We have all seen it: pandas sitting in trees, chewing on long stalks of bamboo, carefree and happy. But Bamboo is fast becoming the eco-friendly alternative to many every day products. Between bamboo clothing, bed linens, and hardwood flooring, as well as bamboo furniture, utilizes this versatile grass.
Yes, you read that correctly. Grass! Bamboo is a grass, and a renewal resource. Bamboo is normally used for landscaping, to make a backyard more attractive and appealing to the homeowners. But bamboo has other uses as well. Soil erosion is a common problem with new construction sites around the world. Most industries have better management practices in place to avoid soil erosion on new construction sites, and bamboo is a great addition to new construction sites to avoid soil erosion.
Planting bamboo not only keeps soil erosion to a minimum; it can slow rain run off by creating a barrier for the rain to hit as it runs down an incline, either natural or man made. With over 1,200 varieties of bamboo in the world, there is clearly a bamboo alternative for every one of our daily needs.
Bamboo has been used for centuries in Asia, from a source of food to home construction, and it is only now that the western world is catching on to the source that Asia has hidden for centuries. Bamboo is as durable as any known wood used for building materials, but has a much shorter growth span. That is, it only takes weeks for bamboo to grow to lengths which can be utilized, whereas trees take decades. The quickness at which bamboo grows means that there is plenty of bamboo that can be made available for material use.
It also is a great addition to any yard or home. Since bamboo is a grass, which has leaves, it can help filter the air of toxins and breathe back out fresh clean oxygen for us to breath. Having bamboo in your house is not only considered good luck in Asian cultures, but it can keep the air you are breathing clean and fresh. It is also an attractive addition to your office or living room. Green is a stress reducing color, so having a deep green bamboo plant growing in the corner of your house can help you reduce your daily stress.
If you are sold on bamboo, there are plenty of products for which you can decorate your house or backyard patio with. There is bamboo furniture, bamboo wind chimes, and bamboo lanterns which you can add to your bamboo laden garden. Whether or not you want a bamboo awning, it can be found should you want one. Bamboo can be made into just about anything; you just need to use your imagination.
Just remember to keep your bamboo watered. Unlike most household plants, bamboo needs lots of water. That is unless you are trying to dry out your bamboo to make a home made fishing pole! Then dry it out, get your bobbin and go fishing.
September 5th, 2009 | 
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