Hi everyone, I want to experiment with "Upside-down" tomatoes this year but have one question that has not been answered on any of the posts I read. For upside-down planting, which type of tomato is best; determinate or indeterminate? I read about folks whose plants have broken off as they attempt to change direction and I wonder if that is because they planted the wrong type. I also read that many have a problem with water weeping on the stem and others who find it necessary to water multiple times per day. I will be trying out an idea for making the bottom of the container a reservoir by a method I have yet to devise, lol. If no one knows which type of tomato is better, I guess I will just have to plant one of each and let you all know after the harvest.

Bleigh - you obviously have had a a bunch of very big problems in your life beyond your control. Yet you continue to do the right thing, pay your bills the best you can, and after all the crap you have been through, you still seem like a genuinely nice and happy person. I totally respect you for that. I apologize if I came off earlier sounding really cold and unsympathetic to people in this situation. The types of people who keep trying their best to get ahead and still keep getting deeper and deeper in trouble no matter what - then yes, I feel bad for them, and maybe foreclosure could be in their best interest. I have just seen way too many people who are very obviously making the wrong CHOICES, and those are the people I find a hard time feeling sorry for. I see it over and over again. The people on food stamps, yet they have money for beer, cigarettes and lottery tickets. The people who haven't worked in months or even years - and they aren't looking for work - they would rather suck up as much unemployment as they can. The people who claim disability when they are obviously quite capable of doing SOMETHING - but its easier to mooch off of others. I have had a lot of bad times myself, but I also realize just how lucky I truly am. I would think if I had some REALLY hard times, I would always handle it and always make it back on top - but I could also be wrong. If I were unfortunate enough to have some REAL ISSUES like the poor people in Joplin, Missouri, or during Katrina so many years ago - who knows, maybe I would be a lazy good for nothing homeless person right now. I can see how big events like this can ruin lives. I know I should appreciate my situation a little better and think of this more often. One of my family members fell onto some really hard times. Partially no fault of their own, but also because of CHOICES they made. They got a divorce after only 5 years - you could say that wasn't their fault because maybe the other person was the moron. But then again, yes you can put some blame there for picking the wrong person to begin with - and there WERE some trouble signs before they got married. They also ran into trouble with medical bills. They both worked very low salary jobs, had 2 children, no insurance, and they maxed their credit cards out paying the medical bills. Really tough luck? Yes and no. Their CHOICE not to carry medical insuance and their CHOICE to have children before they were ready - both emotionally and financially. And sorry, but plain stupid to max your credit cards out when you have absolutely no hope of paying them off - STUPID. They had bill collectors constantly calling them, they were constantly given money by other family members, and it made no difference. After the divorce, their parents allowed them to move back in with them (rent free) for 7 years. This was the time for them to save their money and pay off their bills, or maybe even train for a higher paying job. Did any of that happen? No. It was party time - they bought all kinds of music CDs, video games, went out to eat all the time, went to concerts, got cool cell phones with cool ring tones, bought themselves cool custom wheels for the car - they did lots of stupid things. Very aggrevating. It embarrassed me that one of my own family members was like this - because they sure weren't raised that way. This is the way a lot of these types are - when you help them, you truly aren't helping them, and they take advantage of you. I am sorry to lump the better people in with the worse people, but these are the types of people I picture most often when it comes to foreclosures, welfare, whatever. You come to a point where you stop feeling sorry for them, stop trying to help them, and you realize they deserve what they get. OK then - I guess all that had nothing to do with buying/selling houses, but I just wanted to let you know where I was coming from. I truly wish you the very best of luck in everything you do. I hope it gets better. I hope your husband will think about taking a job closer to home - even if it means a pay cut. Commuting that far is NOT worth it. All the money he thinks he is making by doing that he is actually losing by paying extra gas, higher insurance, more wear and tear on the car, more wear and tear on himself - you get the picture. OK I am finally done. Good luck. Take care.

Went to big box store this morning and asked them to redraw kitchen layout. Your responses made me start thinking last night and redesigning in my mind. I cannot move any doors or windows as we have already spent a small fortune on this property. If you could imagine dirt floors, gray almost dead floors and imagine worse .... well you get the picture. Also I want to keep as much of the integrity of this home as possible as some of the original family members are my neighbors. That being said, moved pantry to left of laundry room door. Would you put 3 drawers at bottom of pull out shelves behind closed doors as small door above? Or would you have small door above pull out shelf closed doors open as in kitchen area? Would you have a shelf over laundry room door to tie the 2 sections together? If put shelf over door, would you omit open shelves on either side of the stove? or leave them open? I really need your advice. Please keep in mind that I cannot move the doors or windows.... Thanks, Jenn

Mseamm - yes. That was one of my very favorite seasons in my garden. Most everything had been newly planted - it was 10 years ago. So nothing at that time was overgrown. And we had to change the numbers on the house for solar ones that could be seen at night as per city recommendation. (But, we did move the original numbers and put them by the side door, so they are still on the house). I especially loved the jasmine growing up around the flagpole. The jasmine suddenly died last summer. I have planted more, and hopefully it will catch on. I will say that in person, the garden now does still look really lush. The photos don’t do it justice.