Bamboo Fence

Bamboo Fence at Busch Gardens

December 16, 2010

During our visit to Busch Gardens in Tampa, Florida I noticed the effective use of bamboo as a living screen and bamboo sticks as camouflage screening.  Bamboo grows quickly and rather tall making it ideal for use as a living privacy screening not only from side views but also views from taller adjacent buildings.   It can help as a sound barrier as well.  There are even cold hardy bamboo varieties that will withstand harsher winter conditions.  Bamboo grows from rhizomes so has a spreading tendency that can become invasive so it is best to use some type of containment to keep the plant from spreading too much. 

Bamboo sticks can be used to camouflage an ugly chain-link fence or even the side of a building to give a more natural look in the garden.  Pictured is a camouflaged tall chain-link fence surrounding a construction site at Busch Gardens.  I thought it was a nice solution that gave a nice feel while hiding the mess of the construction from visitors.  If you look closely between the bamboo sticks and the chain-link fence you can see a thin mesh material that was used to reduce visibility through any gaps left by the bamboo sticks.  I really liked the overall effect!  In the home garden this type of screening would be easy to duplicate.  It could be softened further by using the screen to support flowering vines. 

Happy Gardening!

Garden Gnome
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