serenae - I used clear plastic cups, and cut drainage slits in the cups. Then I take a ziplock baggie and cut slits in the bottom and top of that for drainage and ventilation. Some rain water as well as melted snow gets inside, but by this time of year it still needs occasional watering. I wouldn't be able to just, spray at the baggies, to get enough water in lol*, so I open all the baggies and spray a little water in that way, then close back up. It isn't really THAT big of a hassle, to me at least, because they are all on my front stoop and I only water maybe once a week at best. Because of that baggies covering the cups a lot of moisture is retained in those containers and until the weather is really warm it doesn't evaporate that quickly. Once the weather is warm enough that it DOES start to dry out quicker, it's also usually warm enough to just open up the baggies altogether. I have also used the gallon sized baggies with containers that I got from plants bought at the garden center, milk jug bottoms and pop bottle bottoms. Here is a pic of a couple from 2009: Here are a few pictures from this year:

I'm not much of a fan of self watering containers. If the water gets hot the plants seam to die really fast. Some people really like them though so it may be just me. Its easier to care for tomatoes in really large containers. The smaller the container the more often you have to water and fertilize. You picked good varieties for containers though so if you watch them really close you may have good success. When I read the reviews on Bush Goliath it made me wish that I had planted some. Best of luck to you.

We here in Central Ontario woke up to a dusting of snow on Fri Oct 13th... thought my dahlias would be reduced to the slime, but although they were coated in snow, then pelleted by freezing rain, they managed to remain perky and in bloom (they are right next to my brick house, so maybe radiant heat might be helping). I cut off all the blooms today, and with the inevitable killing frost just around the corner, I am wondering if I should cut them down in their glory, or let the frost take them?

A beautiful picture. It looks so peaceful. Thanks for sharing. Shirley