Kenzo, Sorry your having problems with the containers not draining. Couple ideas that might help with what you have going on now. If you could lift the pots and add absorbent wicking in a few of the drain holes, and extend it down to the earth, that should allow the ground to wick the excess water down. Though with the rocks in the way, I'm not sure how well that's going to work. Or... have you ever held a flower pot after a soaking out in front of you ? When it seems to be finished draining, if you tip the pot at an angle, it drains more. So with the bigger container you have, drilling some drain holes on the front bottom edge, then adding a length of something like a 2 X4 on the back edge it should drain more than if it's setting flat. Tricky with the tomato support so that would need to be tied off to something behind it to prevent the whole business falling over. Neither are ideal, but it seems worth a trial, since as is, the current set up is not going to work and you are asking before it looks fatal. I've never really understood the popularity of vermiculite. I assume in some places with some sorts of plants, for some gardeners it works fine. It's only been since the guy wrote the book on square foot gardening that the popularity of vermiculite increased to the point where so many new gardeners buy the stuff and big box stores stock it. Potting mix companies add it becasue folks want to see it on the label and maybe because it is a real, one use product, with the used once potting mix being so compressed due to the vermiculite, it's best tossed far away and never reused even as a part of the next years potting medium. I obviously don't know for sure how manufactures think, but why buy the stuff when there are so many other choices ? Take a piece of vermiculite between your fingers and squeeze. Flat blob results. Do the same with a piece of perlite. Still usable. Pumice is even better and my main choice when I have enough stock piled. . It's really to bad too, because using it is often not right for their plants or region or maybe their watering habits. Resulting in failures and people that falsely think they just have a brown thumb, and give up, not learning the true lifetime pleasure of time in the garden. I too learned my lessons about all these soiless potting mediums way back in the beginning. Rotted some perfectly nice plants to death because of vermiculite. I think you will benefit from some reading over in the container forum. Al has a long , ongoing thread with the basics so I'll link to that, though it is not a quick read. It's a bookmark and work through it thread, over time. Here is a link that might be useful: Container Soils - Water Movement and Retention XIX

I may be reading into your 'gut,' because I think it agrees with what I like ;-)... But the one with the white/stainless fridge and yellow oven/pantry really speaks to me. I thought having both tall cabs in white somehow chopped up the kitchen and diminished how the yellow grounded the room. And I didn't like them both trying to be matched in either color, because then they connected and took over the room. The oven cabinet looks somehow warmer and homier in color. It creates more of a natural-feeling unfittedness. The oven cab seemed too sterile and modern in the white, and as I said, the yellow bases flow better with it the same color. I know my input is just an opinion, and on just a drawing to boot. It seems you know what you want in your gut, but are 2nd guessing and wanting some kind of sure encouragement. But it's your kitchen, and we'll all have our own preferences. Your choices prove your good eye. I thought I grew past yellow ...used to love its sunny disposition in my bedroom as a teen, but it usually seems too baby shower to me now. So when I just started this thread, I thought "Too much yellow!" But as I read and saw more pics of your choices and how it's all coming together, I really love it all, and am excited to see it finished!! I think a lot of people want to use it and fight against it, at the same time, and you are just "all in." The layering of the yellows work like the white-on-white that's been popular recently, but with a braver twist. I think the 'mistake' with your wall color was a good one. ;-)

I sincerely apologize for the delayed response! I never got any notification of replies to my question so I assumed there were none. I came back on here today because I have a new problem with my marshmallow. I have got them hardened off and they are all outside near my patio. They are definitely growing better but in the last few days, have all gotten purple leaves (still only a very minor issues with the yellowing)! It is only effecting the oldest of the leaves so far but the stems have turned purple too so I'm worried that whatever this is will make it to the beautiful newer leaves as well. I haven't put them in the ground yet because I am terrified of pests destroying them. Something, I think we've come to the conclusion it's birds, has taken every one of the 30 clary sage seedlings and 2 of my comfrey seedlings that I transplanted out. But why on earth would the marshmallow leaves now be turning PURPLE?! Gardening is supposed to relaxing

I see what your motivation was now. I just noticed that you always recommended the c/s and perlite mix, and was curious. I know lots of people have trouble finding the ingredients. I was just lucky to have found what i was looking for with a few phone calls, visiting a couple places and being directed to a source for the last ingredient. The hassle is a very real concern, but the cost for me was not a factor. The pine ultra fines cost a little over $2 for a monster 3cft bag, the turface was about $17 for a 2 cft bag, and peat at $10 for 2 cft, thats manageable because the pine bark is the cheapest and largest component. Its a lot of soil for cheap once you find the pine bark. One just has to look for them, and all the other components are easy. Once everything is sourced, i wouldnt be surprised if it came out cheaper for the 511 per pot. On-brand is just a synonym for true to expectations, i wasn't referring to a brand name. Lol