“There is nothing so beautiful and so tall that fits a small space,” says one Mercer Island homeowner.  (His Phyllostachys nigra ‘Henon’ bamboo is pictured at right within the large trellis).  As more and more second story remodels and town homes are built, bamboo’s popularity as a privacy screen has soared. At one time it was believed that bamboo was suitable for just an Asian style garden. Not so! Look between houses in your neighborhood and you are likely to spot delicate, flirting leaves of bamboo near contemporary homes as well as bungalows.

Owing to the many hardy varieties and various mature heights, applications are endless. Bamboo will distract from the boxiness of a garage wall.  It can be planted as a divider for a secluded garden spot. Bamboo in a large pot can be moved around to provide shade.  A Bothell home, at left, shows Phyllostachys nigra (Black bamboo) screening the garage wall with Sasa pygmaeus (a dwarf green bamboo) at its feet. To the right of the arbor is Phyllostachys viridis ‘Robert Young’ (yellow culm with a green pinstripe).