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Bamboo gardening involves a little bit of care in the beginning, but the rewards are definitely worth it. Although you have to investigate what species is native to your local area, bamboo tends to be a very low maintenance plant that can weather many hard conditions.

Adding bamboo to your garden can give it an air of exoticness and serenity. Many people are scared of the rumors they have heard about the roots spreading wildly and even causing neighbor disputes over property lines. This can all be avoided by doing a small amount of research a head of time before planting.

Two things to check for are:

1) Are the bamboo plants you want in your garden native to your area or able to survive in your zone?

2) Is the bamboo a clumping type or spreading type of bamboo?

Obviously clumping types are easier to deal with, as they tend to stay bunched together. However, even spreading bamboo can be controlled. By either partially or fully surrounding the bamboo with a thick piece of plastic you can direct the spreading of the bamboo roots.

Bamboo roots tend to stay more toward the top, so going down about 2 feet should suffice. Having the bamboo area slightly raised with a ledge will allow you to see the roots extending each year and easily trim the back.

Bamboo are very durable and low maintenance, but they do need a little attention once or twice a year. Thinning the leaves once a year will also bring them back to life, so to speak. The leaves tend to get quite full and you loose the natural lines of the stems. Clipping and sculpting as you go, bring out the beauty of the plant.

Overall, the easiest way to do bamboo gardening is to plant the bamboo in a pot, paying special attention not to disturb the buds, and then burying the whole pot in the ground. In Japan this can be often be seen in many small gardens.

Using a nicely colored pot like a royal blue or some other color that blends with any flowers around will add a bit of art to you bamboo garden. Let a good 3 inches stick out of the ground to display both the bamboo and the pot.

Bamboo gardening can be a fun way to add something unique to your garden, whether you are going for a full Japanese garden effect, or merely want to add something different to your design. Trying to plant and lay the barrier yourself can be a great DIY project if you are one for details.

There are as many types of bamboo plants to choose from for your garden as there are uses for the plant itself. Over 1000 species of bamboo in 90 genera have been described and named and there may well be varieties waiting to be discovered. Bamboo plants grow at various heights in various ways with various leaf lengths and shapes. Variety should not come as a surprise considering how many areas of the planet in which they've evolved. Bamboo spans the globe from the United States to Asia to Australia and can now be a beautiful addition to your own home.

There are several factors to consider when choosing a bamboo plant:

* Purpose - The uses of the bamboo plant are endless. It can be a striking stand-alone, a low variegated border, a groundcover or an accent plant. It holds prominent placement in creating stunning Japanese gardens. By far it's most popular use is as a fast-growing privacy screen. Since bamboo is one of the fastest growing plants on the planet, a screen or hedge can be created more quickly and inexpensively than hardwood trees or fencing.

* Temperature - It is best to select plants that will tolerate temperatures well below the lowest ones you've experienced in the last few years.

* Sunlight - Choose a species based on the number of hours of direct sunlight they will receive and what part of the day they will be in the sun. A.M. sun is cooler and P.M. sun may be harsher.

* Height and diameter - Affected by all aspects of the climate, most plants have a known reference point based on their climate of origin.