Just so happens I live quite close to the Phinney Neighborhood Center. I
went to a workshop/class to learn to make these containers. They are slick
if you are short on "ground space". Once you get the hang of construction
and know the theory behind how it works you can think outside the box, so to
speak, and adapt all kinds of containers. I picked up 8 Rubbermaid tubs from
the For Free section of CraigsList and scrounged PVC pipe scraps from a
construction site where they were building condos near by. This lowered my
costs even more

I also have a worm bin, producer of fabulous black gold, that has been in
the under sink cabinet of my kitchen for several years. This works great if
you don't have a place to compost.
http://seattletilth.org/resources/compost Scroll down to
'Off-the-Shelf-Composting-Bin'. Also lots of other good info on this site.

Gardening on a 4th floor balcony,
Val

wrote in message
...
I was certainly doing it the hard way! This PDF file shows how to
make a self-watering container for as little as $6-$7 per tub.

www.seattleoil.com/Flyers/Earthbox.pdf

I guess I won't work at making those containers I was thinking about!
I can make 20 of these for less money than what I was going to make.