Clay Pebbles, A Choking Hazard?

As I was re-potting my plant in Hydroton, I realized that I have strong emotional memories of clay pebbles. As a young kid I lived in Holland and my parents had all their indoor plants in this stuff. Including the containers that held various palms and ficus trees and that were placed on the floor. I actually can't recall ever seeing a plant potted in soil in my house, ever. Soil was for the garden. And whilst they were using the clay pebbles for their plants, I was using it to stave of boredom.

My Impulse Buy!

I Couldn't help myself, but I always wanted a Venus Fly Trap (Dionaea muscipula).  I haven't repotted her, although I think I might have to, she's growing some nasty green slime.  Here she is catching some rays before she needs to go into hibernation.

Why You Should Go Hydro...

I do not have a large backyard to get dirty in, so my opinion is a little biased, but for the apartment gardener or for those who have limited space, there are many reasons to go 'hydro'.

The Start Of My Project

Urban agriculture has become quite a trend in my Brooklyn neighborhood.  Within a 1-mile radius, I have over 3 well-established rooftop farms and everybody seems to be growing something on their roof, windowsills or hard-to-come-by gardens.

My neighbor is one of these and when I recently saw her flowering tomato plant, I must admit, I had a pang of jealousy. I've tried on several occasions to get plants to grow in my apartment, but they all withered and died.  I just assumed gardening wasn't for me.

The good thing about having neighbors that grow plants is that they are full of information and after picking her brain for a couple of minutes, I decided to give it another go.