SPOTLIGHT ON...

“HANG on a minute,” I hear you say. “We had bamboo once and it ate us out of house and home.”

Yes, well, some of them do, but the trick is to find a variety that is a clump-former, rather than a rampant monster that will take over the entire garden.

For me, the best bamboo of all is Phyllostachys aureosulcata aureocaulis.

I know that’s one heck of a mouthful, but it’s also one heck of an eyeful since its canes are a warm shade of golden orange.

The trick is to thin them out every now and again, and to snip off the side shoots so the remaining canes are visible in all their glory.

If you fancy something a little more subtle, go for the black–stemmed Phyllostachys nigra, with canes the colour of coal. The same thinning out is recommended.

Both these varieties are clumpformers. They will spread, but not at a rate which will alarm you. If you are concerned, however, sink a vertical barrier into the soil to restrict their progress – try old roofing slates or stout plastic sheeting. Alternatively, grow them in tubs or large containers.