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Bam-boo!
Sean Bigley knows bamboo can be scary, the stuff of backyard nightmares.
Like something out of a horror movie, the world's fastest-growing plant can creep along underground and pop up uninvited, again and again and again. One little root can sprout a forest. Bamboo can swallow up space and make the rest of the backyard simply ... disappear.
"Bamboo has this reputation," Bigley says. "It can go crazy and get out of control. I'm working to change that concept of bamboo as an instant nightmare."
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BOTANICALS: Grape hyacinth
Grape hyacinths' tiny, violet blooms have a deep, memorable scent and are wonderful companions planted in boxes or pots with other spring bloomers.
General: The hardy flowers of the grape hyacinth (Muscari neglectum) are relatively impervious to disease but can become fodder for foraging snails because they grow low to the ground. The cut flowers will last four to six days in floral arrangements.
Size: Each flower spike grows 4-6 inches tall. The flowers tend to grow in clusters, or drifts.
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BOTANICALS: Bailey's acacia
Although relatively short-lived, Bailey's acacia can be a positive change to your landscape.
General: A. baileyana, commonly known as Bailey's acacia or fern leaf acacia, is a round-headed tree with a wide canopy composed of pendulous branches. It does not tolerate blustery winds or sustained below-freezing temperatures. In its habitat, the plants grow under the canopies in eucalyptus forests, where they are protected from damaging overhead and lateral winds. Because they grow in temperate climates, they need adequate soil moisture to withstand extended periods of drought or heat. Most acacias are short-lived, about 15 to 20 years.
Size: The tree grows about 30 feet tall and spreads to 40 feet wide.
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BOTANICALS: Chinese evergreen
Variegated Chinese evergreen
This houseplant's pleasing dome-shaped growth habit, low-light requirements and minimal-care needs make it a mainstay for commercial interior plant design.
General: This plant (Aglaonema commutatum) grows in clumps of broad, 12-inch, spear-shaped leaves that camouflage a 20-inch stalk from top to bottom. Depending on the variety, the foliage is deep green with boldly marked spots, dots or stripes in pale green, white or silvery gray.
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Mysterious, sophisticated black plants
Welcome to the dark side.
This is where the other plants grow, the ones that defy the cheery kaleidoscope of nature. They're black plants, some with names that underscore their eerie appearance - names like Dracula orchid and bat flower, voodoo lily and mourning widow.
They're odd and striking and, as Paul Bonine puts it, "They're really weird."
What makes this plant special is the color it provides in the garden during all four seasons of the year.
General: Associated with the genus Nandina, it's not a true bamboo but a member of the Berberidaceae, or barberry family. Its origins are China and Japan. The plants are dioecious, meaning male and female flowers are borne on separate plants. Both are needed for cross-pollination for the development of berries. They tolerate drought, cold and heat, but they prefer protection from the wind.
Size: The plant grows to about 6 feet tall.
Flowers: White flowers bloom in summer. In addition, heavenly bamboo is grown for its colorful red seeds.
Cultivation: Plant any time of the year from 1- or 5-gallon containers. For accent groupings in your landscape, plant them 4 feet on center. Make the watering basin twice the plant's diameter, create a berm 4 to 6 inches in height, and mulch the basin's surface with 2 inches of compost or humus mulch. Partial shade is preferred, although they will grow in full sun. Heavenly bamboo plants tolerate pH ranges from 6.5 to 7.0. They prefer loam soil, but will adopt to denser soil.
-- Source: "California Gardener's Guide" by Bruce and Sharon Asakawa (Cool Springs Press, $24.99)
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