There’s an unspoken rule about living in New York: whatever you’re gonna do, do it first. You about to hop in line in front of me? Not if I hop in front of myself first! You want that last everything bagel? What last everything bagel? I don’t even know what you’re talking about. Up high, down low… too slow. You want some advice? Be faster.

Thinking the entire borough of Brooklyn has read Bob Hyland’s site about sub-irrigated planters over 17 times front to back, I assumed there would be a line out the door at Lowes on these very early, pre-season, spring-ish weekends. Folks lined up in those tricky s-shapes by the hundreds, itching to buy potting mix, plastic tubs and corrugated drain pipe for their SIPs. Turns out, it was just me out there in the Lowe’s parking lot and this sad tree under the F train.

Inside, the garden center was empty, and where all the yard stuff usually sits were these:

Good news is, I got here First. And I got the 8 plastic totes that would make up the back row of my sub-irrigated planters. They will fill up these cedar planters, and at some point, will be watered automatically by my other… irrigation system. Is this confusing? Maybe I’ll draw you a diagram. Or maybe you’ll beat me to it and stick it on your brand new blog. Or maybe you should just look at these photos:

I pulled out the containers that were in there, and dry fit the tubs that I’ll eventually fill with potting mix and plants. In the process I found this perfectly petrified tomato from last season.

The bins are here. The seeds quietly sprouting. And god-willing, I’ll have the first gardening blog post of 2011 season about SIPs. Wait, I think I just did! Too slow suckas.