An Ode to Bamboo Charcoal

BAMBOO CHARCOAL, A GREAT DEAL
SMOKELESS AND SAFE, A NICE FEEL
A GREAT WAY TO BEAT THE CHILL
OH! WHAT A THRILL!!

THE CENTRE OF ATTRACTION AT A PARTY
BAMBOO CHARCOAL - SO HOT SUCH A SMARTY
WARM UP YOUR DANCING FEET
BOOGIE TO THE BEAT !!

NO TREE HAS BEEN CUT,
GET OUT OF THE RUT.
FOR YOUR PARTIES THIS YEAR,
ENJOY BAMBOO CHARCOAL, HAVE NO FEAR.

BARBEQUE OR BONFIRE, WHATEVER YOUR MOOD
BAMBOO CHARCOAL IS ALL GOOD !!

only and only at The Bamboo Store
N-11 Rear Lane, N-block Market
Greater Kailash Part I
New Delhi -110048

Bamboo for the Garden

Bamboo looks wonderful in the garden - natural or brightly coloured. Bamboo can be used in so many ways in the garden - both for functional and decorative purposes. You can use bamboo for fences, gates, planters, stakes, sculptures, fountains, water-pipes, garden candlestands, torches, solar and bamboo lamps, bird-houses, bird-feeders and much much more.

Here is one of the exciting things we at The Bamboo Store are creating for the garden

bamboo and coconut shell candlestands

Bamboo Table Mats - Perfect Recipe for Aesthetic Meal-times

Bamboo Table mats all the way from Northeast India at the Bamboo Store - an elegant way to set the dinner table . Roll them up and carry them for a good-looking picnic lunch. Or why not eat in style at office too - the benefit of a bamboo table mat is that it is sturdy, washes well, can be rolled and carried easily and looks good !!

Bamboo Cutlery

Of late there have been many enquiries for bamboo cutlery at the store - from Australia, Slovakia and even India - for the Commonwealth Games !! Would be lovely to have an organic, fork, spoon and knife instead of the usual cold, fragile plastic stuff. I mean can you imagine eating with a golden, glowing, strong bamboo spoon and fork? Not afraid that it will snap into two like a plastic one does as you pick up a morsel ? And then once you are done with the meal, even if the cutlery is disposed, it is bio-degradable and will not fill up a garbage dump or landfill. Great idea - I would love to sell them - only if I had them !! Up until now, I have met artisans who make spoons, forks and knives - but these are all hand-crafted artisanal products. They will definitely not be able to produce in large quantities or at the throwaway prices the buyers demand . So I am still waiting for some manufacturers of bamboo cutlery. In the meantime , a picture of some bamboo cutlery - handmade in India !

Bamboo in The Garden

• The Bamboo Store is launching Garden Mania: A bamboo garden accessories festival to celebrate the onset of spring. A range of garden accessories in bamboo will be available from The Bamboo Store, N-11, Rear Lane, N Block Market, Greater Kailash Part I, New Delhi-110048 throughout the month of March.
  
  Bamboo is ideal for gardens, both as a planting material and for garden furniture and accessories. Firstly it is a natural bio-degradable material and therefore scores high on the eco-friendly point of view. Secondly, bamboo has a natural charm that adds greatly to the garden’s beauty - think of sweeping bamboo stands, the wind whispering through them. Think of a melodious bamboo wind-chime adding a lovely musical note … I could go on !!
  
  Reams have been written about the invasive nature of the bamboo plant, how it takes over the entire garden, its vast network of roots and shoots spreading wide. However, all that fear is exaggerated. You can take several measures to restrict bamboo in the garden to the spaces you want it to be present –
  1. plant the bamboo is sturdy pots and bury them in the garden,
  2. line the sides of the trench where the bamboo is to be planted with tin/aluminium sheets or a layer of bricks
  

In terms of garden accessories and furniture, the sky is the limit as far as using bamboo is concerned. Here are just some of the things that can be done in bamboo which we are stocking at the Bamboo Store:
· planters
· bird-houses
· bird-feeders
· chairs
· tables
· swings
· candlestands
· flares (mashaals)
· garden umbrellas
· fences
· gazebos
· garden lamps
· deer-scares
· sculptures
· wind-chimes

You don’t have to have a huge garden to have bamboo in it. Even a small terrace or balcony will do – get some lovely bamboo plants in pots and use it as a screen. Hang up some bird feeders, bird-houses, a wind-chime, a couple of bamboo planters with seasonal or succulents and voila! Your bamboo retreat is ready. If space permits, throw in a bamboo and fabric garden umbrella, a couple of bamboo loungers and you can relax in your bamboo paradise !