Hi Alina Yes, a bulb to a 5 litre bag. Make drainage holes in the bottom of the bag. Take out about the top third of the mix and put in the bulb, then cover it up. I'm not sure what you would do over winter because winter here is more wet and miserable than 'frost and snow'. Perhaps placing the bags in a polystyrene box and wrapping with plastic bubble sheet before putting it in the basement. So long as they don't dry out - and you have a note on the calendar to remind you to check for signs of returning life. Asters will also grow and flower in bags - but they don't reach their full height because they bulk up very rapidly and dry out quickly in the summer. Erigeron is also a possibility. If it isn't a pest plant in your area, Erigeron karvinskianus can be a very useful filler, and several of the others flower for long periods, too. The best way to water plants in bags is to plunge them in a bucket of water, wait until the bubbles stop, then put them to drain. It's very easy to add a dilute solution of fertiliser to the water - to do two jobs at once. For 'in between' - tall forget-me-not (Myosotis), ornamental cabbages or kale(!), Violas, Calendula, Hosta, Thalictrum (foliage), grasses and sedges, Geranium, Corydalis, Nigella, dwarf Aquilegia. (You can tell I like the 'misty/frothy' look!) Heuchera, Tiarella, large Ajuga. Echeveria secunda, creeping Phlox, Anemone coronaria in a single colour, dwarf wallflowers... Diascia, Mimulus, Nemesia. By themselves or two varieties eg forget-me-not and cream wallflowers, Nigella and Hosta. It's really hard to say because I don't know when plants come out in your area, or whether you experience sudden heat spells which can definitely shorten the flowering time of a display. My own view, with the parrot tulips, is to let them be the stars of the piece and use a solid colour in the supporting plant's flowers either as a foil or to echo one of the colours in their petals. Or have foliage which does the same thing.

Hello Civitdaly: Costal Zone 24 (Sunset) is zones 9b and 10 to those of us who use the USDA zone system. You are in a subtropical zone and should be able to grow vegetables in containers year round on your patio. Containers will allow you to move your plants around to catch more sun or less sun depending on how warm the weather is and the time of year. You might plan to set your containers on rollers or wheels so that you can move them when necessary. You can do cool weather vegetables in fall and winter and warm weather vegetables in spring and summer in your location. You probably have very few, if any, freezing days. Cool weather crops for containers will include salad greens and small rooted vegetables -- bunching onions, mini carrots, small beets. Warm weather crops will include tomatoes, beans, squashes. Look for varieties that are dwarfs, mini-sized, or patio varieties (just ask at the garden center and they will get you started). The first year will be a learning experience -- so start with just a few crops and learn. By next fall or next spring you will be able to jump in with both feet or green thumbs. Here is a link to three starter articles on container veggie growing. http://www.harvestwizard.com/container_gardening/ You can start today with some lettuce -- ask for lettuce starts at the nearby garden center. Get a wide pot that is at least 6 to 8 inches across and ask for a potting mix with compost. That should get you started today! Here is a link that might be useful: HarvestToTable.com

What JaG said is good advice. The Tomatoes will take the container over. If possible (seperated enough where roots aren't inermingled), remove everything but the 2 mater plants. One way or another, remove the cinnamon basil & parsley immediately & transplant to their own containers (10-12 inch). The Basil will get big. The Bell Pepper plant under the maters, if it can not be safely removed and is far enogh away from the two tomatoes to grow 2 ft or so, should be fine. I'd start it a training program, if that's the case (can't be removed w/o hurting something) where you can start some thin bamboo stakes to make it grow a certain way (away from tomato plants). Maybe 2-3 stakes...2 across each other meeting at the main stem to put sufficient force on it to make it grow away (but not push it too much) & one (or two) later on to help with support. Sorry...went off to gardening idea land there for a minute. =) Raybo has some great ideas, so post pictures of yours on Tomatoes & see what he says. The Basil & Parsely would be fine in your 3 gallon containers. "I also planted 4 bush bean plants in a rather large (24 inch diameter) container, 3 of them seem to be doing well, they are still quite small, though." They should all 4 be fine, but may need vertical support soon. Hope this helps. Peace - Steve

I would suggest getting one of the Rainbow mixes of sweet peppers from Park Seed. You are in Florida so need to get them started pronto. Zavory is a variety you might consider. It is a true habanero but with only 100 scovilles of heat. This is just barely enough that you can taste it. Since this is for kids, this is the only member of the hot pepper group that I would recommend. The best flavored bell pepper that I grow is Orange Bell. I will have at least 50 plants in my garden this year. It is a productive sweet orange fruited variety that makes a heavy crop in long season areas. DarJones