant Black Bamboo' (5 gallon; $39)
Semiarundaria yashadake (5 gallon; $20)
Phylostachys bissetti (1 gallon; $12)
Pseudosasa amabalis 'Tonkin Cane Bamboo' (5 gallon; $39)
Chimonobambusa tumissidinossa 'Chinese Walking Stick Bamboo' (15 gallon only; $70)
Phylostachys bambusoides 'Castillon' (15 gallon; $95)
Phylostachys nigra 'Bory' or 'Leopard Skin Bamboo' (15 gallon only; $95)
Phylostachys aurea 'Koi' (1 gallon $12)

See a bamboo plant you want? Make an appointment!

We are available by appointment on the weekends. No obligation to buy, you get a one-to-one consultation, a tour of our bamboo garden and if you want you can purchase from our large inventory of bamboo plants. Call or e-mail us to set up your appointment.

See you soon!

Sean

Mad Man Bamboo Nursery - Rocklin, CA

_______

Where to find us......

Phone: (916) 300-6335

E-mail:sean@madmanbamboo.com

Website:www.madmanbamboo.com

Blog:http://bamboogeek.blogspot.com/

Twitter: Search "@madmanbamboo"

Facebook: Mad Man Bamboo Nursery Facebook Page
(click on "Go to Facebook.com")

Rogue bamboo...

This was interesting... I cut out a mature Bambusa multiplex 'Alphonse Midori' from the ground a couple of months ago. Near the site of the original plant, I found a rhizome on top of the soil completely unrooted, sprouting as if it was in the ground. Now its in a pot, but had to snap a photo and share this oddity...

Sean
Mad Man Bamboo
(916) 300-6335
www.madmanbamboo.com

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Follow us on Twitter (@madmanbamboo)

Plant that bamboo before winter sets in...

We have lots of unique bamboo plants for sale. Both non-invasive clumping bamboo and running bamboo. Here is a list of what is available, one, five and fifteen gallon available:

Clumping Bamboo

Bambusa textilis 'Weaver's Bamboo' (15 gallon only)

Bambusa ventricosa 'Buddha's Belly Kimmei' (5 gallon)

Bambusa multiplex 'Hedge Bamboo' - $22 for 5 gallon

Bambusa multiplex 'Alphonse Karr' Special - $22 for 5 gallon

Bambusa oldhamii 'Giant Clumping Timber Bamboo' Special - $22 for 5 gallon

Bambusa beeceyana 'Beechey Bamboo'

Yushania Boliana

Borinda Fungosa

Himalayacalamus hookerianus 'Blue Bamboo'

Himalayacalamus hookerianus 'Teague's Blue'

Fargesia murileae 'Umbrella Bamboo'

Fargesia rufa 'Sunset Glow'

Fargesia denudata

Thamnocalamus crassinodus

Faregsia nitida 'Fountain Bamboo'

Running Bamboo

Phylostachys glauca

Phylostachys heteroclada 'Water Bamboo'

Phylostachys nigra 'Balck Bamboo'

Phylostachys nigra punctata 'Giant Black Bamboo'

Semiarundaria yashadake

Phylostachys bissetti

Pseudosasa amabalis 'Tonkin Cane Bamboo'

Chimonobambusa tumissidinossa 'Chinese Walking Stick Bamboo' (15 gallon only)

Phylostachys bambusoides 'Castillon'

Phylostachys nigra 'Bory' or 'Leopard Skin Bamboo'

Phylostachys aurea 'Koi'

We have more even beyond this... lots of 1 gallon bamboo to choose from.

Our bamboo garden has been featured in the Sacramento Bee, Placer Herald, Fox40 News, San Francisco Examiner and Good Day Sacramento.

We sell by appointment on the weekends. Call or e-mail (e-mail is better).

Sean

Mad Man Bamboo

(916) 300-6335

http://www.madmanbamboo.com

Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rocklin-CA/Mad-Man-Bamboo-Nursery/148713058656?ref=ts

Follow me on Twitter - @madmanbamboo

Paul Whitaker's new book - Practical Bamboos, great photos, lots of design inspiration

Very excited yesterday to receive an advance copy of Paul Whitaker's new book - Practical Bamboos. So far its a great resource, I especially like the discussions and photos of how bamboo can be incorporated into a landscape, both from a practical privacy perspective, but also as an ornamental feature. The book releases on Wednesday and is available for sale at the Timber Press site and most online book retailers. Thanks Timber Press!

Cheers!

Sean

Mad Man Bamboo

www.madmanbamboo.com

(916) 300-6335

Here is a recent article that the Placer Herald, our local Rocklin newspaper, did on our bamboo business. Happy reading!

Sean

Mad Man Bamboo

www.madmanbamboo.com

(916) 300-6335

Bamboo in Bali

Facebook friend and bamboo customer Mark Riggle shared some photos with me from his recent trip to Bali. Not sure what the species is, but they are certainly beautiful! Photos being shared with Mark's permission.

Thanks Mark!

Sean

Mad Man Bamboo

(916) 300-6335

www.madmanbamboo.com

New bamboo book coming soon: Paul Whitaker's 50 Practical Bamboos

This looks like a book worth buying. Paul Whitaker's 50 Practical Bamboos. Whitaker is an excellent bamboo author and am looking forward to his latest book.

Heck, I may be offering it for sale myself. A book that summarizes 50 practical bamboos for any garden situation. I love books that meet a real need for most people... cut to the chase... need a bamboo that gives you privacy from a nosy neighbor... hopefully this book holds promise to dispense this commonly needed amount of advice and much more.

More to come on this as I get the book...

Cheers!

Sean

Mad Man Bamboo

www.madmanbamboo.com

Facebook: Check it out here!

Our Bamboo Open House... Saturday, October 16

Now... a word about our Bamboo Open House...

We are holding our annual Fall Bamboo Open House in 11 days!

Over 300 plants with a few dozen varieties to choose from. One, five and 15 gallon sizes. Both running and clumping. We have varieties that are good for privacy and those that are beautiful ornamentals.

I am a collector of bamboo, have varieties you can't find anywhere else and can suggest the best plant for you garden situation.

Our bamboo garden has been featured in the Sacramento Bee, Fox 40 and Good Day Sacramento.

The Bamboo Open House is on....

Saturday, October 16, 2010
9 am to 3 pm
5719 Jersey Drive in Rocklin

We will also have Japanese Maples for sale.

See you on October 16!

Sean
Mad Man Bamboo
(916) 300-6335
www.madmanbamboo.com
Facebook: Search "Mad Man Bamboo" and "Like" us; or just click here.