Bamboo Garden is very special. Founded in 1984, Bamboo Garden has a diverse collection of more than 300 bamboo species and forms on 20 pastoral acres near North Plains, Oregon. Here mature bamboo groves are cast in a beautiful natural setting of rolling hills, ponds, mountain stream, and wooded backdrop. Customers of the nursery are offered golf cart tours of the extensive grounds.

Europe has a number of splendid bamboo gardens, and a few very famous ones that are connected with a bamboo nursery, where one can see many species of bamboo in mature natural groves and then have the opportunity to purchase the same bamboos for one’s own garden. America now has an equivalent in the Bamboo Garden.

Owner Ned Jaquith, an ardent bamboo enthusiast, has introduced countless people to the world of bamboo and served as a mentor to countless more---myself included. Nothing seems to please Ned more than introducing another person to bamboo. His welcoming enthusiasm carries through to the Bamboo Garden’s knowledgeable staff, who are adept at discussing bamboos with experts and novices alike. Nursery manager Noah Bell oversees the entire operation, including nursery, office, and sales. Maintenance foreman Reveriano Ramirez directs the labor force, bamboo propagation, and care. Bamboo Garden is an impressive operation with many fine people in key roles working to make it so.

Like Bamboo Garden, the Bamboo Garden catalog is something special too. The bamboos are beautifully photographed and described (Ned and Noah took most of the photos themselves), with clear illustrations that show how to maintain bamboo (credit to Charissa Brock for illustrations and layout design). It is not only a catalog of bamboo, but an informative guide as well. For anyone interested in bamboo, neither the Bamboo Garden nor the Bamboo Garden catalog are to be missed.

Ted Jordan Meredith, author:
Bamboo for Gardens
Timber Press Pocket Guide to Bamboos
The Complete Book of Garlic: A Guide for Gardeners, Growers, and Serious Cooks