[bitterwort]

I grow eggplants most successfully in large black pots, the size that they put nursery trees in, one plant per pot. They seem to appreciate the extra warmth in the spring, and I can easily grow some of the larger Italian types (Prosperosa, Sfumata de Rosa, Rosa Bianca) as well as Calliope and smaller ones and get plenty of fruits. Also, in pots at home they don't have to contend with the huge populations of flea beetles that plague our community garden. You could probably rig up a hardware cloth shield to protect them from your squirrels.