Nik, go read al's advice to you in the container forum. He uses his mix, of course, but he states that he has hypertufa pots, and he does NOT put drainage holes because they are so porous, they self drain. Not sure how accurate that is, but Al's mix is much different than the dirt the majority of folks use, and if you do have drainage holes, maybe you might need a heavier soil? I'd still put holes, but not big ones! The thing that attracted me to hypertufa in the first place was how lightweight it is, and the fact that it allows air to get to the roots. I BELIEVE in air pruning roots so that they don't circle and get root bound, like in a regular plastic pot. I'm not sure if hypertufa pots prevent roots from going root-bound, so I'd be tempted to stick a thousand bamboo skewers in the sides and bottom of mine for light and air holes. When a root meets light and air, it stops, prunes it's self, and forms many root branches. It then can take advantage of all the nutrients in the soil, and any branches that meet your air/light holes, will do the same and branch more. I'm not sure on a big 3" thick pot if the thing would be porous enough without dozens of tiny holes. If you have not heard of that concept, google "air pruning," or "root pruning," and you will understand. A farmer's view (orchard growers) of a container, is different than a gardener's view for sure! Good luck with this project! I'm watching every step! Also, feet on the bottom will lift the container and the roots will prune themselves and not stick out of the drain holes. Suzi

I actually thought about geraniums. I like the iris and lambs ears idea but I'm thinking it would be lovely to see some blooms peeking through the window from inside the house and I don't think iris will get that tall. So...what grows about 3 feet tall, has pretty blooms and would be happy in a narrow space? I am scratching my head all the time with this! What do you think about salvias? with something mixed in. I wish I could widen it but I think that it is just not going to happen as we only plan to live here a couple of years.

Yes, at last! Just tomatoes and a Russian pomegranate in the beds at present. Tommies (in no particular order): Hugh's Giant Fiolet Golden Egg Black Brandywine Livingston Beauty Grozny 91 Moldovan Green (2) Don Pascoe's Lebanese (from someone Mr Pepperina knows) Yugoslavian Oxheart Mikado Scarlet Caro Rich Livingston's Favorite Mikado Milyana Crnkovic Yugoslavian Aker's West Virginia Sungold F1 Red Rasp De Barao Pink Cuostralee Bonnywein F1 (my cross from last year) Pink Ping Pong Snow White Cherry Golden Glory Mini-Orange Tanana Parodist Gold Medal Golden Ponderosa June Pink Don Juan Gerig Ester Hess Yellow Cherry (2) Except for Moldovan Green I was trying to put just one of the varieties out front to compare with the same varieties in bags out back in the shady areas, but I accidently potted both Ester Hess Yellow Cherries in the same bed, opposite ends :P I deliberately put both Moldovan Greens, a black, purple, yellow and orange one in the first row by the street in the hope that people walking by wouldn't be as tempted to steal them.... most people around here still think tomatoes should be red! Chillies - dunno as yet - some look sick and may not get planted. Looks like I'm not having a good chilli year this year. PP

I've only seen the expensive ones online. How deep are they actually inside since description says 7in seems like outer? I'd love to try them. On one hand strawberries would look great cascading the runners down them and you wouldn't have to worry about much pest damage (no snails/slugs but net over for birds) but on the other is being in the air maybe have to control moisture loss so crowns dont dry out. I think find shallow rooted annuals like the ones for window boxes, they are usually colorful, quick spreading and shallow mass of roots to anchor in 4-8 in of soil like impatience, begonias, petunias. Or back to edibles with flowers like snapdragons, sweet pea etc and micro salad greens to have lunch on the wall. but in all maybe get one of this cheap drip irrigation line kits from Harbor Freight or Walmart and run thru back to help things survive. I saw them for $15-25 there last year for small and big kits.