For 25 years, since I bought my home in Reynier Village, I loved the tall and thick bamboo hedge that surrounded my backyard and protected my privacy through its impenetrable branches. It was planted decades ago, in a time when homeowners were not aware of the destructive behavior of running bamboo, whose roots travel underground, under driveways and lawns. About 10 years ago another invasive plant started growing on top of the bamboo hedge, morning glory; it spread all over at a rapid pace, but I enjoyed its purple flowers. After warnings from gardening experts, more environmentally aware than myself, I decided to have this vine-like weed removed. To our horror, below the pretty flowers, we discovered a thicket 3-feet deep of dead bamboo, that had to be removed because it constituted a fire hazard. We filled a huge dumpster truck, with the 70 feet of bamboo.
Text and photos by Elisa Leonelli