can i grow bamboo in my garden?

Yes you can bamboo can grow basically anywhere but it is an invasive plant when you plant it in the ground it will keep growing farther and farther out it will probably Invade your next door neighbors yard and your house sure they are pretty but there also near impossible to get rid of cause you have to get rid of every single string of root. If you buy the running bamboo. That's just a fair warning but if you still want to buy it. To get noninvasive you can get clump bamboo where it stays in its own little clump. I've know people with both kinds. The only thing is you may have to get invasive if you want the bamboo to survive because u live in the uk and there are ways of controlling the spreading before it does spread too far. Here is a website that has root pruning instructions. Or you can just bury a plastic tub and leave the edge an inch above the ground and plant bamboo in there
http://www.bamboogarden.com/barrier%20installation.htm
I'll put a good site for buying in the source

Yes indeed you can. I live near Bath and I have a whole hedge of it to block out a neighbour's ugly garage on land that stands 6ft higher than mine. Certain bamboos will grow up yo 20-30ft high which is exactly what I wanted mine to do. There are various psyllostachys bamboos that are frost hardy in this country. I have some black bamboos and some golden ones that go 20-25ft high . Bamboo is very fast growing to that height.

Yes they can be invasive but you can take steps to avoid this by digging a trench and lining it with membrane. I have no problem with mine growing out. I bought mine from a bamboo nursery in Derbyshire but there are some in Scotland if you are worried about hardiness.

Forget all the panic about spreading. If you buy 'clumping' bamboo it will spread slowly but it is not invasive. Running bamboo is the problem as that will spread relentlessly. Bamboo will grow without a problem in England. I have lots of it in Hampshire. Any garden centre will stock it and maybe some DIY stores. If the label doesn't say 'clumping' ask before you buy.

Yes but it needs to be contained best way to do this is plant in large pots and bury the pots to just above the top leaving them up at least 3 inches above ground.Better thing to do is plant Pamsas Grass it grows fast in large clumps and harms nothing beautiful all year round.Cut back in spring to get new growth.

Think of your neighbors! Please! My sister in law's neighbor planted bamboo. It took over their yard totally and now it is taking over all of the neighbor's yards as well. It is horrible! They just can't get rid of the stuff!

Sure you can. But who ever lives near you will kill you. It is a weed and once settled, you won't be able to get rid of it.

Really rethink this.........Bamboo is an uncontrollable weed that will go everywhere including your neighbors yards. You will not make friends planting this. And eliminating it is extremely difficult.