Bamboo Garden
Sir William Thiselton-Dyer (Director 1885-1905) was particularly
fond of design projects. One involved the reclamation of gravel
pits, from one of which, in 1891, he created the Bamboo Garden.
It originally contained 40 species of bamboo which had been surviving
in poor soil near the Temperate House, but under Thiselton-Dyer's
instruction, senior gardener W J Bean transferred them to their
new location in 1891-2. Although bamboos grow wild on every continent
except Europe, these 40 original specimens were mainly from India
and Japan.
There are now 135 species, making it one of the largest collections
in the UK. Bamboos are woody grasses ranging in form from giant
poles, through wispy variegated species, to fountains of leaves
from the pendulous varieties. Some species can be highly invasive,
and at Kew, these are planted within strong barriers to contain
them.
In 2001, a Japanese Minka House (a form of traditional building)
was built in the Bamboo Garden. It was brought from Japan and re-erected
under the auspices of the Japan Minka Reuse and Recycle Association.
The Minka House is used as a space for workshops, displays and other
events.
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1885-1945:
Imperial Kew
Thiselton-Dyer
The
Bamboo Garden
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Zone
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to: Rhododendron Dell