PigPOg wrote:
I also want to use bamboo as a screen but I thought I'd grow them in
large containers. Don't know how this will pan-out - especially given
that I know very little about gardening let alone growing bamboo!

There's nothing to it. If they go out of hand, just dig them out. I've
had bamboos and I've never bothered doing anything to them beside
removing the dead stems, ideal to start my fires with. This 'out of
control bamboos' is really annoying me. My friend has landscaped an
area in central Manchester with bamboos 12 years ago. The bamboos
haven't spread, nor did they grew up walls, suffocated people, or
jumped on passers by.

Bamboos in pots are more difficult because it is a container, and
containers dry off quicker and are prone to frost etc. Use a good
container, plastic preferably, it's lighter and easier to move around,
start well with a good drainage at the bottom, crocks, gravel and you
shouldn' t have any problem.

My cousin didn't touched hers for years and years and last year decided
to paint some of them like totems. They look brilliant )

Here something reassuring ...

http://www.d.lane.btinternet.co.uk/bamboo.htm
http://www.whatprice.co.uk/gardening...ng-bamboo.html