THE LEMON MERCHANT

Last weekend I finally got around to getting my patio container garden all set up. Since this patio is not completely fenced in like the one I was using last Summer, I wasn't as free to put my plants in junk(Rubbermaid bins)(link to last year's garden). The back side of the patio faces another building of condos, and there's an old lady back there who apparently has nothing better to do than complain about what the neighbors do that isn't "to code". Actually, I can't say that I blame her, as many of our neighbors have really trashy looking patios. Not being able to use my Rubbermaid bins, which I still have, I had to reduce the amount of planting I did, and also had to pretty up the containers I used. Some are reused from last year, two are new(bad me for buying new), and the rest are pots that Amber had laying around.

My tomato plant did really well last year in the self watering container I made out of a rubbermaid bin. Since the unsightly storage bins were out of the question, I got a large pot which I converted into a self watering container. I used the same technique that I did last year, and it appears to be working to keep the soil moist. Since I was bad and bought a new pot rather than finding a used one, I decided that I should at least purchase my tomato plant from the nursery around the corner from us, rather than from some big box store far away. Unfortunately, I got there a bit late in the season, and their supply of tomato plants had dwindled. As a result I ended up buying a tomato plant that reminded me of the Charlie Brown Christmas tree. Hopefully it thrive in the container I constructed for it. The plant is a "Celebrity" tomato, which is only supposed to get 30-48 inches tall. Last year's plant outgrew the bin and cage it was in, so hopefully this one will fit a little better. It's supposed to be "ideal for patio growing."

Also in the pot are some herbs I bought from my future niece, who was selling them for/through her school. On the left is Rosemary, on the right Sage. They're supposed to get bigger, so hopefully they wont compete too much for space with the tomato. The wilted thing behind the tomato is Oregano. It was cooked in the sun out on the patio before I had a chance to plant it. Despite its dead appearance, I decided to plant it anyway, hoping that some part of it may spring back to life. If not, well that means more room for the tomato to grow.

Last year I attempted to grow zucchini in this pot. The zucchini only flowered, and never produced. This year I used the same pot, and same self watering design for a Green Bell Pepper plant.

I also reused the home depot paint bucket from last year, again as a self watering container. Last year I grew a Green Bell Pepper plant in it. This year I'm growing Gypsy Peppers in it. To make it a little more presentable, I painted the outside of the bucket so it wouldn't be so offensively orange. The three stacked pots in the back contain more herbs. Chives, Parsley, and Sage.

Another one of the new pots has our Meyer Lemon Tree. This was a bridal shower gift from one of Amber's friends. We liked theirs so much they got us one of our own. It will come inside once the weather gets cooler.

I'm going to try the upside down tomato plant again. It died last year once I hung it upside down. The seeds have been planted. I'm going to let it grow more this time before I flip it upside down. The other pots in this picture will eventually be hung up on the fence, but I'll wait until the plants start growing. The two pots on the right will be cilantro, and the pot on the left will be mint.