@Ecscuba, thanks for answering. I agree, the safest place for planting is in the earth -- as long as you're in a clean spot!
Healthy, living soil is a magical substance, in my opinion.
Terra cotta is great, it's just mighty heavy and so moving it around is harder. I have planted in all kinds of found and scrounged containers, and some of my favorites have been large baskets I've gotten at thrift stores. Every kind of container has its drawbacks as well as its benefits. I'd still be very interested in any link to information about plant roots taking up toxins from plastic, if you run across such.
