Image by Er.We

Ugh, how I hate bamboo canes. I can’t stand having them in my garden as plant supports and will do anything to get rid of them.

Now, before you accuse me of being shallow and snobbish and everything else, bear in mind the reasons I hate these horrid canes. They are normally exported many miles from Asia, which is faintly appalling for your carbon footprint (a tad counter-productive if you want to help the environment by growing your own veg). When they break (which they do, in a mean, grumpy sort of way), you have to buy a whole heap more from Asia. And, yes, they just look naff.

What is much better, prettier and cleverer is to grow your own garden canes. Hazels and willows and other plants suitable for coppicing are much more pliable than bamboo (although you can grow your own bamboo if you wish: just make sure it is stylish, as below), which makes them perfect for making wigwams for peas and other climbers. They also harbour plenty of native insects and small animals, which means you really are doing your bit for the environment.

Coppicing takes place in late winter. Cut the stems back to 2in of the previous year’s growth. You should do this every year with dogwoods and willows, but cut back hazels down to the ground once every three to five years.

Image by London Permaculture

1. Hazel

Hazel coppices are a vital part of the English landscape. I’d recommend hazel above all other plants as a renewable source of canes because it supports wildlife, provides strong, sturdy canes, delicious nuts and fits in rather well to a small garden.

2. Willow

Another superb native plant which encourages local wildlife. Willow is more pliable than Hazel, but beware: its roots are rampant and will drive down deep in search of water, so don’t plant close to drains or houses.

3. Dogwood

If you want a cool, quirky plant to use for canes, plant a couple of dogwoods. But don’t expect it to supply big fat beanpoles: dogwoods never grow tall or sturdy enough, so work best as peasticks and for weaving around wigwams.

4. Elder

Elder produces very sturdy stems very quickly indeed, and it prefers a good hard prune every couple of years, putting out fat happy foliage and enormous flowers.

Image by Linda Hoover

5. Bamboo

If you really must have bamboo in your garden, plant this wonderfully striking black bamboo (Phyllostachys nigra) to supply canes year after year.

Image by Steve Wilson

One of the first calls for canes will come from your pea seedlings, which don’t like bamboo anyway. They prefer twiggy branches for their little tendrils to scramble through, so use the prunings from your garden. If you’re looking for a super-duper fabulous effect, then use your brightly coloured dogwood prunings in a nice neat line for pea sticks.

Find out more about sustainable garden canes here.