It all started with a single pepper plant in a pot on my deck.
Eventually I was growing tomatoes, basil, oregano and multiple varieties of peppers.
I enjoyed tending the plants and watching them grow, but there was a problem.
The plants didn't grow very much before the weather got cold again.
Shade from trees and the adjacent house limited the direct sunlight to a very short part of the day.
In 2003 I built a wooden platform with wheels to chase the sun.
The platform quickly evolved into a cart with sides and a handle.
Later an automated irrigation system was added.
The tomato plants started to look like trees and the the plum tomatoes looked like tennis balls to my Jack Russell Terrier.