If I container plant, just as the others have suggested I put one herb type per container. Depending upon the herb, it may also be just one plant in the container or it may be multiple. It really depends upon the plant and how I intend to use it. But since plants all like different amounts of water, different amounts of light, different soil preferences, etc. having only one per container works out best. You can always try putting a variety of different plants in the same container. See how it fares versus single plant/species pots. Gardening is a great thing to learn experientially. Eventually though, I think you'll come to the same conclusion we already have. ;) FataMorgana

Columnar apples are excellent choices for containers. And while not really trees, so are blueberries. But neither are very 'exotic' :-) Dwarf citrus also do well in containers but need some sort of winter protection. Perhaps placing your container on a dolly or attaching heavy duty casters to something like the half whiskey barrel would facilitate movement. Any of the dwarf or minidwarf fruit trees should do well in large containers. Check to see if your choices need a second type for pollination. There's a number of different exotic fruiting plants typically available at local nurseries and seem to be more available each year but most of these tend to be shrubs or vines rather than trees.....maybe you might want to consider enlarging your choices. The other consideration with growing fruit in small spaces is to espalier the various trees. It takes some time for training and attention to pruning but you can get a lot of different trees in to very small spaces this way. You could actually construct an espaliered fence around your backyard.

They are definitely bigger than the 3-pak. I would guesstimate they are about the size of a standard 4 inch pot, only taller. I got the loveliest pieris in the big sized pot and it's growing like gang-busters! In my opinion, it's a great deal for shrubs, if you don't mind growing them on for a awhile. For perennials, maybe not so much. I have a local supplier who sells the same varieties (ie. phlox "Flower Power") for only a dollar more ($8) in a half gallon container. YMMV. Please don't interpret this as criticism of Bluestone - they are my favorite online plant seller, bar none. I think I'm just lucky to have such a great local vendor! ;)

A double-handle pot filler has 1 valve near the wall, and another at the end of the spout. A double-handle filler is more convenient to use, since you can shut off the water from either of 2 places. The only downsides we can think of are: might be more expensive, and 2 valves instead of 1 = 2x possibility of valve problems. However, both factors are largely irrelevant if you're getting a decent brand faucet with high-tech valves. If you want to know what type of valves to look for, and which to avoid, check out the section "What to look for in the faucet?" in our "Six Questions To Ask Before Starting Kitchen Remodel" article.