I grew glass gem corn exclusively this year, and got some pretty good ears so far, although not very many are ready yet. I did start mine a bit late, but I used soil blocks to start mine. It was only my second time growing corn, with the first being a total failure (corn doesn't like to grow up in containers), so I'd say big improvement here! How big did everyone's glass gem ears get? Mine might be on the small side (especially that one with poor pollination). Anyways, if I get a lot more successful ears, I might be willing to share some seed.

I have had success with Etoile Violette. Very dark purple blooms, and a TON of them. Rooguchi is also lovely. Also dark purple, it continues to bloom over a very long period. Never exactly covered in blooms like Etoile, but always something there. Betty Corning is also a long blooming, hearty plant. I am very fond of Ville de Lyon, which I've mistreated and it has not slowed down, and one that is newish to me, but seems like a real sturdy plant is Venosa violacea. I love the blooms and it seems like it's ready to really take over. It sems like the vitacellas really have a will to live, and I've also had good luck with the texensis varieties. I don't think 4 would be too many for your arbor, but that will depend on which ones you choose. A lot of us plant pretty close.

Hi... I suspect that the problem with the radishes is that you did not let them grow long enough. Most radishes will put out quite a bit of top growth before they bulb. I will admit that I have pulled some radishes this season, but they were "volunteers" self sown from last year's crop, so they germinated far far earlier than anything I sowed myself. I would guess that a radish with a 1" bulb will have 4-5 sets of leaves with the largest being 4-5" long and 3" wide. If you are a new gardener, I would not recommend corn, especially for your very small space. Carrots can also be quite difficult to grow successfully, especially in clay. I second the idea of starting with plants. If you like Italian food, your 2x2 foot space will hold 1 tomato, and a couple of basil plants on the corners. You will need something to support the tomato, to keep it from flopping over. They are vines. I would choose a "determinate" variety--that means it grows to a certain size and then stops. For a good reference on vegetable gardening in a small space, go to the library and check out "Square-Foot Gardening"--it is the best.

I'd have to say first off that you surely seem to have more successes than failures. The garden looks lush and happy. Sorry to hear about the beans. Just curious why you didn't put them in the ground to begin with? Why the containers? My failure has definitely been peppers. The hots are OK, but the green, red, and yellow have all rotted before being picked. I guess it's blossom end rot. I've gotten rid of it on the tomatoes, but no luck yet with peppers. And I've had a blast now that I have GOOD tomatoes. I'd never grown any of the heirloom varieties before, just the better boys, and am loving having the different tastes. Brandywine, cherokee purple, and others. Funny story -- my wife NEVER goes near the garden, but with my daughter the other day went out and picked all the ripe tomatoes, but didn't keep track of which was which. I'm still working on that myself, so suddenly I was left with a bunch of good, but unidentifable tomatoes. I wasn't amused. At least it was better than the last time she helped ... she went out in the fall in pulled out all the dead flowers ... perennials all. Of course ... it's half the fun, isn't it ... figuring out what you did right and wrong, and what we can do better next year. And sharing like this makes it even better. What are you planting for the fall? Happy gardening David