If you watch television you have probably seen the commercials/infomercials on the Topsy Turvy. They look great! They sound like they would work. About a year and a half ago I ordered one. I thought I would be cool and order the one with the stand. It was going to look really cool at my new house. Well, it never came. Instead, I received a letter saying that they ran out of them and would be more than happy to send me one next season. I was going to be first on their mailing list, before any of the new orders that is. That was fine. I really wanted this contraption. Oh, I forgot to mention that I was getting the strawberry planter for free. Even more excitement.
This was the summer we could use it. I cannot tell you how excited I was to plant my tomatoes. I searched for the right tomato plants, potting soil and fertilizer. I scanned the yard for the best spot to put the stand. I faithfully watered them, for about a week and then let McD start helping. I don't remember when McD started watering them on all on his own. Yea, I dropped the ball on the watering. But, I kept them fertilized. See, I helped. It's Shake 'N Bake and I helped. Sorry, things just come to mind and I must write them.
This was our Topsy Turvy. Now, do you remember the commercials? Do you ever remember seeing a TT that had the plants coming out of the sides? I didn't. I only remembered seeing the ones that came out the bottom. But not this one. It had the holes in the sides. I didn't let this get me down, but I wasn't sure how it was going to work. The tomato plants are supposed to grow upside down, right?
Not these. They pretty much just grow which ever way the sun is coming from. Then they got so big and heavy, that they started twisting and breaking in some cases. The plants that are hanging down are the ones that twisted and/or broke.
This was my first tomato. I was elated! I had a tomato!! Woohoo!! This is as big as it got, it was supposed to be a beefmaster tomato. They get a little bigger than this. Two more tomatoes followed, but they didn't even get this big.
See that red tomato? I told you it stayed that same size. Now, can you see what the sun and rain did to the TT? McD and I went on a trip, and before we left he made the comment that our TT was disinergrating. I thought he was kidding. Two weeks later, this is what it looked like. The storm blew the top off of it, but the lid was on it every day up until then. At this point, we just let it go. The tomato wasn't any good. My fresh tomato dream had died.
The strawberry planter, on the other hand, has been fun.
Oh yea, we didn't plant strawberries in it. We planted peppers. Bell peppers, and Jalapeno peppers. We could eat peppers on everything, breakfast - lunch - dinner.
These are a few of the bell peppers, don't they look good? Can you hear the excitement creeping back into my words? I absolutely love it when things grow the way they are supposed to.
Oh, look at these...
The jalapeno peppers are looking great!! I think I might go pick them as soon as I finish this post.
Look at the baby bell pepper. Isn't it cute? Oh there are a ton of baby jalapeno peppers too! I could just keep taking and posting photos all day, but I know those aren't the kind of things you want to see today. I am sure what I have posted is plenty. :)
Now, for the guts of the post. Would I buy another Topsy Turvy? No. Maybe I had higher expectations for it that I should have, but honestly I just believed what the commercial said. I am enjoying the strawberry/pepper planter, but the holder isn't going to last long. I think a person would be better off planting their garden the good ol' traditional way, or in planters/pots.
