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Tibetan Buddhist Sand Mandalas and Non-attachment
The Tibetan Buddhist sand mandalas first arrived in San Luis Obispo more than a dozen years ago. Since then they have become something of an institution on the Central Coast. No one who observes the creation of these exquisite works of art can fail to appreciate the...
Nimbus: Pioneers in bamboo bath tissue and reusable wipes
The world of bamboo research is a lot like a balloon, where the air inside is what we know, and the outer surface is what we don't know. The more I read and write about this epic grass, and the more my knowledge expands, the more questions just keep increasing...
Bamboo for fuel and energy: Another green solution
In an age of fossil fuel dependency and rampant deforestation, bamboo is something of a miracle crop. We use it as an alternative to single-use plastics and pesticide-rich cotton. It even makes a superior building material for everything from furniture to houses. But...
Thorny Bamboo: Bambusa blumeana and others
The bamboo family is filled with spectacular and alluring specimens. Temple Bamboo, Chocolate Bamboo, and Japanese Timber Bamboo are just a few of the more intriguing varieties. And then there's Thorny Bamboo. If you're looking to enhance your Feng Shui, this might...
Bamboo for Japanese Gardens
These days, it seems, we could all use a little more Zen access in our lives. And what better place to enjoy a moment of Zen than in a well-kept Japanese garden? The process of creating and maintaining a Japanese garden can be just as satisfying, if not more so, as...
Growing bamboo in the desert
With the growing popularity of bamboo, people everywhere are looking for more and more places where they can grow their own bamboo. We generally associate bamboo with the Far East, and especially the tropical jungle zones like Thailand, Bali and the Philippines. But...