Oh yeah, strawberries should do fine! Sounds like you are ready to go, and with those sizes of containers you ought to have a respectable harvest, too. Be sure to add the Lime, and don't skimp on the fertilizer, especially at the beginning and middle of the season. Josh

Yes, 5gal pails worked well for me in the past (2 stacked -1with holes & mesh screening in the bottom and placed in second to catch run off). Mine were a bit slender but still tasty! If I did it again, I probably would use Al's 5:1:1 or something similar for a soil mix and a brighter light setup, plus a fertilizer with micro nutrients). Now that I have educated myself a little better... I'm sure someone else can add to/or offer their own opinion/experiences as well. Best of luck,

There is a bamboo forum that might get you more response. I grow one hardy bamboo, Fargesia rufa. It is about 4-5' tall, and a clumper that I grow in the ground. To keep container plants happy over winter, they should in general be a couple of zones hardier unless you want to employ extraordinary measures (burying, bringing indoors, insulating, etc) which I am not willing to do; this Fargesia is at its northern limit in my garden, and in years of little snowcover it can look fairly ratty come spring. I don't know if it would survive a snowless winter. In this photo it is the third large plant down the right side, behind the rhododendron and in front of the purple-leafed elderberry and the reddish green dogwood.

Hi Mollie: I am a Master Gardener and I also work for a well known nursery with several stores in town. For your shady patios I would recommend putting together a container of Coleus of different colors. They are very attractive in many size leaves and colors. You need to nip them back so they don't get leggy. You could also buy Hearts and Flowers which will grow like mad, and spill over a pot. It has a small red flower and the leaves are very bright lime green. These also work in hanging pots too. There is possibly some Hosta's available that could go into a container. Jasmine, either star or Arabian would be super nice because they have such lovely fragrance and do best in shade. There really are a number of choices available if you go to one of our nurseries. There is always someone available in the Info booth. Another idea that you might experiment with is locating a mirror on your patio that perhaps picks up some sunlight and lightens the patio. With a little sunlight, you could get a Mandevilla vine in white, red or pink. They don't want any direct sunlight but they need some bright light to flower. They are very attractive. Don't give up on herbs. If you can catch some additional light, herbs likely will do fine. I recommend that people who grow them, keep them under shade cloth during summer anyway. Give them a try if you don't mind an experiment and a little money.