Bob wrote in
:

Nice to know that people are concerned for the animals. While I
appreciate that advice, I have to wonder how this got off track.
Let me emphasize: I do have licensing, I've been doing this for
years, and any animal in my care gets the best veterinary care
available, etc. I do have a background in microbiology, so I
know about rabies and other zoonotics. And 'homesick' was a
convenient term...animals do get stressed when in foreign
environments. I hope that clarifies things.

somewhat. but if you use proper terms you don't sound so much like
a bleeding heart animal nutter... and are more likely to get better
information.
since you understand microbiology & zoonotics, you should
understand why keeping your "patients" on grass is a less than
stellar idea. keep the easily cleaned substrate, & decorate the
pens with pots of grasses or non-poisonous plantings that can be
changed out to get sunlight or new plants. pots should be
sterilized between different patients.
i keep reptiles from several different areas of the world. one
NEVER mixes species from different areas, & one never moves any
items between the habitats unless it is sterilized first. this
keeps diseases from spreading.
this works exactly the same with rehab wild animals, because
squirrels from the upper end of Central Park may have immunities to
certain diseases that squirrels from Riverside don't.

What I don't know is gardening. So again, I appreciate those
who have provided practical advice, and hope this hasn't run too
far off track.

do you have access to your roof? it has a bit more area for growing
than the fire escape landings...
wheat & rye are fast growing grasses that do passably well in
pots. avoid fescues, as they can have neurotoxins (it's an endemic
fungal infection of many fescues. causes abortions in horses &
camelids. can kill goats & young camelids. may affect other
animals).
i keep pots of pothos going for the tortoises. pothos does ok in
low light situations & is edible (at least for animals). my Bell's
hingeback really decimates his...
lee