The downsides of running your own family business is that you don't seem to find the time for all the fun stuff like blogging! I am going to make a real effort to keep this blog up to date as there is loads of stuff to share about bamboo plants, especially the trials and tribulations of running a bamboo nursery in the North East of Scotland. Not the most obvious location specialised nursery of a plant with such tropical and tranquil properties. But, you would be surprised how many bamboo plants are very well suited to our 'cool' climate. Look out for the next post on our blog which be our personal favourites here in NE Scotland! Be back soon...I promise!

Need a Hedge in a Hurry?

With Spring hopefully just around the corner, now is the time to start planning your garden projects. Bamboo is an ideal plant for hedging or screening as it is evergreen, fast growing and contrary to common belief is well behaved if the correct variety is chosen. Why not try our great value Fargesia Dracocephala (Dragon Bamboo) Hedging Bundle - SAVING £5 per plant, that's 25% off the usual £20. This bundle contains 10 no. 3L plants which planted at approximately 1m spacings will form a dense 10m / 30ft long hedge, growing to approx 3m high. The Fargesia bamboo are true clump formers and therefore even suitable for the smallest of gardens.

January sale now on at Scottish Bamboo - 15% of ALL BAMBOO PLANTS....Hurry only whilst current stock lasts!

Show us your Bamboo!

FREE £5 SCOTTISH BAMBOO VOUCHER - JUST SHOW US YOUR BAMBOO PLANTS!

We are always looking for ways to improve our website, especially giving website visitors ideas and inspiration for using bamboo in their garden. We feel the best way to showcase 'real uses' of bamboo in the garden is to invite you, bamboo lovers with bamboo in your garden, to send us snaps of your 'boo's'! We are not looking for high quality photography but merely a collection of photos showing different ways in which our customers use bamboo plants in their garden. You may have a bamboo hedge, a solitary specimen or a bamboo in a pot - just send us a snap so we can put it on our website.

What's more, we are offering all of you who kindly send us a photo a £5 SCOTTISH BAMBOO VOUCHER (one voucher per household) for your trouble. In addition the snap which captures the most innovative use of bamboo, will be rewarded with a FREE 5 litre bamboo plant of your choice from our website.

Autumn Planting for Bamboo

Autumn, what better time to plant your new bamboo plants.

Dig your planting hole, add plenty of compost/soil improver and let mother nature take care of the watering for you. Planting for the less energetic.

The ground still has plenty of warmth from Spring/Summer. Give your plants a head start by adding a mulch and an initial water containing our Sea Poodir organic plant food.

Remember all of our plants are the hardiest of bamboo and are still currently kept outdoors during our typically cold North East Scotland winter nights.

Sending Plants by Mail Order

We often get asked the question "How can you send large plants by post?".

Sending plants by mail order requires a lot of care and attention to ensure the plants arrive at their destination in pristine condition. Having 'road tested' a number of orders from various suppliers we are aware that problems exist in the mail order plant world, ie plants rattling about in ill fitting boxes, wet plant pots dampening the bottom of the cardboard & loose compost coming free from the plants.

Packaging is becoming a speciality here at Scottish Bamboo. A plentiful supply of recycled cardboard ensures that we are able to make bespoke packages to tightly fit even the most awkward shaped package whether it be 1 or 3 plants per box. A good, tight fit ensures that the plants don't rattle about inside the package. We don't scrimp on the watering either (to keep the weight down) prior to dispatch as we feel this is unethical & are always scared that this will compromise the health of the plant when it arrives at its destination. Plastic is wrapped around the plant pots to prevent moisture leaving the roots and dampening the cardboard. All this results in many satisfied customers receiving 1 litre to 12 litre plants via courier ranging from 0.3m to 2.4m in height.

All of our packages are sent on a next day delivery service and the locations of the parcels are traceable throughout the duration of their trip. Any special requests - like leaving it with a neighbour or in the garage - are passed on to the Courier. When your package is dispatched you will receive an email from the Courier advising you that it has been collected from us & you will be advised when you should receive it. In the unlikely event that a problem arises we have a really good relationship with the local Courier office and can normally find an acceptable solution.

Don't be put off with any concerns that you might have about making a large plant purchase online. Put your trust in Scottish Bamboo because we don't mind blowing our own trumpet by saying 'we've got it all wrapped up'.

Overwintering Bamboo In Pots

Although the majority of bamboo plants are hardy throughout the UK, as with any other plant type their hardiness is reduced slightly when kept in pots as their roots are more exposed to the cold winter temperatures. However, fear not, here are some simple tips to keep your bamboo plants healthy throughout winter until long awaited spring arrives again.

• Start reducing watering and stop feeding your bamboo plants (but don't let any containerised bamboo dry out!)
• Ideally place your bamboo plants undercover, i.e. in an unheated tunnel, greenhouse or car port (anywhere with some shelter). If you don't have spaces like these you could move them to a sheltered spot in the garden i.e. against a wall or fence.
• Consider burying the pots in the ground (this will mimick the plant being in the ground and offer more natural protection).
• Another tip would be to wrap your bamboo plants in pots with an insulating layer such as horticultural fleece, sheep fleece, blankets, straw or leaves. This just helps to stop the frosts getting to the roots.
• Safety in numbers - why not bunch up all your garden pots together like penguins!

For more information and tips on looking after your bamboo plants click here.