Bamboo Fences

Months ago, sitting in traffic, I noticed a shop with beautiful bamboo fences. It was early Sunday morning and the shop was closed but I made a mental note to myself that at some point I wanted to come back and see these fences up close.

Fast forward to last weekend. Finally, Jeff was home for the day and he and I could go to the fence shop. We took measurements of where we thought we'd like to have the fences and took off to see what we could find.

I have no idea what the gentleman (center) thought as he looked out his store front and saw us looking at his fences. But once we had made our choice he motioned us into his shop and as we stepped over the threshold we entered into a different world. Thank goodness Jeff was with me because there is absolutely no way I could possibly have made the conversion from inches to metric. And, we were in luck because the owner spoke enough English that with lots of hand gestures and figures written on paper we were finally able to order 3 fence sections for our backyard.

But these are not just any fence sections. They are handmade. As Jeff said when we were looking at them, "I don't think we could go pick these up at the local Lowes." My grandfather was a master wood worker. We have some of the furniture that he made for us, and I know the time and care it takes to create something by hand.

I have also had a love-hate relationship with bamboo. As a gardener, it is a nightmare to control, bamboo is incredibly invasive. It's aggressive and once it takes hold it is difficult to get rid of. It is on my list of "will not buy a house that has ...." - also included in that list is the Sweet Gum Tree, but that's a different story. But since arriving here in Japan I have come to appreciate bamboo, the bamboo groves that I have seen at the different gardens I have been to and the lovely fences that add natural beauty to homes and gardens have given me a new respect for this strong and versatile plant. When you combine the beauty of bamboo with the skill of a master craftsman, the result is art.

We now have the task of trying to figure out how to jury-rig the fences in out backyard. We have some ideas but it will be a process to get them in - while not violating any housing rules. But the end result will be worth all the effort. Sometimes it takes a forced moment of observation, like being stuck in traffic, to trigger a vision ... the illusion of semi-privacy, to put into motion much patience and motivation to see an idea through. Inspiring.