I’ve had a blog before … Mostly it was to document my weekly life … I posted pictures snapped on my cell with a short story usually either recapping the week or going into particular details about the event in which I snapped the picture. I never really had a reason for my blog and that was probably part of the reason why I abandoned it. To a point I failed to see the value ( or took it for granted depending on your perspective ). 

So what makes this any different than my previous blog? What have I found to be the reason or inspiration that my previous blog was lacking? Well let me tell you ….

I have a little project that I am working on. Its technically a birthday present for my fiancee but so far I think I’ve had more fun learning about it than she’s had using it ( considering it is still in its infantile stage and its parts have yet to be assembled ). Actually I don’t even have everything I need yet, but in my defense I’m still figuring things out. 

All of this started with a mini-greenhouse kit she picked up at CVS. It was a kit for growing various kitchen spices ( parsley, oregano, etc. ). We have a couple of dogs and needless to say they wreak a little havoc in my apartment. Some of the mini-pots containing the seedling for these spices succumbed to the canine carnage. Feeling a bit discouraged ( as I was looking forward to the addition of fresh spices for out culinary adventures in the kitchen ), I started looking into bringing our spice garden up to par. 

Living in an apartment makes it difficult for any “would be” gardener to plot the future of his endeavors. As I started to investigate my options, hydroponics transgressed ( at least in my mind ) from being an inside joke ( as most web searches for hydroponics reveal a plethora of websites dedicated to the cultivation of illegal crops ) to a viable option.

At first look, even the most entry level hydroponic system involves a significant initial investment. Systems ranging from $300 -> $900, various growing methods, different types of water delivery systems, and on and on and on ( check out wikipedia, my first stop in hydroponic education ).

So I went in search of a more economically pleasing alternative. After shoveling through irrelevant search results ( mostly comprised of supply resellers and such ) I came across this page. It was exactly what I was looking for. Detailing a step by step procedure that seemingly anyone would be able to successfully follow.

Armed with my “how-to” guide for building, I was ready to start collecting all the parts/pieces.