Re: The Gardening Thread
You really have to work hard to fail at container gardening. Your yard will have the right sunlight somewhere, and that's where you put the plants.
Couple quick hits:
1) For tomatoes, I'd buy the biggest pot you can reasonably handle and prepare to repot the plants early. In a smaller pot, they tend to get root bound and take in all the water you give them pretty quickly. End result is more frequent watering, which can be a pain. Bigger pot, less root bound, less frequent watering, bigger plant.
2) Cover the top 1-2 inches with mulch of some kind. This will help the soil retain water on the really hot days. Again, less watering.
3) Local greenhouses probably have some decent plants ready to buy. I'd prefer to do that rather than starting from seed. You could probably get most of what you're looking for already and set them outside this weekend. If we get a cold spell (New England), you can easily pull them into your garage (aka, the 'smoking' room).
4) A normal sized flowerbox can easily sustain 3-5 herbs. No, not that kind of herb, silly. We usually have one with the Simon & Garfunkle mix.
5) Seperate 1 to 1.5 gallon sized pot for basil, cause basil friggin rocks! This will give you a 2-3 foot tall bush. More than adequate.
6) Do not plant mint in the ground unless you plan on moving during the late winter.
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