Flatbush Gardener and Chelsea Garden Center, Red Hook
Flatbush Gardener and I must have crossed paths this weekend at the newish Chelsea Garden Center in Red Hook. He's already said everything I would have said, so I'll leave the talking up to him, but I will say, it takes a bold garden center to make Gowanus Nursery seem expensive. I'll also say that that didn't stop me from buying a bunch of plants. Also, while we're on the topic, what kind of bamboo works well in Brooklyn? We're looking for a 6- to 8- foot variety that would grow well in a shallow concrete box. Any suggestions? We're considering Sasa kurilensis "Shimofuri" or the Pseudosasa japonica "Tsutsumiana." I should take photos of the garden and its progress, but I'm hesitant until I'm happy with its progress ... that may never happen.
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You HAVE to try the third garden center on the other side of Fairway called Liberty Sunset...its the best of the three and they are super friendly and its a beautiful seaside location. I've spent a ton of money at Gowanus over the years, and checked out Liberty on a whim, and was sad that i hadn't spent more time there. I think Chelsea is the most disappointing of the three...their selection is too basic.
We installed bamboo about two years ago and it is quite aggressive....if you are installing it in the ground, consider deeper, concrete containers underground...it is quite a cunning plant and is very very aggressive in how is sends out a rhizome to find new locations.
I wasn't there this past Saturday, but a week before. It just took me a while to get the photos up and write about it.
Photos of your garden, please!
Sasa species are running (sympodial) bamboos. I would avoid them. For urban plantings, you want a clumping (monopodial) bamboo. I've grown Fargesia nitida (previously assigned to another genus, Sinarundinaria, I believe) in NYC and it's hardy and lovely in a partially-shaded location.
On the Bamboo Garden Web site you link to, select the "Hardy Clumping" category from their home page to see some suitable bamboos, including several Fargesia species.
The New England Bamboo Company is based in Massachusetts. I've never ordered from them, so it's not a recommendation, but they have also good information on their Web site. And since they're closer than Oregon, shipping costs for mail-order would be lower.
Another resource is the American Bamboo Society.
I've thought of growing the giant Fargesia robusta to shade the south side of our house. It's clumping, and will grow to 20' tall.