The wonderful thing about Sweet Pea flowers is that you must cut them to get more back! It’s an endless supply of flowers for your home over the spring and summer. They also need little space to grow 2 metres tall! Can be grown in containers. Plus the seeds are cheap!
The vining sweet peas are more rewarding and their longer flower stalks are perfect for flower arrangements.
Sweet peas bamboo stakes
You can also plant sweet peas in containers to adorn your sunny balcony or patio. Here, you will need bamboo stakes or some sort of trellising to direct vertical growth.
Sweet Peas and bamboo sticks are a match made in heaven.
Sweet peas trellis netting
Trellis netting is also an option regardless of where your sweet peas are planted.
If you want to do yourself a favour and give your family a gift, procure a few packets of sweet pea (Lathyrus odoratus) seeds.
For an investment of a few dollars, you will have sweet pea flowers for many months. Flower colours include every sort of pink, red, burgundy, bronze, blue, lavender, lilac, pink, and white.
Sweet pea seeds
An added bonus of sweet peas is their seeds, which are easily harvested from brown pods produced next spring or summer. Furthermore, sweet pea seeds are easy to plant owing to their large size.
In the manner of all large seeds, however, soak them in water prior to planting for 24 hours or germination may be inhibited.
Sweet peas flowering
When the plants begin to bloom in late winter or early spring, remove flowers as soon as they fade to keep your sweet peas flowering.
Are sweet peas toxic?
Sweet peas seeds are not edible.
Removing the flowers will prevent sweet pea seeds from forming which are toxic, even if it means you will have to forego the harvest of seeds for next year’s planting.
Phyllostachys aurea Fishpole Golden Bamboo is an all-rounder, slim running bamboo, that grows well in shade, part shade and sun, with spectacular evergreen slender leaves and light green stems that mature to golden yellow.
This is one of the best bamboo plants to grow for garden bamboo sticks because of its thick and slender tall stems.
Golden Bamboo Phyllostachys aurea UK sales
The RHS has recognised Phyllostachys aurea for its outstanding garden features.
Identification: Phyllostachys aurea, Fishpole Bamboo, Golden Bamboo.
Site: Tolerant bamboo, grows in full sun to partial shade and shade.
Soil: Prefers moist and well-drained loose soil (sand and loam), doesn’t like compacted soil.
Uses: Excellent for hedging, screening, windbreak, or pots and containers.
Winter hardiness: Hardy to - 20 degrees Celsius.
Height: Fast-growing plant, 2 – 4m.
Spread: Running bamboo, allow space to spread or contain in large pots.
Foliage: Light green to yellow foliage all year round.
Stem: Slender bright green matures to golden yellow in full sun.
Phyllostachys aurea gives the best garden sticks
Uses Phyllostachys aurea Fishpole Bamboo
Although the fishpole bamboo is tolerant to shade, it grows well in part shade and sun.
Sufficient sunlight will result in a significant transformation in the colour of the culms (stems) and foliage from green to golden yellow.
This running bamboo behaves more like the clump-forming bamboo in the UK where it is cooler. Here are two other running bamboo plants that act like clumpers.
However, the rhizomes are invasive where the soil is loose and rich in moisture and nutrients, so grow it where there is enough space for them to grow.
The Phyllostachys aurea is an ideal bamboo for hedging, privacy screening and windbreak in the garden. It is also an excellent bamboo plant for medium to large pots and containers.
Notably, it does not like soggy soil and it definitely does not like compacted soil. It prefers well-drained loamy soil, loose and rich in moisture.
Propagate Phyllostachys aurea
Bamboo growers are propagating Phyllostachys aurea from seeds and rhizome cuttings, and base separation.
However, bamboo seeds are often hard to buy near you because they do not flower regularly.
The 2 best ways to propagate Phyllostachys aurea
is by base separation and
from rhizome and culm cuttings.
This video shows the work we did at Garden Bamboo Plants UK.
Phyllostachys aurea Grow and Care Tips
The new growth will require care and attention.
Slugs adore the tender new growths, they can wipe off the fresh leaves in one visit if left unprotected.
If you are propagating bamboo plants either from the rhizome or culm cuttings or planting a recent purchase, protect the new growths by adding Slug and Snail Killer.
Perhaps it is important to note that despite its clump-forming nature, the Phyllostachys aurea is a running bamboo.
The bamboo's horizontal rhizomes can spread to an average of 4m if left unchecked. It is best to give it space to grow.
Alternatively surround the roots with root barriers to restrict the rhizomes from spreading.
Better to grow Phyllostachys aurea where there is enough space, away from strong wind.
It can also be grown in large pots and containers to contain its spreading.
Facts about Phyllostachys aurea
The matured Fishpole Golden bamboo will thrive in well-drained loamy soil with high moisture and nutrient contents.
Like most bamboo plants in the UK, they do not like compacted dry soils such as new building sites or roads and pathways.
In addition, the matured bamboos thrive on what is available in the soil, they will occasionally need feed and water.
A regular check is recommended if you are growing them in containers.
The browning of the culms or yellowing of the leaves are signs of the plant in distress. Here is an article on how to revive your bamboo plants where they show signs of distress.
Check the soil by inspection or digging to 10 cm depth to find out if the soil is too dry. Add, mulch fertiliser or any plant feed if necessary.
If your Phyllostachys aurea plant outgrows the container and shows distressing signs, it is calling for you to separate the plants and re-pot them.
Also, prune the old culms ideally in early Spring for the new growth to take over.
The best way to remove bamboo from the yard is to dig out the entire bamboo plant or the parts to be removed.
Bamboo stems are joined to the rhizomes that grow just below the topsoil. By uprooting the rhizomes, you can contain bamboo from spreading.
Note that although the bamboo roots are not deep in the soil, the intricate network of roots and rhizomes is often difficult to deal with using hand tools.
Step 1: Cut down the culms (stems), remove the branches and store the bamboo canes for future use.
Step 2: The rhizomes grow on the top layer of the soil, so dig down, along with or around the bamboo plant. Cut all the rhizomes and pull them out.
Step 3: You will also have to remove the whole bamboo buds and clumped base. Put a pickaxe through the base of the bamboo and remove them one by one. Use a pair of secateurs or garden loppers to cut the rhizomes into smaller pieces.
Step 4: Remove any soil around the bamboo roots and base of the parent plant. Keep the cutting in direct sun or pour boiling water on them to stop the cutting from growing again.
Select and cut the bamboo stems (culms), you want to remove, close to the ground. The tools that you choose to use for cutting the culms depend on their sizes.
For the smaller clump-forming and running bamboos, you will require a pair of secateurs or garden loppers. The big bamboo plants will require an electric saw or hand saw to remove and cut the thick culms.
Cut the bamboo stems horizontally (neatly across), close to the node as possible so that you have a nice and neat space to work.
Do not cut the stem across the note to avoid any pointy ends sticking out.
Collect the use bamboo sticks in the garden.
Tip #2: Dig bamboo roots and rhizomes
If you want to completely kill the bamboo, you must remove all the rhizomes.
Start by digging 20 – 30cm around the bamboo plant to expose the root hairs and rhizomes. (The best tool for this job is the pickaxe). Cut any rhizomes that you see and remove the soil as you dig.
Carefully store the rhizomes cuttings in a large pot or bin for a few weeks before discarding them from your property.
Tip #3: Remove bamboo rhizomes
Bamboo roots do not grow deep into the soil. As a grass variety, the roots and horizontal stems (also called rhizomes) are often found at the top 20 – 30cm of the topsoil.
That does not mean it is easy to remove bamboo roots from your yard.
The root hairs and intertwined rhizomes network under the soil require a lot of digging, cutting, pulling and removing.
Tip #4: Prepare work area
Before starting, inspect the bamboo to understand how much work you can do in one hour and how long it will take to complete it.
Removing bamboo roots is painstaking work if you are doing it yourself, so prepare well for the job.
The right tools and preparations are important for getting the job done.
Prepare the cuttings collection bins, tools and gloves and anything you may need.
All in all, remove the bamboo stems, branches and leaves. Then, dip up the rhizomes, cut them into smaller bits, and leave them to dry before binning them.
When pruning or thinning bamboo plants, it is important to cut the canes close to the ground. This will give the new shoots an opportunity to grow well.
Also, you'll get tall bamboo canes that have tough 'bottoms' and can last longer in the soil.
When prepping bamboo canes, always remove the branches and leaves neatly, do not work against the grain.
Trim the branches using a pair of secateurs or sharp knives. In addition, use a garden rope to tie the bamboo canes (see image) into a bundle.
That way, it's nice and neat as well as light and easy to store and move around when you need them.
5 preps tips for long-lasting bamboo canes
Work out how high you want the plant to grow.
Use a pair of secateurs to cut bamboo canes (cut close to the nodes, careful not to split the bamboos).
Use a digging tool to make holes deep into the pot and push the bamboo canes into the holes.
Compact the soil around the bamboo canes.
Use garden ropes to tie the potted plants to the bamboo canes.
*If you are building a wigwam-climbing frame for the crawling plants like the trellis, follow steps 1 – 4 and use smaller bamboo canes to tie them together)
Cut bamboo canes close to the nodes
Although bamboo canes have a high resistance to rotting, the exposed ends can disintegrate quickly.
The part of bamboo cane inside the soil will rot when it is exposed to water and moisture.
However, when cut close to the nodes, it acts as a barrier and can slow down the bamboo cane from rotting quickly.
Avoid splitting bamboo canes
Use a sharp pair of secateurs and do a clean-cut at the bottom of the bamboo canes.
Avoid splitting the bamboo during cutting.
Your bamboo canes will last longer, and you'll be able to re-use them for many years if they stay whole.
Be careful not to split the bamboo canes because the splinters are sharp and can cause nasty cuts to exposed skins, too.
All in all, cut the bamboo close to the ground (during pruning) and close to the node before using it to support your plants in the pots.
Bamboo canes great for vines and new plants
The bamboo canes are tall, slender, rounded, tough and strong. They are the perfect support for new plants, vines, beans and garden and pot plants that need stem support.
The bamboo canes will last for many years. You can use and re-use the canes, they are tough, firm and strong. They are also flexible, you can bend them to your liking and create amazing shapes and designs.
In fact, bamboo canes will form a formidable support system if you use ropes to tie the plants to the canes or group them together into wigwam climber frames.
This has been seen in China, Hong Kong, Singapore and other Asian countries where bamboo canes are used to create stunning garden features.
In the UK, many creative gardeners and homeowners are using bamboo canes to build different support systems for their garden and pot plants.
Comparing running and clumping bamboos can give you a better idea about these two varieties.
However, it is also best to know their standout features. So, what is running bamboo and how can bamboo growers identify it?
Generally, a running bamboo has ‘running rhizomes’. The rhizomes are underground stems that grow (or run) along the ground, hence the name running bamboos or runners.
It is quite challenging to identify the exact type of running bamboo unless you have enough time, botanical knowledge and are curious to find out.
Also, it can be tricky to identify most of the bamboo cultivars by their appearances.
To help you, here are 5 rhizome facts for beginners to use when selecting a running bamboo or identifying them.
The Phyllostachys nigra Black Bamboo, though an invasive bamboo, can also behave like clumping bamboo in the cooler temperate area of the UK, US, Canada and Australia.
Like other running bamboos, the Black Bamboo can spread quickly if left unchecked.
Generally, there are lots of bad stories about growing running bamboo in the garden because of its invasiveness. But they are great plants if you look after them well.
Many bamboo growers prefer the runners because they are the option for a quick and long-lasting solution for hedging and privacy screening, as well as pot plants or for planting in contained spaces.
Their evergreen dense foliage, different options for height and spread and fast-growing habits make them the ideal choice.
It will require care and attention, either as new plants or in Spring when the new growths are prominent.
In addition, mature plants can be difficult to remove when left unchecked for 2 to 3 years.
The growing benefits of growing running bamboo definitely outweigh its invasiveness.
Phyllostachys and Pleioblastus varieties are popular running bamboos. They have a spectacular stem and sheath colourations.
One of them is the spectacular Phyllostachys nigra – the Black Bamboo. We feature many of these bamboos here at G.B.P. Here are some names that you may be familiar with.
1. Phyllostachys nigra (4 Cultivars of P. nigra)
2. Phyllostachys nuda (Snow Bamboo)
3. Phyllostachys humilis (Scottish Bamboo Plants)
4. Phyllostachys aurea (4 Cultivars of P. Aurea)
5. Phyllostachys vivax Aureocaulis (Golden Chinese Bamboo)
In this Bamboo Bathroom Storage Hacks, you'll find out how to make a bamboo storage for toothpaste and toothbrish, and bamboo storage tube for storing important documents.
DIY bamboo bathroom storage
A bamboo toothpaste and toothbrush storage tube is a fantastic little product to keep in the bathroom.
It does not take too much space.
You can also hang it up on the wall or place it anywhere near the sink for convenience.
Firstly, cut the bamboo to length leaving a node to act as the base-stopper. It can either be a straight cut or diagonal cut, but it needs to be 1 cm to 2 cm shorter than the length of your toothbrush and toothpaste.
Secondly, give the newly cut bamboo a good sanding all over. Apply heat if you want it to be nice and shiny brown.
Then, drill a small hole underneath the bamboo bathroom storage so that water can drain out.
Finally, your new DIY bamboo toothpaste and toothbrush storage are ready to use!
How to make a Secret bamboo storage box or tube
You will need to make both the tube and its top seal.
Firstly, select a bamboo cane with a long intersection ( or internode).
Secondly, use a handsaw or hacksaw to cut the bamboo into a tube with one side close (node intact) and the other node completely cut out.
Then, use fine sandpaper to smoothen the rough edges.
The secret bamboo storage tube is done.
Next, you need to make the top seal. You'll need a slightly small bamboo that can fit into the tube you made above.
Cut out one side with the node intact.
Give it a good sanding and make it fit into the bamboo tube you cut previously.
Trim out the edges and tidy it up.
Finally, the secret bamboo storage box or tube should be complete with its top seal in place.
Bamboo garden DIY Hacks
Check out this video and our YouTube channel for garden DIY Hacks using bamboo canes.
Each link takes you to the page with detailed intructions and pictures to help you build you own or give you an idea about how to make yours.
Bamboo canes are fantasic materials to use in home and garden DIY projects.
The canes are flexible, you can cut, bend and shape to your liking.
They are used extensively in the Asia and South Pacific regions for many purposes, from cooking food to building materials and making fun arts and crafts products.
The uses are limitless!
Take a look at how to make stationery storage and cups from the common bamboo plants.
Pencil bamboo storage box
The bamboo columns (internodes) are perfect for storing pencils, pens, highlighters and generally school stationeries and supplies.
To make the bamboo storage, you need a handsaw, sandpaper/wood file, candle and a thick (dry) bamboo cane.
Firstly, cut the bamboo at an angle of 10 - 15cm from the node (angle-cut will make it easy to store and retrieve different lengths of pencils, pens, markers, highlighters, etc...).
Secondly, use fine sanding paper to smoothen the edges.
To give the storage box a brownish glow, hover it over the gentle candle heat.
Finally, give it a clean and your bamboo storage box is ready to use.
Apply light varnish or wood paint for a fine finishing touch.
Bamboo water cups
Bamboo internodes have been used as water storage in Asia and Pacific regions for many centuries.
Today, bamboo water bottles and bamboo cups are fantastic traditional products.
It is natural and the water tastes better in it.
If you have a large bamboo pole you can make several cups out of it.
Firstly, the steps are similar to the steps for making bamboo storage. But instead, you'll have to cut across the bamboo forming a cup shape.
Secondly, give the freshly cut bamboo a good sanding.
Then, rinse the bamboo cup in warm water and let it dry.
Finally, your new bamboo cup is ready to use.
You can apply decorations and candle heat to give it a nice brownish glow.
Do not fill the cup with hot water because it is likely to crack.
Why bamboo storage?
Bamboos stems, also called the internodes, are extremely hollow in the middle, slim and long.
The internodes are best for storing pencils and pens, toothbrushes and slim many other similar everyday items.
Bamboo tubes are also best for storing secret documents, paintings and important documents.
Let's have a look at what bamboo storage boxes you can make.
Here are 4 simple but stunning bamboo storage boxes and tubes you can make.
Water cups
Pencil bamboo storage box
Secret storage bamboo box or tube.
Bamboo toothbrush and toothpaste storage.
Bamboo garden DIY Hacks
Check out this video and our YouTube channel for garden DIY Hacks using bamboo canes.
Each link takes you to the page with detailed intructions and pictures to help you build you own or give you an idea about how to make yours.
Bamboo is an eco-friendly material, you can use it to make a variety of home and garden DIY bamboo projects.
What are the things you can make out of bamboo?
In this article, we take a look at 5 things you can make from bamboo sticks by using simple hand tools. Use the pictures and video for clarity.
Bamboo sticks for plants
Bamboo sticks in use in pots and patio
Many gardeners and homeowners are using bamboo sticks as stakes because they are tall, strong and blend incredibly well with other plants in the garden.
There are many fantastic uses of the sticks. One that stands out is staking indoor and outdoor plants.
The bamboo sticks provide a strong support system for small shrubs, tomatoes, beans, soft fruit and vines.
You can cut the sticks to length and tie plants along them to provide the support they need to grow.
Build a nice square bamboo and wood trellis for your garden plants. First, build a square or rectangular frame. Then, use the bamboo sticks as support for the plants to crawl up them.
This can be an easy and rewarding garden project. Your creepy crawly plants will love it.
A square trellis provides good support for creeper plants.
Square wood and bamboo trellis for plants
The square trellis is not only a multi-purpose trellis but makes a nice centrepiece for the garden.
You can grow flowers, soft fruit, vines and vegetables such as cucumbers to grapes and passion fruit.
To build a 4m x 4m square trellis with two opened ends and three closed ends, you’ll need 35 small bamboo sticks and 4 treated posts.
You'll also need hand tools. Here is the material breakdown:
4 treated posts 4m in length,
8 sticks on each side (x2 panels),
8 for the top panel,
10 sticks for strengthening the sides and top panels, and
1 extra.
And, here are the quick steps to guide you when building the trellis.
Firstly, use the first lot of 8 sticks to build the first panel.
Secondly, repeat the 3 steps to build the other - you should have three 4m x 4m trellis panels.
Thirdly, dig the soil and lay the 4 treated posts at each corner.
Next, tie the three panels to the posts.
Then, strengthen the trellis by tying bamboo sticks across the frame (or diagonally along it)
Finally, your square trellis is ready.
The square trellis is a stunner – a great garden centrepiece.
The treated posts give this trellis longevity. It can last for up to 10 years or more.
After that, you can replace the bamboo trellis panels and give them a new look. Your plants are going to love it.
Garden trellis ideas with pictures
Take a look at these garden trellis with pictures and bamboo tomato trellis to get inspiration for your next project.
Building an A-Framed Garden Trellis for Runner Beans is the best thing you can do.
There are many sticks to use for this project, yet the bamboo sticks are ideal as they are slim, tough and durable.
You can use the bamboo A-frame trellis without having to dismantle it.
(L) Making A-frame trellis for runner beans, (R) new runner beans climbing up (Garden Pictures)
A-framed trellis panels
The A-Framed Garden Trellis is best for runner beans and other creeper plants that needed support.
You have the option to build two trellis panels assemble them or build the A-framed structure in the garden.
For a 4m x 4m A-framed trellis, you’ll need 21 bamboo sticks.
To build it, follow these steps:
Firstly, stake 6 sticks on each side to form an A-shape. (The best way to start is to make the front, middle and back As – we call them the 3As)
Secondly, tie long bamboo across the top of the 3As. (This is the length of the A-framed trellis panel).
Thirdly, put the other bamboo stick in between the spaces and tie them together. You will have to space them apart according to the number of plants you want to grow.
Then, tie 3 or 4 bamboo across (or diagonally) to strengthen the trellis panel.
Finally, your A-framed bamboo trellis is ready.
Your runner beans are going to adore the A-framed trellis.
Note that if you are going to build a trellis for planting the runner beans, you may have to stake them 20cm to 30cm apart. That means that you will need additional sticks, where necessary.
Garden trellis ideas with pictures
Take a look at these garden trellis with pictures and bamboo tomato trellis to get inspiration for your next project.
Sweet peas are adorable plants with stunning (sweet-scented) flowers. They will definitely love the support to grow well.
Build frames of bamboo poles and trellis for them.
Bamboo pot trellis: (L) Sweet pea in full summer bloom and (R) the sweet pea and trellis support in winter.
Sweet pea garden trellis
Sweet peas love the pyramid-like trellis with three sides.
If you are growing them in a large pot or in the garden, you should build this trellis.
It looks more or less like a wigwam, but the better because the bamboo sticks will cross-cross close together to form an adorable pattern.
The sweet pea garden trellis will have 3 side panels, when combined they'll form a pyramidal structure.
That means that you will have to make three separate trellis panels and put them together.
As a side note, you can build more than three panels (in this case they'll be squares) and put them together, side-by-side.
You will need bamboo sticks, garden ropes, cable ties, a handsaw and a pair of secateurs.
Here is how to build a sweet pea trellis frame
Firstly, cut 6 lots of bamboos in equal lengths of 4m. (These bamboos will form the sides of the trellis panels).
Secondly, you’ll make three trellis bamboo panels, use 2 bamboos you cut earlier and tie some small bamboo sticks in a triangular shape.
Thirdly, repeat the same step until you’ve made 3 triangular trellis panels.
Then, use cable ties or garden ropes to tie the 3 trellis panels together to form a pyramid structure.
Finally, cut out the uneven edges and tidy them up.
That’s it, your Sweet Pea Garden Trellis is ready to use. Grow the sweet pea seeds or of the new plant underneath and around the trellis. They will look lovely!
Garden trellis ideas with pictures
Take a look at these garden trellis with pictures (including the bamboo tomato trellis and sweet pea bamboo cane frame) to get inspiration for your next project.
Bamboo plants will give out new shoots every year in spring. These new shoots will be bigger in size and longer than the previous year’s shoots.
The size of new bamboo shoots remains the same as it matures into a culm.
How do bamboo plants grow?
The growth behaviour of running and clumping bamboo plants, generally, determines how long they live.
Whether in the garden or in pots they will grow in the same way, nonetheless.
Bamboo plants will give out new shoots every year in spring. These new shoots grow longer than the previous year’s shoots.
Note that the bamboo shoots will get bigger as they grow year after year, but a new shoot will remain the same size as it matures into a full-grown bamboo. Read about How long bamboo plants last.
You’ll have a bigger and longer bamboo plant, and the bamboo grove will also increase in size. In retrospect, the bamboo shoots do not expand in size as the trees and shrubs do.
The size of the new shoot remains the same until it thins out at the top at maximum height.
A bamboo plant will reach its matured height anytime between 5 and 10 years depending on the variety.
The common bamboos in the UK often reach their maximum heights (and produce full-size shoots) within 5 years.
The bamboo grove can live 30 - 50 years. They have a regenerative growth pattern where new shoots will grow again and again.
So, every year you’ll have a longer plant and bigger shoots as your bamboo grove takes shape.
Bamboo plants vs bamboo grove
How long bamboo plants last depend on the growth of the individual plants and the regenerative behaviour of the plants in the grove.
Some bamboo plants will live in the soil until the condition is right before they put out new shoots. Others will spread pretty quickly.
Generally, the common bamboo plants that grow in the UK, US and other cooler regions will last for 30 – 50 years. And, they will continue to grow as long as the condition is right.
‘He would prop a ladder against the side of his house and climb up to the bedroom window as his children were sleeping, push a bamboo cane through the window, pretending to be the BFG, blowing dreams into his daughters’ bedroom.
2. Roald Dahl’s walking stick
Many of the objects used in his book were his personal collections. They have the same shapes and descriptions.
Some of them are on display at the Roald Dahl’s Museum at Aylesbury, including his cane walking stick.
Roald Dahl bamboo walking stick which he used in his book The Twits - Mrs Twit walking stick
3. Bamboo sticks for runner beans
Roald Dahl loved gardening. Some of his work evolved around it.
Today, if you visit the Roald Dahl Museum in Aylesbury, you'll bamboo sticks in the pots.
This picture shows plants in pots supported with bamboo sticks at the museum.
Bamboo facts: Bamboo sticks are great for runner beans and supporting pots plants in the garden. The sticks are strong and durable, they can support a whole variety of garden plants. Many of the running and clumping bamboos growing in the UK are best for use in the gardens.
5. Bamboo ‘punishment’ cane
In his autobiography, Boy, Roald Dahl tells about his childhood at Repton boarding school.
He recalled that the headmaster would use a bamboo cane to flog misbehaving children.
Extract from the Boy - Tales of Childhood
‘…the headmaster sometimes used a cane made of bamboo to punish children who broke school rules. Bamboo is a light, flexible wood. When it hits people, it can feel like a whip.’
Facts about Roald Dahl books
There are more than 5facts about Roald Dahl, but the ones stated above are specific to bamboo canes and how he used them in different ways in his stories.
We appreciate Roald Dahl as one of the most celebrated children's authors of all time.
He was known for his quirky and offbeat stories, which often featured unexpected plot twists and memorable characters.
One of Dahl's most famous books was "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory", which was made into a movie starring Gene Wilder.
He also wrote the popular book "The BFG", about a friendly giant who captures and protects children from evil giants. Also made into an adventure fantasy movie in 2016, directed by Steven Spielberg.
His autobiography, Boy, is a true story of his childhood.
‘The Twits’ is about the memorable characters, Mr and Mrs Twit.
When ask about her walking stick, Mrs Twit said she had a mole on her left foot and needed it. But, in fact, 'she used it to hit the cats, dogs and small children she encountered on her outings.
Extract from 'The Twits'
In her right hand, she carried a walking stick. She used to tell people that this was because she had warts growing on the sole of her left foot and walking was painful. But the real reason she carried a stick was so that she could hit things with it, things like dogs and cats and small children.
In another twist, Mr Twit took revenge on Mrs Twit for feeding him earthworms and spaghetti. He glued a tiny piece of wood to the bottom of Mrs Twit’s walking stick every night.
The change was inconspicuous, but gradually, Mrs Twit's walking stick was getting longer and longer.
Roald Dahl's Bamboo Inspiration
In ‘The BFG’, Roald Dahl featured the bamboo canes that he used to blow dreams into his daughters’ bedroom.
Mrs Twit's cane walking stick resonates with his own.
His other personal items that made it into his books include the following.
His pair of sandals became the BFG's sandals.
The bamboo cane became the dream blower’s trumpet in ‘The BFG’.
His cane walking stick became Mrs Twit's walking stick in his other book ‘The Twits’.
All in all, Roald Dahl uses bamboo canes in inconspicuous, but exciting ways, to bring stories alive. He was a master storyteller.
You can see his work and learn the facts about Roald Dahl at the Roald Dahl Museum in Aylesbury.
Bamboo sticks in use in pots and patio
A square trellis provides good support for creeper plants.
(L) Making A-frame trellis for runner beans, (R) new runner beans climbing up (Garden Pictures)
Bamboo pot trellis: (L) Sweet pea in full summer bloom and (R) the sweet pea and trellis support in winter.
Roald Dahl bamboo walking stick which he used in his book The Twits - Mrs Twit walking stick
