Discover Perfect Privacy Behind a Living Bamboo Screen

April 27, 2010 - PRLog -- The warm days of summer are on their way, and many people are looking forward to enjoying their outdoor area. But there are times when privacy becomes an issue, and can prevent the backyard or garden from being a place to relax. Whether the neighbors built a second story and suddenly the yard feels like a fishbowl, or the proverb “Good fences build good neighbors” becomes suddenly relevant, a living bamboo screen is the answer.
More and more customers have come to Instant Jungle owner Greg Wallace asking about bamboo screens. They want something to solve their privacy problem without building a wall or a fence—especially if what they want to block is several yards high.
Even foliage such as a ficus or privet hedge would create a dense barrier, and can turn the “fishbowl” feeling turn into one of being hemmed in. By using bamboo, the screen provides a softer and open feel that allows light to penetrate. Another reason for using living bamboo, you can create a screen that is as tall as you need, whether it’s 10 feet or 30 feet.
“A lot of our clients are up in Malibu,” comments Greg. “They have paparazzi issues, and these large bamboo plants not only prevent the photographers from gaining access, they also give these celebrities privacy from long-range photography.”
Many people are under the impression that bamboo is a plant with roots that can’t be contained, and will take over your landscaped garden. This certainly is true—to a point. There are two kinds of bamboo: one called “running bamboo,” or Phyllostachys aurea; and two called “clumping bamboo,” or Bambusa.
“We’ve typically sold more of the clumping bamboo as customers are looking for a controlled situation,” explains Greg. “Although one of my favorite varieties is black bamboo. But it’s a runner, and can be very invasive.”
The roots of the running bamboo will indeed run rampant through a yard’s soil if not properly contained, yet the “runners” usually are the more attractive bamboos. By creating a root barrier or a concrete planter, Instant Jungle enables customers to choose the bamboo they favor for their landscape needs. Clumping bamboo comes in only one variety, but it will stay where planted. Also known as a “timber” bamboo, it is best for customers that require a tall screen for privacy.
Instant Jungle has three bamboo growing locations, and has many different types and quantities for customers to choose from. Depending on availability and delivery location, an order of bamboo can be installed as quickly as within 24 hours, and always within one week. Instant Jungle can provide instructions and guidance for the best planting techniques, for those who already have a garden maintenance service or landscapers, or they are happy to install the plants for you.
“We recommend that customers use us for installation,” says Greg. “That way we have control over the soil median and the irrigation capability—bamboo is a very thirsty plant—of where they are planted, and then we can provide a guarantee.”
Instant Jungle does not usually offer exterior maintenance for plants, but bamboo is becoming increasingly popular for interior use. “Recently, we have been installing bamboo for inside use, mostly for hotels and restaurants as a dividing screen or in corporate lobbies,” agrees Greg. “Depending on the lighting and watering available, we often use artificial bamboo, created using real bamboo poles with silk leaves attached. Since the live plants need to be in containers, it’s also a great excuse to use the running bamboo varieties.”
For more information on Instant Jungle and bamboo installations, please call (800) 447-4007 or contact them through their website at www.instantjungle.com.

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Instant Jungle International is a family owned and operated, full-service retail and wholesale nursery specializing in palms, bamboo and tropical plants in addition to having a complete inventory of traditional plants. For over 30 years, Instant Jungle has been providing and installing plants across the United States from their three locations: two in Orange County, California and another in Northern California.
Instant Jungle has installed plants for home staging; residential and commercial interiors and landscapes; events and galas; and their clients include luxury hotels and corporations such as the Bellagio Las Vegas, Sony, Harrah’s Atlantic City and Disneyland.