Last summer, I saw this contraption on the internet called the Earthtainer. It is a vegetable growing container made out of 2 big plastic storage bins. The basic idea is a large container that wicks water to the plants from underneath. I bought all the stuff to make it last summer, and like many of my best laid plans, never got around to putting it together. Since I spent something like $60 on all the materials and they were still taking up room in the shed, I finally put my nerdy planter together this past May.
As you can see, I have tomatoes galore in this thing! No weeds to worry about, either. The plants grew very rapidly and yielded lots of fruit! Also, in the midst of a drought, this type of container uses water very conservatively. I fill the reservoir in the bottom through a PVC pipe. The reservoir has a soil filled pond basket in it, and the plants wick water up through the basket. You can see how to make one of your own right here.
Not the most stylish thing to have right in my front yard, but that's where the long, hot, brutal afternoon sun is, so there it sits, making the yard appear just a bit trashy. Of course, now you can purchase an attractive version of this planter for a tidy sum. Might not be a bad idea to actually buy a good looking one, as you can reuse it year after year.
What is better than picking a ripe tomato off the vine and eating it right then and there? Especially when it is warm from the sun and its fresh sweet flavor just has a party in your mouth.
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