It feels kind of silly to plant a garden that I'm not going to be in town to watch grow, harvest, and eat, but that's what I'm doing. Previously, four kinds of hot peppers, marjoram, and oregano went into long, deep containers. Lettuce greens and nasturtiums (edible flowers and leaves) went into hanging boxes on the fence.

Today, a lot of basil got transplanted into a large plastic pot, two long boxes got seeded with thumbellina carrots and radishes, and a blue lobelia that somehow transplanted itself into an entirely different pot last year got rescued and given a pot of its own.

Oh, and why I like my small SUV? Because we put three whiskey half-barrel planters, six cubic feet of potting soil, two tomato cages, and a small hosereel box into our Escape, as well as the three of us. Can't do that in most cars.

The barrels will hold the three heirloom tomato plants I ordered. I really only wanted a brandywine, but this was the best deal I could find without waiting for garden shops locally--and I don't really have that kind of time left. Besides, Mr. Stripey had also caught our interest.

Left to plant: chives, thyme, and perhaps small pumpkins, if I can figure out where to stick them. I bought thyme seeds but might wait to see if some good plants show up in the garden shops. Spring Hill says it shipped my banana tree, blueberry plant, and daylily (also edible flowers) and that I should have them Monday.

I'd also love to plant sage, if I can find room. The bay laurel I wanted to get this year might just have to wait.