I want to start a cantainer vegetable garden

Celebrity tomatoes grow very well in my north central TX garden. In fact, I just ate the last one that I had to harvest before it was ripe because of a frost in early December. Their flavor is great and they have good disease resistance. (Tomatoes that are allowed to ripen on the vine will always taste better too.) They set fruit at higher temps than many other tomatoes. Seeds should be started about six weeks before planting outside. If you are not in a frost free area, you should plant no earlier than your last average frost date and be prepared to bring them in or cover them if you get a late frost. If you don't get frosts, you can grow them year round.

Tomatoes are wind pollinated, so if your patio is somewhat protected, you will want to thump the flowers to get good fruit set.

As for finding seeds or transplants, start with your local home center or garden center. Ask when they get their veggie transplants in stock. They should already have seeds. There are also many seed catalogs that are on line too.

I would also suggest a good cherry tomato plant if you have room. I like sweet millions, but the plant does get rather large. You will get that vine ripened tomato taste faster that way.

Good luck!

I live just a few miles from you, also on the coast. I've grown a lot of things in containers and had some success (and some failures). I have two self watering containers, for whatever reason, one of them works and one doesn't. I've tried emptying the soil, bleaching the container, and the plants still seem to be too wet--perhaps it is defective. I also use wooden planters and just big plastic pots.

I've grown Swiss Chard, tomatoes (more success than not), onions, lettuce, and sugar snap peas. I'm now trying to start milkweed for next Springs Monarch butterfly food.

I would say, if you are putting them on a balcony, make sure the balcony will hold them up---balance them out, not all in one place.

I've had good luck using different brands of potting soil. I have to remember to fertilize them on a regular basis and not let them dry out too much. I think it's a good way to grow vegetables.

Hello Cozette,
I'm thinking by now you have your container(s) garden growing. I hope what ever you did is growing well. I thought I would just put in my two cents worth. For my Tomatoes I use a 'squat fifteen gallon' plastic container. I use 'SunShine Planter Mix' (in a green bag) for the 'soil mix'. I use it right from the bag, I do not mix anything with it, usually. I plant my tomatoes 3 plants to a pot, and the plants are placed at the edge of the container. I put in a 6' tall stake by each one, and tie them together at the top, sort of like a Tee Pee. As the plants grow I tie each one to the stake, and I try to tie them often as they grow up the stake. I use 'GroPower' fertilizer once a month. I water as needed but not keeping them 'too wet', but moist all of the time.
This method has worked very well for me and I get lots of Tomatoes from these plants. After the first planting I usually plant another container in about 5 or 6 weeks, so when the first one is almsot done, the next one is about ready to have ripe fruit.
I agree, I think San Diego and Celebrity are very good. I also like to plant "Champion" too. "Sweet 100" is a great small 'cherry like' Tomato, if you like the little ones. All do very well for me, growing in containers.
I use the 'squat fifteen' size the plants will get quite large, at least to the top of 6' stakes and more. The 'squat' pots have more area than a 'regualar' fifteen gallon container. It gives you more soace at the top, you don't really need the tall containers.
Main thing is, really good soil mix, regular feeding and monitor the water, not too wet and not too dry. When it gets warm, I pretty much water every two days, sometimes once a day if over 90 degrees and the plants are large. You can grow lots of lettuce this way, many plants to a container, but they are a 'short crop' maybe replant every 3 weeks or so for a 'constant' harvest. Zuchini, maybe 3 or 4 small starts to a container should be great too. Just let it spill over the side, they can get large.
I think beans would do very good in condtions described above also. Just train them to the stakes and watch them grow.

We always start climbing green beans in a container in the house when I plant the other seeds like tomaotes and peppers. The kids get a kick out of planting them and watching them wind themselves up the poles I stick in the pot. We will be eating beans here soon. About the time I will be planting other seeds in the garden. Great incentive for the kids to help.

Here is the bean eater sitting by her plants. I found her there this morning snacking. It must be close to lunch time. Good thing I came inside.
Seeds are starting to come up outside too. Yeah!

What a great picture. And, your beans look great too. Mine are just about four inches high. I look forward to having some to eat.