Use slender bamboo stalks to stake orchids. Wire two bamboo stalks of the appropriate height to a cross stick, and then disguise the wires with raffia. Use more raffia to tie the orchid to the stake (figure A). Another use for lightweight bamboo: place three same-height stalks in a potted plant so that they form a triangle. Bunch the three together at the top, pop a finial over them, and you have an instant, interesting architectural element (figure B).
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