Depending on the size of the area you can use a variety of clumping bamboos in the landscape. We have a relatively small backyard, think most new housing estates do these days and I wanted something relatively tall but have small culm diameters. Needles to say we went for the ever popular Slender Weavers where the max culm diameter ranges from 25mm to 35mm at heights of 6m to 8m. They grow fast too, we planted 22 of them 8 months ago with an average height of 1.5m and most of them are about 3m. Some of the other species with bigger culms are like the Oldhamii and Buddha's Belly where they reach up 100mm in diameter. For the most part they're planted in rows and mostly for screening purposes but I've seen growers mix and match such as planting the taller Timor Black Bamboo (12m - 16m) at the back of the Slender Weavers followed by the shorter Himalayan Weeping Bamboo and/or Fargesia Fortuna. I'm also not opposed to the idea of incorporating running bamboo into landscapes as they have their own charm such as more delicate looking foliage and straighter stems from the ground as a result of them spreading out their rhizomes to larger areas before shooting upwards. Most common varieties is the Golden Cane Bamboo or Black Bamboo. You can usually tell if a species is a running bamboo by looking out for a flat side alternating between each node along the canes. Hope that helps...

At Designer Plants we often help customers with privacy needs. We have products such as our Photinia and Laurel Trellis' that I think might interest you. They are Artificial so they require absolutely no maintenance and they are build to last in the sun - In fact, they come with a 5-year guarantee against cracking and fading. Each screen is 1 meter by 2 meters however they contract and retract from 1 meter all the way out to approximately 2.5 meters. If you're Interested check out our website - www.designerplants.com.au Alternatively you can contact me directly with any questions - aaron.quarrell@designerplants.com.au - and I'll get back to you as soon as I can. Good Luck with the project!

You can definitely choose some simple and graphic artworks for your wall. Here are a few ideas you might like. There are some matching leaf prints you could possibly use - Or you could use black and white photography to match the kitchen and perhaps throw in a tall plants, like a potted Mexican bamboo, to brighten up the space-

Spotted Gum is a great hard wearing timber with a Janka rating of 11. This means it is high density timber and won't dent as easily as softer timbers like American Oak. A polyurethane finish is the hardest and most durable timber floor coating and it comes in gloss satin and mat. The lower sheen's are more forgiving if you you have pets and young children. Bamboo is another hard product but only comes in short lengths so you would need to take that look into consideration when selecting. Some clients don't like the look of the short boards and consider it a cheap look. Others prefer the longer floor boards of timber. If you do choose bamboo make sure that you find out the coating used and whether it can be sanded and re coated down the track, as all timber and bamboo floors will need a touch up especially if you have pets. Some bamboo floors can not be sanded due the coating used. Hope this helps. Our website may offer some inspiration. Good Luck http://budgetfloorsanding.com.au/