Bamboo in the Garden

Whatever your garden shape or size, there are plenty of ways in which you can use bamboo. Either as a screen or hedge or just purely ornamental.

Bamboo Plant for Gardens, Containers, and Pots

There are a huge number of species suited to different conditions such as climate and soil.

Some species are adaptable for growing in both the ground and containers. If you don't want to plant your new bamboo out or are undecided as to where to site it in the garden, or if you like to move your plants around occasionally, plants in pots the way to go.

Ornamental Bamboo

There are all kinds of bamboos that make a fantastic ornamental style garden attractions whether in the ground or in pots.

Groundcover

Small bamboo can be used for ground cover, be grown in containers, or used as accent plants. Ground cover plants help to retain moisture in the soil and can be applied to landscaping designs, erosion control, for under planting, and as a cover for sloping ground. There are many varieties of dwarf bamboo that are excellent for these purposes.

Hedge

Bamboo garden hedging can make quite an impact and can be trimmed. It generally makes a dense hedge suitable for providing a divider between properties or covering a bare fence or wall.

Privacy Screen

Bamboo plants can easily be cultivated into a privacy screen and can be trimmed or pruned to suit the design of your garden.  Again, these can be cultivated into dense screens that are perfect for a natural divider either between different areas of your own garden or between properties.

Bamboo is not only a gardener’s friend, but offers many household uses too. From chopping boards, to bicycles, linens to nappies, bamboo offers the environmentally aware shopper eco-friendly and sustainable goods. For linens, blankets and towels visit www.100bamboo.com

Welcome Spring... Allergies

On this first day of spring, I wake to 5 sneezes, my husband complains of a sore throat; my daughter has 3 of her own sneezes. The Telegraph advises that things don’t bode well for hay fever sufferers, saying that the weather in the past week has created the perfect conditions for trees to start releasing their pollen.

Hay fever, which apparently in some cases can bring on asthma can be so debilitating that it's a good idea to know you have a safe haven to go to where allergens are kept to a minimum. This is usually indoors where windows are generally kept shut.

Maintaining an allergen free room or 2 in your house may prove very useful if you or any other family members are struggling this spring. This can be achieved by combining various products and changes in lifestyle. An air steriliser will destroy allergens in the air and on surfaces. Using the allergy sprays will ensure that allergens on furnishings and in the laundry are kept to a minimum. By making a habit of showering and washing your hair before going to bed and leaving clothes outside your bedroom, you reduce the risk of bringing pollens and other allergens into your bedroom. Also remember to keep pets from entering your bedroom as they can not only introduce pet allergen into the room but can also bring in pollens on their coats.

Making your bed dust mite proof with the use of either dust mite proof barrier cases or bamboo bed linens that are believed to have naturally occurring anti-bacterial and hypo-allergenic properties thereby deterring house dust mite,  will ensure that you are not exposed to the dust mite allergen while you are in your bed or your bedroom.