'Carmello' tomato growing in a 15-gallon terra-cotta pot, week 1. Photo by Steve Masley
Example of an eclectic home design design in San Francisco

Jalapeño grown organically in a 7-gallon Smart Pot. This plant produced 69 jalapeños! Photo by Steve Masley
Example of an eclectic home design design in San Francisco

'Carmello' tomato grown organically in a 15-gallon terra-cotta pot, week 13. It's almost to the ceiling of the deck! Photo by Steve Masley
Elegant deck photo in San Francisco

'Carmello' tomato growing in a 15-gallon terra-cotta pot, week 14. Running out of room, the top of the plant has reached the ceiling of the deck, and is starting to spill back down. Photo by Steve Masley

'Carmello' tomato growing in a 15-gallon terra-cotta pot, week 14. Photo by Steve Masley
Deck - traditional deck idea in San Francisco

'Carmello' tomato grown organically in a 15-gallon terra-cotta pot, week 3. Stems are thickening, tomatoes forming on bottom truss, second truss flowering. Photo by Steve Masley

'Carmello' tomato grown organically in a 15-gallon terra-cotta pot, week 13. It's almost to the ceiling of the deck! Photo by Steve Masley
Elegant deck photo in San Francisco

'Carmello' tomato grown organically in a 15-gallon terra-cotta pot, week 2. Note the fast growth from week 1! Photo by Steve Masley
Example of a classic deck design in San Francisco

'Carmello' tomato grown organically in a 15-gallon terra-cotta pot, week 4. Moved the plant back out of the direct sun during a heat wave. Photo by Steve Masley

'Carmello' tomato growing in a 15-gallon terra-cotta pot, week 1. Photo by Steve Masley
Inspiration for an eclectic landscaping in San Francisco.

'Carmello' tomato grown organically in a 15-gallon terra-cotta pot, week 13. First truss of tomatoes ripening. Photo by Steve Masley
Elegant deck photo in San Francisco

'Carmello' tomato growing in a 15-gallon terra-cotta pot, week 9. Photo by Steve Masley
Deck - traditional deck idea in San Francisco

'Carmello' tomato growing in a 15-gallon terra-cotta pot, week 5. Photo by Steve Masley
Deck - traditional deck idea in San Francisco

Blossom End Rot (BER) is not a disease, it's a physiological condition of tomatoes. It usually occurs after a heat wave early in the summer, and arises when the plant's growth outstrips its ability to deliver water all the way to the tip of the fruit. It usually only affects the tomato trusses that are growing rapidly at the time. Irregular or inadequate water is the most common cause, and over-fertilization can contribute. Inadequate calcium was once thought to be the culprit, but only in rare cases is calcium deficiency the cause. BER is common in container-grown tomatoes. Affected tomatoes are still edible, just cut off the bad part of the fruit. With adequate water, the problem usually self-corrects, but if you want to avoid it entirely, grow cherry tomatoes. Photo by Steve Masley

Peppers and tomatoes are underplanted with zinnias in this beautiful vegetable garden. Learn how to grow easy vegetables that look great on your patio from the book "Easy Container Combos: Vegetables & Flowers." See a free, 24 page sample of the book at www.pamela-crawford.com. in the 'Books' section. Pamela Crawford designed and photographed the planter. Pamela designs landscapes throughout Palm Beach County, FL, including Boca Raton, Delray Beach, the town of Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Jupiter, and Wellington.

Tomatoes, eggplant, and peppers are planted above yellow melampodium. Learn how to grow easy vegetables that look great on your patio from the book "Easy Container Combos: Vegetables & Flowers." See a free, 24 page sample of the book at www.pamela-crawford.com. in the 'Books' section. Pamela Crawford designed and photographed the planter. Pamela designs landscapes throughout Palm Beach County, FL, including Boca Raton, Delray Beach, the town of Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Jupiter, and Wellington.

'Sweet 100' cherry tomatoes growing in a 15-gallon terra-cotta pot. Container-grown tomatoes are more susceptible to blossom end rot, but cherry tomatoes like 'Sweet 100', 'Sungold', and 'Black Cherry' rarely have this problem. Photo by Steve Masley

Teenage eggplants hanging out. Eggplants thrive in containers, whether they're terra-cotta pots, or fabric Smart Pots. Photo by Steve Masley
Photo of a traditional landscaping in San Francisco.

'Sweet 100' cherry tomatoes growing in a 15-gallon terra-cotta pot. Container-grown tomatoes are more susceptible to blossom end rot, but cherry tomatoes like 'Sweet 100', 'Sungold', and 'Black Cherry' rarely have this problem. Photo by Steve Masley