Making a zen garden using bamboo in design/structure

[Keith of Ronin]

here is a pic on a zen garden i am in the process of making
it consist of 300-800 pound rocks and tons of sand
the border is bamboo and i cut small leaves and branches of bamboo for the border also

i am gonna try to make a bamboo rake, any suggestions on how to go about making it? See this thread (http://www.bamboocraft.net/forums/showthread.php?t=976)

[Mark Meckes]

Hi Keith, that's about the most exquisite way I've seen for the use of bamboo leaves!
Thanks for showing!

I've done my share of moving rocks and boulders around and I can see, or I should say, feel it in my back, what it took for you to prepare the rockwork.
I do miss not having the ole glacial rocks and boulders herein TX like I did in my Pennsylvania garden.
All the best with your zen garden. I don't know anything about making zen gardens, or if there are certain things to consider in the placement and use of bamboo in the garden.

I will be delighted to be enlighted!

Mark

[bamboomike]

Here are a couple suggestions on using bamboo in a zen garden.

A simple bamboo bridge(over nothing), fence or entry way adds a nice touch. I usually start with green bamboo and age it a few weeks in a not too hot or dry environment.

Then I slowly propane torch it and rub it to a fine finish. This gets out the green and gives it a nice brown color. Removing the nodes with a hammer and dowel rod will prevent the bam and the boo that will scare you if you get it too hot and cause a steam release.

For live plants I have found a nice way to add them to a water garden and zen garden or even by a pool.

I use large 55 gallon plastic barrels that have only had safe liquids in them and cut them in half with a skill saw very quickly. Then drill a lot of very small holes in the bottom of one or both of them. Very small so the roots can't get out. The hole are for drainage so it doesn't drown.

Bury this so only an inch or 2 is showing and plant large field speciman bamboo in it. The bamboo will need to be dug and replanted in a few years but when you do you can start 20 or more from the roots that you will pull out. Or you can reach inside and pull out a few large roots every year and start more.

You may have to water the bamboo if the leaves curl up in the summer due to be confined with no rain.

A good zen or water garden deserves some live bamboo as well as cured bamboo to give it a nice effect.

Hope this helps.

Mike