Friday 26 February 2010

"Bamboo Fence Nails Need Not," Confucious Say

So do you remember the episode of our cutting bamboo in the woods? The whole ill-gotten booty was worth the risk as we now have a bamboo fence, thanks to a saw and a whole lot of jute. We were growing tired of saying Konnichiwa to every person who walked down our street and so needed a slight privacy/shade screen for our summer backyard lounging. Interestingly enough I found out that Japanese fences made of bamboo should only be tied with a strange square not tactic using wet jute, which tightens as it dries. This is because nails break the chi of the bamboo, well actually they just crack the bamboo as it shrinks over time splitting your fence into a loose pile of sticks.
After over two weeks of planning and a good week of morning digging burying posts and tying around eighty knots I have a decent (maybe not the straightest) Japanese fence, the only one in my neighbourhood. I often wonder if the neighbours think I am nuts, kind of like a Japanese guy moving in to Waterloo and building a traditional Canadian Cedar rail fence or log home in his backyard the day after he moves in. The responses have been pretty copasetic so far as I have even had a few elderly neighbours walk by and shout Gambare (endure the hard work with pleasure), Kirei desu nei (Pretty thing you have there) and Otsukari sama deshita (you have worked hard) so all in all I think the hood is liking my Japanese fence. It divides my walking garden from my veggie plots (more on that later) quite well and hopefully since we have installed it we will recieve less Konnichiwa, Gambare and other comments for the privacy it provides. Hope you like the pictures.


1 comment:

  1. I love your fence, it is absolutely gorgeous! Just think if you can't get work as a teacher, you could build these lovely fences...Very nice. I especially love the blossoming bonsai (spelling). You never cease to amaze me...Mom
    Pls check you emails...need answers to many questions.

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