Thanks for the link... it had some good info, but I have noticed the Cornell site it refers to is down. Oh well. I think I have some HEAVY thinning to do if I want beets and not just baby beet greens, because I didn't know that one seed was actually many seeds.... oops. Never tried growing beets before because never realized I liked 'em till last year! I have a large amount of space in my garden, I sit on about 3/4 acre and my kind landlord tilled up a runway for me (12'x40'.... and thats just guessing) for me to plant. I think he wants homegrown 'maters this year...haha. But like I said, I was soooo happy and gung-ho about it that I didn't work it the way I know I should have, just top-dressed with some manure compost and topsoil and started putting my plants in the ground. So far, so good.... My tomato plants are already at the top of the cages and 3 are BURSTING with tomatoes, the other 9 have babies on them or are flowering, all my pepper plants are flowering or have peppers on them. My red peppers have one that is already about 7"x3". My Zucchini is going crazy.... will probably flower by next week. And much more out there doing well... Okra, Spaghetti squash, watermelon, peas, loofah... Oops, got off topic, this is about CONTAINER gardens...haha. Well, I decided to keep one watermelon, zucchini, and a loofah plant in buckets just to see what will happen..... hey, if they get unmanageable I can carry the buckets to the closest tree for them to start climbing....Ha ha ha.... I'll keep ya posted and if I ever learn how to operate my camera, I'll post pictures. Ta ta for now... need my daily dose of dirt!

Or, you could grow the bush types in containers, they produce just as well and are perennial in Zone 10, I've grown both, 2-3 plants each in 3.5 gallon containers any they did really well. One Two Baby Bubba, pretty huh? Plants are only 18" Little Lucy (red), another striking okra color-wise ;-) Tom

Hi Dorothy, The deer are in my yard in record numbers this fall and winter and the only veggies/herbs I've ever grown that they never have eaten in our 9.5 years here are lemon balm, basil, garlic and onions. I have dusty miller in planters by the barn and they've never nibbled at them either. They also don't seem fond of ornamental cabbage although they devour the regular cabbage if they get a chance. Although they have their own favorites (in my garden it is okra and pepper plants), they'll eventually eat even the coarse pumpkin leaves if they get hungry enough. I've even had them eat the leaves of castor bean plants and both datura and brugmansia plants. It is somewhat ironic they are eating your deer tongue lettuce, isn't it? The deer here have the attitude that I shouldn't plant anything I don't want them to eat. The taller (7' tall) garden fence mostly kept them out after we errected it this year, but sometimes they go into the garden if I leave the gate open. (Ooops.) They even raid the two bird feeders occasionally and will nibble on Burford holly leaves when they are feeling desperate in late winter. About all I can say about the record numbers of deer this year is that we also seem to have huge numbers of coyotes pursuing them. (And, consequently, the rabbit population has plunged these last few months too.) I also find it ironic that friends and relatives of ours who hunt (especially in the drought-plagued Hill Country of Texas) are not having a good hunting season---I keep telling them to come sit in my driveway (tongue-in-cheek) from dusk to dawn and they'll be able to get a deer every night of the week. Is your big veggie garden fenced? Dawn

I love squirrels! I have not had them in my attic. But in winter we do have rats move in. This year, I tried the electronic things they sell at the big-box stores. I believe the brand is Viktor. We put one large unit (about $35) in the attic, and several of the plug in units around the the house. I swear this is true: The first night I hear a mass exodus! Good grief, some of them must have had tails the size of a boa-constrictor. The large unit makes a humming sound, but it doesn't bother me nor my cats. I unplugged the big unit and honest to silence, I heard one start to return in 48 hours. Rats are active at night, squirrels sleep at night and are active during the day. No body is active in my '54 attic. I don't know why this wouldn't work on squirrels too, but you might ask the manufacturer. Yea Here is a link that might be useful: Viktor