Bamboo Shoots make Head Roots

Bamboo rootsThese shaggy hand carved faces are produced from the roots of bamboo plants and they fit perfectly into many of our design philosophies.

They are ‘logical’, for the roots do look like hair formations.
They were once a wasted by-product following a bamboo harvest
They bring an extra income to those already producing Bamboo
They provide work for an artist alongside a farming business
They are designed with a degree of humour
They are well carved

We are devotees of maximising the potential of crops and skill bases, especially those from Rural Communities. In our own backyard, we have started ‘Rural Growth Wales’ to promote the start-up of local businesses around local resources. This will hopefully be a template for other communities to follow. Rural communities need your support, Worldwide.

~~~~~~~~~~ <+))))))))>< ~~~ waves from Grant

The terrace of the nine Aubretia ‘Beards’

IMAGENAMEHERENestling in wall crevices and billowing out of rockery cracks, I have always thought of Aubrietia plants as beards. On close examination, these purple flowering lumps are often held on by the merest of stems and yet somehow withstand winds and the heaviest of settling snow.

Having created a series of swooping wood curves as an oak slat wall to retain earth, I felt that a “beard” in each swoop would look great so planted all nine locations. Somehow I think Aubrietia has a mind of its own for it has favoured 5 of my plantings and rejected the others. I keep trying the other swoop but seeds don’t like them.

As a solution, I have been secretly growing four aubrietia plants to maturity and will thus be able to finish off the ‘terrace of the nine beards’ instantly.

I shape the plants once a year in January to keep them trim – now all I have to work out how I can keep my own chin growth down with only a once yearly shave!

Waves from the top terrace ~~~ <+))))))))>< ~~~ Grant