I apologize for that. And yet I’m not changing it. Oh well. So out front sits a fresh mound of loam — 6 yards of it…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It doesn’t look like much until you start shoveling it. Then you realize it’s never-ending. So why the soil? I finally got around to planting the Phyllostachys nigra ‘Hale’ black bamboo that’s been waiting for its permanent spot. Quite a project. The hole is somewhere between 2 and 3′ deep, so it required a LOT of soil to fill it…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the 80 mil bamboo barrier that should (hopefully) keep the roots from escaping…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Try dragging that 70 lb thing down the hill and tossing it into the pit. No, really. Go ahead…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I dug a trench for the barrier a little deeper than the hole. Then David and I ran the sheet around the oval…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stainless steel clamps run up both sides of the overlapping barrier to ensure that the bamboo roots don’t sneak out…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes, there were nuts and bolts and power tools involved…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And now the Hale is happily in its new home below the retaining wall, where it should be safe from strong winter winds…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Luckily, I got it in the ground right before the temperatures dropped below freezing this weekend. Nothing like the last minute. Now I’d better get outside and move the remaining 4 yards of dirt. Oy.