Peace in a garden...

Gardening is one of those affinities that you are born with in my opinion.  It comes with an appreciation for the outdoors, artistic creation and the honing of that ability to nurture living things - plants.  For me gardening and gardens in general, especially those that are well loved and tended, bring peace.  It's a place where you can forget about the blur of daily life and just relax.

Above is a photo of a pathway at the Japanese Tea Garden at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco - simple beauty - peaceful and quiet.

Enjoy,

Sean
Mad Man Bamboo - Rocklin, CA
(916) 300-6335
www.madmanbamboo.com
Mad Man Bamboo on Facebook
Twitter: @madmanbamboo

Bamboo Geek on 'Yard Crashers'

Yesterday, I participated in a 'Yard Crashers' episode.  Lots of hard work, sweat and good company.  Can't share details or photos until the episode airs in April 2012, but it was a great experience.  Good people and very fun.  Stay tuned for photos, a video of the episode and much more....

Sean
Mad Man Bamboo - Rocklin, CA
(916) 300-6335
www.madmanbamboo.com
Mad Man Bamboo on Facebook
Twitter: @madmanbamboo

Hanging out in the garden - Merf's adventures and other tales...

Merf, is an interesting cat, both literally and figuratively.  Merf spends alot of time with me in my backyard bamboo nursery. A very social being, Merf loves to be around people, especially me.  My wife and I jokingly refer to me as Merf's 'Mommy'.

The other day, I was working hard trying to pot clumping bamboo plants, up-sizing them now for growth over the fall, winter and spring - for sale next year (2012).  I use a potting table that contains my nursery containers and my potting soil.  So as I continued to pot plants, I had to step away from the potting table for a moment to get more nursery containers and when I got back, Merf decided to lay right where I was potting plants.  He was kind enough to give me just enough space to continue potting, but otherwise was disinterested in moving a muscle.  This is his potting table after all...

So, out of spite to my potting table take-over, I decided to keep potting, flinging dirt as I went, some on Merf.  Was he phased by this?  Of course not, when Merf usually sleeps in a dirt bed, it doesn't matter much...

This is one of his favorite places to sleep, in a bag of potting soil.

Another funny Merf moment.  Like most cats, Merf loves to lay in the sun.  Seemingly irritated by the fact that our backyard is fully shaded by 3 pm, Merf sought the only sunlight left which was shining on some pots of bamboo.  Merf jumps up in the pots and tries to figure out a way to wiggle is rotund physique in the pots to take a nap.  Irritated by finding no way to find a comfortable sleeping position, Merf jumps down and walks away tail, flicking.

So, if you happen to drop to come by for a visit at our bamboo garden, your likely to be greeted by Merf.  Just be sure not to get too close to that potting table, it's his.  And please, don't block his sunlight...

Sean
Mad Man Bamboo - Rocklin, CA
www.madmanbamboo.com
Mad Man Bamboo on Facebook
Twitter: @madmanbamboo

Talking bamboo with the 'Four Seasons Garden Club of Rocklin & Roseville'

Had the pleasure today of 'talking bamboo' with the 'Four Seasons Garden Club of Rocklin & Roseville'.  Gave them the basic on running versus clumping and showed them some of the most unique bamboo in my collection like 'Teague's Blue Bamboo', 'Chinese Walking Stick Bamboo' and others.

We also walked through our bamboo garden through our small 'Giant Clumping Timber Bamboo' grove and looked at other full grown clumping specimens in the ground like 'Buddha's Belly Bamboo' among several others.  Pictured is me with the members of the Four Seasons Garden Club that attended today's bamboo talk and tour.  Overall, had a great time.

Cheers!

Sean
Mad Man Bamboo
(916) 300-6335
www.madmanbamboo.com
Mad Man Bamboo on Facebook
Twitter: @madmanbamboo

As Summer 2011 fades into memory: Road Trip, Part III: Carmel-by-the-Sea, California

I thought it was quite suiting to end the final days of Summer 2011 with my last blog post of the season on my Summer 2011 family vacation.  So, to re-cap we started in San Francisco and stayed for two days, dropped by Santa Cruz for a couple of hours on the way to the final three days in Carmel.

Carmel is situated on the central California coast just south of Monterey.  The Carmel of today is well known for its unique downtown filled with upscale restaurants and a thriving art scene.  Lots of conspicuous wealth, but I am struck by its unique architecture that heralds back to Carmel's bohemian beginnings.  With the 1905 founding of the Carmel Arts and Crafts Club and the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, Carmel saw in influx of writers, poets, actors and artists looking for new roots.  Jack London wrote about the 'artists colony' in Carmel in his book, Valley of the Moon.  Carmel was frequented by the likes of Upton Sinclair and Sinclair Lewis among other famous painters, poets and actors.  This bohemian culture stands the test of time today in Carmel and is a unique destination in California.

Carmel also has what I feel is one of the top five beaches in California - number one in my book.  Bleach white sands that are immaculately clean and soft to the touch.

So, after a hectic, but fun stay in San Francisco, the calm, leisurely pace of Carmel was very welcome.  Here are some of the sights we experience during the three days we were there:

A really nice use of bamboo coupled with flowers.  No idea what variety this is.

A Magnum P.I. Convention in Carmel?  Maybe not.  Or maybe it was a gathering of a club of Ferrari enthusiasts. Which it was. Couldn't resist snapping a photo of five Ferrari's parked in a row, not a sight you see everyday...

Beautiful bamboo that contrasts nicely against the Spanish-walls.

How could you not walk down this alley way...

...when it looks like this. Be still my little Bamboo Geek heart!

Unique Carmel architecture.

A nice place to rest after all that walking.  In the middle of the planting is Plieoblastus viridistriatus 'Dwarf Greenstripe', a short, vibrant running bamboo.

A Monterey Pine against the afternoon sun.

Our vacation home...

...in my dreams!  This is where we stayed and we loved it!

Farewell Summer 2011!  Welcome Fall....

Sean
Mad Man Bamboo - Rocklin, CA
(916) 300-6335
www.madmanbamboo.com
Mad Man Bamboo on Facebook
Twitter: @madmanbamboo

The little bamboo shoots that could...

It happens every year around this time.  Bamboo Geek anxiety.  Generally speaking, clumping bamboo shoots in late summer and keeps shooting until temperatures really cool down around mid-November (in California).  Some shoots emerge in July and shoot vigorously, reaching full height and make it through the Winter freezes in Sacramento. Still bare all winter, they finally produce leaves when temperatures rise again in May.

Others, the slow pokey culms, will freeze off their exposed tops and flop over; or get sheared off by high Winter winds... what a bummer that is to see in the middle of Winter.

Hopes for that giant, tallest-ever culm - dashed, for at least one more year.

So, today, I walked nervously in the garden looking at one of my Bambusa oldhamii 'Giant Clumping Timber Bamboo' that has new culms larger than my arm shooting, but still quite tender and short.  Will it make it over the Winter?  Will I be amazed by its resilience or disappointed by its defeat by cold, Old Man Winter?

My Bambusa textilis 'Weaver's Bamboo' showing tall, pretty well developed culms.  These are likely to make it over the Winter.

A shoot from my Bambusa oldhamii 'Giant Clumping Timber Bamboo' showing some promise.  This was one of the culms that began shooting in July.  Others, larger than this one, I'm not so sure.  Still tender and susceptible to damage by the Winter.

Keeping my fingers crossed... just have to think positive and hope for a mild, bamboo-friendly Winter.

Sean
Mad Man Bamboo
(916) 300-6335
www.madmanbamboo.com
Mad Man Bamboo on Facebook
Twitter: @madmanbamboo

A gem in a 'Mad Man's' bamboo collection... 'Striped Young.'

The thing that got me started was one bamboo plant I bought at a nursery about 12 years ago.... Bambusa multiplex 'Golden Goddess."  Once it started shooting, I was hooked, hooked in a big way.

So, over the years, I have amassed a collection of about 120 different types of running and clumping bamboo, stashed here and there, in my larger (not huge) Rocklin suburban lot.  Most of the clumpers are planted in the ground and the runners, without exception are safely growing in containers.

It's funny, when you have so many, it's easy to get caught up in the spectacular colors or that giant culm rocketing up 20 feet in the midst of the Summer heat.

Here is a discovery I made of a clumping bamboo that is tucked to the side of my lawn.  Bambusa multiplex 'Striped Young'.  Given to me by a friend (someone I look up to in the "bamboo world", a mentor and a friend) about four years ago, this rare clumping bamboo is showing off its colors in a big way this summer.  Must love the Sacramento climate....

Subtle beauty with its contrasting white and green striped culms.

Nothing else quite like this bamboo.  A gem in my bamboo collection.

Cheers!

Sean
Mad Man Bamboo - Rocklin, CA
(916) 300-6335
www.madmanbamboo.com
Mad Man Bamboo on Facebook
Twitter: @madmanbamboo