When asked, "What is your greatest gardening challenge?", someone wrote in recently:

"Getting started!  Right now, gardening is ALL THEORY and it's been over 10 years since I've even had a houseplant... At some point I'd like to try tomatoes in a container... because fresh tomatoes on a hot summer day have to got to be one of God's first gifts... YUMMY!"

I can't think of a better way to start small-scale gardening than with tomatoes in a container.  They grow well in pots and the reward is huge!  When I started gardening, it all began on my porch / balcony in a few terra cotta pots.  My husband and I got excited about the idea of growing tomatoes from a hanging container (that was before we started seeing "upside-down" tomato containers in gardening catalogs.)  It worked! Instead of staking the tomatoes, we let them hang and they produced pretty nice tomatoes.  Now, of course, you can buy a hanging tomato cage - they have one at Gardener's Supply: 


 

Gardener's Revolution Planter (click on the picture above and you'll be taken to their website)

Gardener's Supply also has a complete system for growing tomatoes that is perfect for someone looking for a foolproof method that is more than just theory.  You can buy components or the whole thing.  Even if you don't buy anything, it will give you an idea of what you can do at home in your small-scale garden.


Tomato Success Kit

The last thing I'd like to recommend is one of my favorite Gardening bibles, Square Foot Gardening, by Mel Bartholomew.  Back in the 70's he had a TV show on PBS, which brought him quite a following of space-hungry gardeners like me.  He resently updated his book with improved techniques that he has discovered over the last 20 years in his garden.  It's worth getting simply because you can use his method whether you have an acre or a yard (meaning 3 ft) of space.


Square Foot Gardening

Click on the link above to see a selection of Mel's current publications available on Square Foot Gardening . 

I hope that gets you started on your way to being a fellow Gardenerd.  Keep us posted on your results. 

Thanks for writing in.

Christy