Built with bamboo

Instant art
A bamboo obelisk makes a great support for large perennials or small climbers and an attractive vertical garden element even if not supporting a plant. This folding one came from Mitre 10 Mega but you could easily make your own rigid version from sawn canes fixed with garden twine or small panel pins and exterior glue. Place within low bushy planting to hide the base and fix each leg to a small garden stake driven into the ground to stop the wind blowing it over.

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Gaining height
A teepee of bamboo canes is a great space-saving way to grow climbers and has long been popular in the veggie gardens as an effective support for runner beans. It's also a great way of supporting a favourite climber that's growing in a pot, adding instant height to a corner of the garden. Growing a plant in this way allows you to move it out of sight when it looks less than its best and take it with you when you shift house.

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Take a seat
Spruce up cane furniture with a lick or paint or exterior wood stain. Brand new furniture can be painted or stained right away - Resene Woodsman is ideal for staining bamboo and comes in a good colour range. If the furniture has been outdoors for any length of lime, treat with Resene Moss & Mould Killer (following Resene's instructions), and scrub with a soft brush to remove surface debris. Allow to dry thoroughly in the sun before painting or staining. If painting instead of staining, undercoat first with Resene Quick Dry and finish off with Resene Lumbersider.

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Scaring the birds
Cut small lengths or bamboo cane and knot them together at 100mm intervals with garden ties or twine to create an effective bird scarer. Hang the knotted tie or suspend horizontally between two bamboo canes over fruiting plants or newly sown seed. Similarly, differing lengths of thick bamboo can be tied to a circle of treated plywood to create a wind chime.

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Screen appeal
Bamboo is perfect for a Japanese style garden and can be fixed together to create an attractive screen backing for planting or a sculptural focal point. Fix to a batten frame with small panel pins, thin galvanised wire or for a more rustic look, bind together with garden twine. Other styles of screen can be created by fixing canes vertically within a timber frame or 'weaving' them together at intervals to form a simple trellis.

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Fence appeal
For a stylish fence, fix lengths of thick bamboo cane between two fence posts and weave in bands of fiat Zincalume or aluminium. The metal sheets can be left natural or painted in a colour to tie in with other garden features - use a preparatory metal primer such as Resene Galvo One and finish off with two top coats of Resene Lumbersider tinted to a suitable colour.

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Floral support
If you're planning an outdoor event, use a sturdy bamboo cane as an effective stand for a topiary-style floral arrangement. Fix the cane directly into the ground (you can hide the base with surrounding planting) or cement it into a pot. Fix a block of florists Oasis to the top of the cane and create a rounded 'head' with flowers and foliage.

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Grow your own
If growing your own bamboo for garden canes, choose a type that doesn't produce runners away from the main clump or, to keep it under control, grow it in a very large container. For larger species, an old farm trough may prove ideal. For good cane production, bamboo planted in containers need feeding and regular watering.

Dainty Fairy bamboo (Bombusa gracilis) can be planted in the garden and, in time, used for small fine canes. It is drought and frost hardy.

In colder areas, make sure you choose frost hardy bamboos. Examples include Oldhami bamboo (Dendrocolomopsls oldhamil), which are good for large, stout canes, shade and moisture-loving Himalayan weeping bamboo (Dreponastachyum falcatum), and the very handsome Alphonse Karr bamboo (Bombuso multiplex var. Alphonse Karr). Susie Longdell.