You don't need monster specimen plants for $200. You should get three or four 5-gallon pots, and pay no more than $50 apiece. Your space should start filling in nicely in 3+ years. If you buy 1 gallon pots you probably will have to wait too long for them to size up. If you can't find bamboo at reasonable prices locally, email me and I can give you the names of reliable online dealers.

Right on, kudzu9, your answer can not be any better... I am not a bamoo expert, this is only my 2nd year of growing bamboo, but I happen to know about this and I can share my exprience with you.

I won an auction on Ebay last year for supposed to be a lot of one, three, and five gallon sizes of S Fastuosa bamboos, I planted in ground in about this time last year or late June in an area like your planter, and this was how they look ...
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Before the winter, besides the mulch, I covered the base of the grove area with some rice straws and the bamboo never loose it's leaves, and this is how they look two weeks ago...

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In April this year, it put out about 20-30 shoots and already filled up an area of 4'x8' and with culm size of about 3/8" and now about 6' tall, I checked yesterday, and found about 5 new shoots about 3-4'tall :)

If I were you, I would buy four 3 gallon size of them, and fill up the area, mulch them nice and thick, keep the area moise during your day time heat, you will be supprise how nice they will look this time next year !

I just checked bambooplantion, and they have 3G size of S. Fastuosa for $40 each plus shipping, I have bought 5 bamboos from him in Sept 2005, and they came with the sizes of better than what I was expected!! and till today, each and every one of them are growing nice and happily here in AR... you are not too far from me in TX, shipping shouldn't be more than $40... $40 each times 4, plus $40 for shipping, there is your 200 bucks worth of bamboo :) call the guy on the phone to order them, he was very helpful on the phone, oh, before you call him, do some shopping in and around your area or go to some popular bamboo sites and compare the price, I bet you can't find any one cheapper :) if you order from Jim, ask him if you can get discounts if you buy 4 of them and may be you can save a few bucks too! hehe

Hope this helps

Rog

You guys rule.

Got any suggestions for something that would grow/fill in faster than S. Fastuosa, but still have a fairly upright culm?

Pseudosasa amabilis aka TONKIN CANE and Pseudosasa japonica aka ARROW BAMBOO both are very upright growing bamboos that do very well here, but the Tonkin Cane grows faster.

My Tonkin Cane is contained in about a 10 X 12 foot area and gets very dense and does not get more than about 15 to 17 feet in height. It fills in fairly quickly and culms are very erect.

Good Luck

Kt

Hey kudzu9 could you tell me that supplier? "If you can't find bamboo at reasonable prices locally, email me and I can give you the names of reliable online dealers."