agreed... most parts of the US its way too late.. but dont let that discourage you from growin cheefer.. the dirt in your backyard isint going to cut it, like you said, you can add garden soil to make it a nutritious medium.. the best way to do it is in buckets though.. when you plant plants into the ground, theyre stuck where they are when they get to a certain point.. if you have them in containers, you can move them at your whim for whatever reason (weather, someone spotting them, animals, ect) its a huge advantage... a little harder to hide them but the pros heavily outweigh the cons.. i do this because i live in florida, and this time of year a hurricane can come out of nowhere.. and if your plants are in the ground they are at the mercy of the weather.. with buckets, you can just grab em up and do what you need to do... that would be my advice (you dont have to take it, of course ) if you decide to use containers, use this mix.. its the SHIT!! 50/50 potting soil (the lighter weight the better) and peat moss.. then add vermiculite and perlite.. it makes for a super light and airy potting mixture (way easier for the roots to establish themselves in) and the peat moss holds 20 times its weight in water, releasing it to the roots as needed.. good luck on your grow man