Any fruit in a pot needs a mix that drains well. If it stays too wet roots won't grow in the wet portion. Planting a small tree in that big of a pot will, for many folks, lead to over watering. It won't need water again until it leafs out, then not much until it grows a lot. Figs generally leaf out late. As long as the bark is green when scratched, the tree is still alive. It will probably leaf out in the next month or two.

What climate are you in? They need a certain number of chilling hours in order to grow properly and flower each year. If you are new, you might as well start out with the good stuff and go with Itoh or intersectional peonies due to their hardiness, disease resistance, vigor, upright stems which do not require staking, and foliage/blooms that look like that of tree peonies. Herbaceous peonies tend to flop over from their own weight, attract lots of ants, and the foliage is prone to powdery mold after flowering while tree peonies can be a bit tricky to get established. On average, they are the most expensive, but I was able to get a good pretty good deal from an eBay seller when I purchased 5 large tubers which I was able to split into smaller sections like a potato. When they are dormant, they seem to be capable of producing new plants from any fragments that have at least 1 eye. I have attached a link to the blog on receiving my itoh peonies. Here is a link that might be useful: My itoh peonies

I agree I would buy plants at this point as you haven't started tomatoes from seed before and it's getting late in the season. Starting tomatoes from seed will take about 6-8 weeks until you can plant them out, and if you're only planning on growing one in one topsy turvy...it would just be plain old easier and you'll probably be more successful if you just buy a plant. I would probably check out the container gardening forum for specific suggestions on soil mixes for your topsy turvy. If you are dead set on growing your own from seed, start with 2-3 seeds in a cup (poke drainage holes). I always start more than I think I will need because things happen and seedlings die. When they germinate, choose the strongest/biggest seedling, and then cut the tops off the others with scissors. Water from the bottom. Put the cup in a container with water in it, the mix you started the seeds in will wick moisture up into the rest of the cup. Water only when the soil is somewhat dry. I would highly suggest giving the seedlings more light than a bright window - you'll get faster growth and much stronger seedlings. Something like a shop light with "daylight" range bulbs set no more than 2" above the top of the seedling will work. Move the lights up as the seedlings grow. You'll want to repot them into larger containers as they get bigger (I use large yogurt/cottage cheese containers). Once they're at transplant size, you'll need to harden them off before transplanting outside (lots of information on how to do that here and other places). This will be about 6-8 weeks after your seed germinated. Those are the basics, there is a learning curve to it and it is some work. And why I think everyone is suggesting if you're only doing one or a couple plants at this time of year, it's much easier for you to buy one that someone else already did the work on.

Insane numbers.....welcome to the world of regulation and it's direct affects on making homes outrageously more expensive (and we thought it was all because those pesky developers just want 100% profits). Generally speaking, you can expect 25-30% of a new home's costs to be directly attributed to regulation (zoning, permits, impact fees, meeting EPA standards, road requirements, sewer/water, the list goes on). California as a state has some of the most stringent zoning/regulation laws in the country, it's not unusual in some cities to see 40% of a homes cost due to regulation. So, it's not a coincidence that CA has really high home prices compared to other states (ex. Texas with some of the least restrictive regulations). So, I don't know San Diego specifically but given it's in CA, I would not be surprised if these numbers aren't accurate. Pony up and enjoy the ride, there is no lee way with your local planning department, etc. as they look at you without a care in the world telling you why rule #........means an extra $$$$$$$. Or maybe they just randomly decided they aren't going to follow their own rule, absolutely nothing you can do except open your wallet. We just got told for a one home build in an older neighborhood with all homes on septic that the new house would be required to tie into county sewer. Bringing the sewer would require going in the public road and re-paving the entire thing to public road standards. Meanwhile, the site was already approved to allow sewer through an easement previously established between two houses (obviously the cheaper alternative). Why the county decided their own rule already approved is no longer valid? Well, that's the beauty of govt., they can do whatever they damn well please. Probably not what you wanted to hear, just a cynic's take on years experience. Happy building and hopefully no NIMBY's on your block during your build job.