Life & Work with Ry Sedrick

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ry Sedrick.

Hi Ry, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself
I am an artist, a special education teacher and a plant parent. Like most people around the world, I moved to work online when the pandemic hit. It was especially challenging for me as a high school special education teacher.

I had to continue serving my students’ learning needs, and at the same time take care of my own mental health while being cooped up in a tiny apartment space. So I started collecting and caring for indoor plants as an outlet for my creativity and to release stress.

Plants became a central fixture in the interior design of our small apartment home. I created biophilic spaces that integrate plants with furniture and decor, without making each room feel like a plant nursery.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Living in a desert in the northern hemisphere poses a lot of challenges for indoor gardening, particularly if you want to care for tropical plants. The environment is very dry and the sun sets further south during winter, depriving plants of the sunshine and warmth that they need to grow and thrive. Using soil indoors can be messy and a natural breeding ground for bugs and pests.

Aesthetically, I personally find soil unpleasant to look at in an indoor living space.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Through my plant journey, I discovered the joy of the Kratky semi-hydroponics self-watering setup for indoor gardening. This setup uses a soilless medium for growing plants called LECA – Lightweight Expanded Clay Aggregate. LECA is basically baked clay balls that are used in lieu of soil to grow plants.

This setup fits perfectly with my needs and lifestyle especially when I collected more plants. This method is stress-free. I don’t have to follow a watering schedule and worry about bugs and pest infestation. Since the setup increases the humidity level that most of my tropical plants need, I wasn’t limited by the dry air in the valley and I avoided using humidifiers. This method works well with my personal aesthetics and busy lifestyle.

It gave me more time to be creative and continue to paint. I’ve been painting watercolor birds prior to discovering indoor gardening and now I enjoy painting the leaves of my plant babies. I’ve also created my very own LECA starter plant kits which I sell from my Etsy shop together with my paintings.

What matters most to you? Why?
I want to share the LECA life and the benefits of semi-hydroponics soilless indoor gardening with people who want to take care of a living plant. Without the hassle and stress of overwatering, messy soil, and plant pests.

Caring for plants should be worry-free. Nature is our stress reliever, and together with art, we can create spaces of joy and healing in our very own homes, especially these days when we are facing so much uncertainty and loss. I’ve also made it my personal mission to use my love for plants and creative talent to contribute to my community.

Through my humble efforts, I continue to raise funds and spread awareness for causes that help others by selling LECAfied plant kits, and watercolor bird and leaf paintings.

Contact Info:

• Email: roomwithry@gmail.com
• Website: etsy.com/shop/roomwithry
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roomwithry/
• Facebook: facebook.com/roomwithry/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3aps_JsT29VKvuXB7hZ3VQ