Hey Seth, Yes! Home grown bamboo would be my first choice but I don't think there's a bamboo hardy
enough to get very tall or large diameter here. I've considered trying black and a couple of others but I've been advised they'll almost always die back to the ground in the winter. Anyone know different than that?
I've seen an invasive bamboo, or maybe a bamboo cousin? taking over a few friends yards and gardens. I'm not sure of the variety. I've never had any of it and they only call it "peckerweed." It also dies back every winter and doesn't grow to much of a usable size.
I did talk to someone about the gray, exterior pvc pipe recently and was told it would not leach anything at all into the soil, even over time and that it wouldn't begin to get brittle and break down for many years. I'm still researching that. The metal conduit seems like an option but it sure doesn't have the connector ease of PVC...
Thanks for your replies!