Olive trees come in both edible and ornamental varieties giving you a vast range of choices of just which type of olive leaf appeals to your eye. The idea here is the contrast of the Mediterranean vibe olive trees bring to every landscape and the tropical energy of the tall growing Angel Mist bamboo. They have a similar coloring that complements each other, and because the Angel Mist bamboo and olives trees are both able to be pruned, you have the flexibility of deciding whether to leave the olive tree as the tile can hang in and let the ghost bamboo be the shorter hedge or vice versa. 

There's also the choice of using tea olives for an even greater contrast and a different evergreen shrub that can be pruned into a tree or left in its more natural form to soften the hard culms of the Ghost Bamboo. 

Though Blue Arrows Rush is no small plant, it will certainly be dwarfed by Ghost Bamboo and is equally as easy to grow and fast growing. As implied by its name, the Juncus Inflexus has a cool blue coloring that complements the pale greenish coloring of the Ghost Bamboo. 

Here in the pictured rain garden, Blue Arrows Rush and Ghost Bamboo help to soften the water coming off the side roof of the house, slowing and absorbing as much water as possible before it enters the duck pond. 

Blue Arrows Rush can be grow in shallow water while Dendrocalamus minor 'Amoenus' is extremely tolerant of being heavily watered, it should remain on higher ground to prevent the plant from drowning. 

One of the few ornamental grasses that will be able to withstand and thrive in the shade cast by mature bamboo plants, the Inland Sea Oats will offer a tall-growing, flowing plant that will add some additional movement to your landscape or perennial garden in soft--or harsh-- winds. 

Combining these two grasses together will result in a powerful and lovely combo for preventing soil erosion and providing wonderful environments for birds.

For a bold and big contrasting plant, the Thai Black Banana with its dark brownish-black banana trunks makes a great choice for a "green doorway" in a landscape. Once both of these plants are mature, it is possible to achieve a lovely green canopy that makes a wonderfully shady place to get some relief from the summer sun. 

Here the Thai Banana plant helps to prevent erosion around the duck pond and to support a berm that redirects the rain roof water into the duck pond to refill it.