Bamboo Craft Workshop With Charissa Brock

by philinshelton on February 19, 2011

in Bits and Pieces

Here are a few pics and notes from the Bamboo Craft Workshop held here at Outdoors By Design nursery back in (I hate to write this) September! In the making of a simple bamboo flower vase, Charissa taught students how to “prepare bamboo as an art material” including techniques for splitting, cutting, notching, and heat bending bamboo, techniques to bind it together, and decorate with rattan using Japanese caning knots. It was agreed upon by participants and teacher alike, that the workshop was a wonderful success! [click to continue…]

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Fargesia Robusta Hedge

by philinshelton on August 29, 2010

in Bamboo Plants,How To

I get a lot of questions from people about screening with bamboo in a very narrow bed, and which bamboo will be best for the task.

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Paver Installation

by philinshelton on May 2, 2010

in How To,Landscape projects,Videos

Here is a short video montage of a recent patio and walkway installation.

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Small Pond – The Four Directions

by philinshelton on January 28, 2010

in Landscape projects

Our client wanted a circular pond that would incorporate the Native American symbolism of the circle and the four directions.

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Winter Bamboo

by philinshelton on December 15, 2009

in Bamboo Basics

Here’s a short report and a few pics of how our clumping bamboos performed during last week’s record cold snap.

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How to Prune a Clumping Bamboo

October 25, 2009

In this video demonstration, I thin out a young planting of Fargesia scabrida.  This particular plant started from a full, #2 container, and has been in the ground for three growing seasons.  One thing I don’t mention in the video is that I like to prune my clumping bamboos in fall, well after the current [...]


American Bamboo Society Conference

October 10, 2009

Last weekend, the Pacific Northwest Chapter of the American Bamboo Society hosted the 2009 American Bamboo Society Conference at the Murano hotel in Tacoma, WA.  If you’ve never attended a conference, here are some pics and notes that will give you an idea of what goes on.  You can click on the pics to view [...]


Awesome Water Feature

September 13, 2009

On this project, we install a landscape designed by Jim Savage of Savage Plants and Landscape. This is a full landscape installation including a complete lawn removal/renovation, lots of dirtwork and sculpting, dry creek beds, drainage, plantings, and a large water feature with a running creek, falls and a pond.


Chusquea culeou – Chilean Feather Bamboo

September 6, 2009

Before I moved it from my house to the new nursery, my Chusquea culeou never failed to turn heads, and was a customer favorite.  Not only does the form and texture of this bamboo live up to its common name, but it has awesome seasonal color as well.  In this article, learn a little bit [...]


Bamboo on Anderson Island

July 29, 2009

I met another bamboo friend last weekend, and took a tour of his bamboo and palm collection on Anderson Island.  Here are a few pics and some comments from my trip out.  Click on the pics to view a larger image.