Very impressive! How many buckets do you have? And what will you do with all those herbs? I'd love to hear more details, like what potting mix you're using and whether this really is your first time container gardening. It's a very ambitious project. Also, I take it that a SIP is a self watering container, but I don't know what kind. Do tell.

Very nice! Do you have a blog?

Ohio: I probably have around 200 buckets now. I got most of them in a couple runs to several walmart supercenter bakeries. their icing comes in them. I'm using a peat/perlite/vermiculite mix. I'm giving a bunch of the small basil plants away and going to use whatever I keep for myself. same with the mint.

this really is my first garden. I grew like 6 jalape�o plants last year but that's about it. next year I plan on growing more variety and not just a bulk of a single type of basil or tomato.

SIP stands for sub irrigated planter. Look up "Global Buckets" on YouTube. That's the design I'm using. I'd like to hook them all up to an irrigation system in the future.

The whole garden has been really fun. Thanks for looking!

jb: I have a blog but it's a LEGO blog. one of my other hobbies. :-)

thats very impressive for your first garden!

I'm humbled by the vitality of your bucket garden, Jon. I'm attempting the same thing in Massachusetts, using the design on the GlobalBuckets.org site. My tomatoes have been planted since around May 15, and they're are all looking weak and leggy, in comparison. I've got some eggplants and sweet cherry peppers that are thriving, though.

Here is a link that might be useful: Slummerville Farm on Flickr

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I bought a 16' x 4' panel of cattle fencing to make a trellis. I like that you can bend it into an arch and put it in an 8 foot bed and it'll ride down the highway fine. About $20 and some found lumber.

It's about 6 feet tall, 8 feet deep and 4 wide.

I have 3 watermelon plants I'm going to train up one side and when it cools off near the end of summer I'd like to plant peas and beans up the other side. I don't really think the watermelons will really take off in 5-gallon buckets...I think they need more room, but you never know. I'm going to make hammocks on the trellis for any melons that grow.

I accidentally broke the link to the image. Here it is again:

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Amazing setup...especially like the pool chair, a great to cool off. I hope you come back often with updates of your successes and losses (if any.)