An apparatus is configured to facilitate in an appliance various operating modes including a spin mode and an agitation mode in a vertical-axis washing machine. Synchronizing includes implementing a listening phase to detect a radio-frequency signal transmitted by said central base, and either sending an RF signal that is synchronous with the detected signal or transmitting a signal at a predetermined frequency depending on whether an RF signal is detected at the base. Whether scaling should be performed is determined based on the first value. Optionally, the container also may have drainage holes adjacent to or through its bottom surface and obliquely positioned anchoring passages that assist in maintaining the plant and container in an upright position in the presence of strong winds. The fragmented storage volume is varied offline, and the additional storage volume is varied online.