[4-Candles]

I have always had a love of bamboos, so four years ago I decided to make part of our garden into an oriental garden.  Despite reading that bamboos can be invasive, I naievely thought I could keep them in check with weed fabric and gravel, so I went ahead and planted 8 bamboos and some grasses, covered the area in weed membrane and then used plum coloured slate chippings.

At first I was pleased with the result, but 4 years on and the bamboos have done exactly what I was warned they would do - they are putting out runners under the fabric and coming up everywhere.  I planted them too close together, they have got too big, and the grasses (which are mainly miscanthus) don't look oriental at all!  So I'm clearing it out and am going to start again.

I have dug out three of the bamboos so far and plan to leave just one in.  The others are going to be dug out over the coming weeks.  I still want to keep the oriental look, so what can I plant in their place that keeps the oriental style but won't be invasive?  I plan to use acers, but other plant suggestions would be welcome.

Also, I suspect I won't easily be able to dig out all the runners, does Roundup work on bamboo? 

[mumofstig]

How about a windmill palm or a small cherry tree, Amanogawa the upright cherry, takes up little space
http://www.thompson-morgan.com/flowers/all-other-seeds-and-plants/trees/prunus-amanogawa/t45446TM

You could grow some evergreens and try cloud pruning them.

[sunshineband]

Round up does work on bamboo---eventually 

From experience in our local park, tbh the best thing to do is dig them out and burn them. There are some clump forming bamboos, but even these I feel are better constrained in pots.

We have some with golden haulms that are about two metres tall in pots. When they outgrow these, we take them out and chop them downwards sideways with a sharp spade, and cut tougher pieces with a long knife, replanting  part of it with fresh compost. The rest goes to our green waste where it is composted at high temperatures. A row of the pots does look "oriental"

Mosses in pots or troughs can look very effective too

[Goosegirl]

There are some lovely small acers with different coloured leaves that you can either plant direct or keep in pots, plus Japanese azaleas.

[Norfolkgrey]

Have a look at Compton Acres Garden for inspiration. Kristen has a lot of pics on his blog for their Japanese garden but I don't think I am allowed to add a link for it.

They use all sorts conifers, cotoneaster, acers, irises, moss, hardy fuschia. I may be wrong on some but it looks like those.

The main thing you notice is the use of three levels. Trees, Shrubs and ground cover with a lot of paths, water and features.

[4-Candles]

Wow, the Compton Acres garden is gorgeous!  Love the colours of the azaleas, and only one bamboo in the whole garden!  I've taken lots of inspiration from it and am putting together a plant list. 

Love the idea of having a go at cloud pruning - what plants would be good for this?

[mumofstig]

RHS has a list of suitable plants here
https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=540