I have one (actually five) and the EarthBox is a great invention if the cost of your vegetables does not matter to you. However, if cost is a factor, then these will be the most expensive tomatoes or peppers or cukes or melons or squash that you will eat this year. In addition to the initial cost of the EarthBox, you will also spend approximately $20 for potting soil (more for organic potting soil) and something additional for the plants. In a single box, it is recommended that you plant only two tomato plants, or four cucumber plants, or four melon plants, or six squash plants, or eight pepper plants, etc. (You can get more information at the manufacturer's web site located here: http://www.earthbox.com/consumer/faqs.php) At approximately $80 to $90 for the initial set up, the vegetables you grow this year, though very nice, will also be very expensive. Next year, you will need to purchase a replanting kit, which includes fertilizer, dolomite and two replacement covers, at a cost of about $12. The original potting soil can be reused for five years. As long as you regularly add water to the box and place it in a sunny location, your vegetables should grow. I've had success with tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, squash and corn. I was amazed that I could grow 16 corn stalks in a box and that the ears of corn were excellent. I have not had great success with melons, but will try again this year. Of course, it goes without saying that the quality of the seeds or vegetable plants you select is very important. If you select inferior tomato seeds or plants, then the tomatoes you grow will look great, but won't taste great. The same is true for corn. So be careful about buying mass-produced seeds or plants from the mega hardware stores, which will also not be organic, if that is important to you. By the way, it is not difficult to build your own earthbox-like planting box. Plans for these planting boxes are posted on the Internet. By doing so, you may save about half the cost. I plant vegetables both in a garden and in earthboxes. In my experience, the earthbox definitely produces more vegetables per plant and requires less work than a garden, but if cost is a factor, then a garden is less expensive. If you care for a garden, then quality is not substantially different from the EarthBox grown vegetables. But if you don't like to weed a garden or don't have the space for a garden, then the EarthBox is the way to go.