Growing Joy with Plants - Wellness Rooted in Nature, Houseplants, Gardening and Plant Care

Did you know that Becca from Becca De La Plants and I delivered our babies 24 hours and 3 minutes apart?! We didn't plan that. We've been friends for almost 10 years now, and the first time we hung out, she was planning her wedding. Since then, we've gotten married, moved, built businesses, and now she's had her second baby, and I've had my first! For some reason, we keep landing in the same season of life at the same time. So I asked her to come talk with me about it. About two hard pregnancies, about the identity shift nobody warns you about properly, and about what plants have been quietly teaching us the whole time. Come join our conversation!

• [02:14] Meet Becca De La Plants
• [06:53] The TikTok comment that flagged her cholestasis!
• [08:22] Where social media saves you, and where it wrecks you
• [10:22] Running my business from bed through a sick first trimester
• [11:43] What prenatal depression took from Becca’s toddler's first years
• [13:41] The beliefs we absorb about how pregnancy is supposed to feel
• [14:51] Joey Santore’s Concrete Botany
• [15:55] Espoma Organic
• [17:57] Why I wouldn't let myself attach to this pregnancy after two losses
• [20:42] How one Five Guys order sent me to the ER with gallstones
• [24:22] How a hard pregnancy made the newborn phase feel blissful!
• [25:53] Becca's HG lifting the day she delivered and finally being able to eat
• [28:47] Why snap-back culture makes no sense when you barely gained weight
• [29:49] The identity shift of becoming a mom!
• [35:46] How thinking in seasons gives you permission to be fully present
• [37:37] Is "don't lose yourself" actually good advice?
• [38:21] My HOT take: why you should have your kids later
• [42:01] What slow-germinating seeds taught me about timing
• [42:59] What it's like being last to have a kid when you've always gone first
• [46:19] Second-baby calm vs. logging every single diaper in the app
• [47:53] Sibling age gaps, and watching your own sister dynamic play out in your kids
• [49:49] Childcare, pumping, and holding the next year with an open hand
• [51:50] Why first-time moms should be allowed to be weird (the mammal side of postpartum)
• [54:18] Do I let Growing Joy expand beyond plants?
• [57:22] Why evolving your content is the only way to keep it honest
• [58:50] A six-month check-in with Becca!

• Growing Joy 240: How to Move with Houseplants with Becca De La Plants, Ep 240
• Huckleberry App: Baby Tracker & Sleep Experts
• Understanding Natural Light
• Green Up Your Workspace

check out the full show notes and blog!

Follow Becca:

Podcast
Book
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube
TikTok

Grab your copy of Concrete Botany at quarto.com, wherever books are sold or through your local bookstore.

Visit espoma.com to find your local Espoma dealer or check my Amazon storefront.

Follow Maria and Growing Joy:

Order my book: Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness (and Plants) by Maria Failla, Illustrated by Samantha Leung

Take the Plant Parent Personality Quiz (Get the perfect plants, projects and educational resources for YOUR Lifestyle)

Support Growing Joy with Maria by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon!

Instagram: @growingjoywithmaria

Tiktok: @growingjoywithmaria

Subscribe to the Growing Joy YouTube channel! /growingjoywithmaria

Website: www.growingjoywithmaria.com

Pinterest: @growingjoywithmaria

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Have you ever wandered through the citrus section of a nursery, inhaling the sweet scent of Meyer lemons and key limes, and thought “Oh my, I want one”? As someone who impulse purchased a struggling lime tree years ago—which I named Limey, by the way—growing citrus indoors is possible with the right care and conditions. Citrus plants can be great houseplants if you set them up for success, and they present a unique opportunity to engage all five senses! In this episode, I invited my long-lost dear friend Danny Trejo from Via Citrus to share with you everything you need to know to cultivate your own indoor citrus plant, from choosing the right variety to proper care for growth and fruiting.

• [00:00] What citrus varieties has Maria grown over the years? 
• [11:59] What is Danny's background with citrus?
• [19:39] What citrus varieties does Danny recommend for beginners?
• [21:20] Other citrus varieties Via Citrus are growing
• [24:13] What conditions do citrus plants need to thrive indoors?
• [28:01] Grow light specifications for citrus (a crash course)
• [31:28] Why you should have a proper watering schedule
• [34:09] Soil care and drainage hole for your citrus
• [35:52] How often should you fertilize citrus?
• [37:11] How to prepare your citrus in the winter
• [38:37] When is the best time to prune your citrus plants?
• [41:40] How to increase humidity for citrus in the winter
• [42:53] What are some common citrus troubleshooting tips?
• [44:08] Can you grow citrus from seeds?
• [45:28] What is grafting?
• [49:53] How to ensure that your plant's buds develop into fruit
• [51:52] What exciting new sustainable pot line is Danny creating?
• [55:06] Where can you find Danny on social media? (use code ‘GROWINGJOY' for 10% discount!)

• Growing Joy Ep 206 The History Of Italian Gardens And Italian Citrus With Helena Attlee
• Growing Joy Ep 203 How To Bring Your Plants Indoors For The Winter
• YouTube video Limey’s Grand Adventure // Flying My Lime Tree To Florida
• Helena Attlee’s book, The Land Where Lemons Grow: The Story of Italy and Its Citrus Fruit
• We The Wild
• Soltech Aspect Lights Collection
• Espoma Organic Citrus Tone
• Espoma Organic Citrus Food

Check out the full show notes and blog here!

Follow Danny:

Website
Instagram
Repots
Facebook
Email

Follow Maria and Growing Joy:

Order my book: Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness (and Plants) by Maria Failla, Illustrated by Samantha Leung

Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Party Community Platform & App AKA the plantiest and kindest corner of the internet! Get your FREE 2-week trial here!

Take the Plant Parent Personality Quiz (Get the perfect plants, projects and educational resources for YOUR Lifestyle)

Support Bloom and Grow Radio by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon!

Instagram: @growingjoywithmaria

Tiktok: @growingjoywithmaria

Subscribe to the Growing Joy Youtube channel! /growingjoywithmaria

Website: www.growingjoywithmaria.com

Pinterest: @growingjoywithmaria

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Have you fallen down the greenhouse rabbit hole yet, plant friends? If you've had plants for more than a year, you're probably like me, who's started Googling "how to put a greenhouse in my backyard" already. And I learned that a greenhouse isn't a big plant shelf but a structure, and it's probably the largest single purchase you'll make as a plant parent. I'm in Zone 10b in Florida and I still haven't built mine. So I asked Leslie Halleck, a favorite podcast guest, a long-time friend, and someone who has a master's in greenhouse production and a new book called Home Greenhouse Revival, what to figure out first. And I think she also holds the guest record for most appearances on the show! Let's dive in!

• [02:06] Meet Leslie Halleck
• [02:33] Moving her whole life and business from Texas to Oregon
• [03:29] Why the Pacific Northwest is a ‘horticultural mecca’ for gardeners
• [04:42] Lelie’s new 6-acre property (what she calls folia forest farm)
• [06:49] What does her "pocket farming" look like?
• [09:03] Why are greenhouses trending?
• [12:51] What is the biggest greenhouse mistake?
• [14:13] Why cooling a greenhouse is so much harder than heating one
• [15:29] Manukora Honey
• [17:47] Hoop house vs. glass house
• [18:47] What are the elements that make up a greenhouse?
• [21:21] Greenhouse framing materials and glazing!
• [22:43] Is there a beginner-friendly greenhouse?
• [25:04] What Leslie thinks about thrifted/DIY vintage window greenhouses
• [27:41] How to pick the right greenhouse size?
• [29:48] Greenhouses as the expensive part of a cheap hobby
• [30:33] Using multiple greenhouses to zone temperature and humidity
• [32:47] What about a half-empty greenhouse?
• [33:26] What is AOI (angle of incidence)? How roof pitch and sun angle affect how much light gets in
• [35:49] Inside the plant profiles (PPFD, DLI, photoperiod, fertilizer PPM, and VPD)
• [39:21] How does pest management in a greenhouse work?
• [43:33] Leslie's dream greenhouse for her new property (and why she's leaning Venlo)
• [48:23] How greenhouse pricing and options have changed and where to find good manufacturers
• [50:26] Why you want someone local who knows your climate and orientation
• [51:29] Starting small without setting yourself up to fail (and reviving a greenhouse that already flopped)
• [54:10] Where to find Leslie, the book, her gardener's round tables, and her UCLA courses!

• By Leslie Halleck:
  • Home Greenhouse Revival
  • Plant Parenting
  • Gardening Under Lights
• The Gardener's Roundtable
• Episodes:
  • 331: What is Forest Bathing: Exploring Forest Therapy with ANFT
  • 250: The Business of Horticulture with Leslie Halleck
  • 222: Humidity and Houseplants with Leslie Halleck
  • 208: DIY Houseplant First Aid Kit with Leslie Halleck
  • 204: How to Identify Houseplant Disease with Leslie Halleck
  • 173: Seed Starting Basics with Joe Lamp'l
• Prime Video: Clarkson's Farm

check out the full show notes and blog here!

Follow Leslie:

Website
Shop
Facebook
X
Pinterest
YouTube
Instagram

Go to manukora.com/bloom to get up to 31% off the starter kit that includes their 850+ Manukora honey jar, 5 honey travel sticks, a wooden spoon, and a guidebook, PLUS $25 worth of free gifts! 

Follow Maria and Growing Joy:

Order my book: Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness (and Plants) by Maria Failla, Illustrated by Samantha Leung

Take the Plant Parent Personality Quiz (Get the perfect plants, projects and educational resources for YOUR Lifestyle)

Support Growing Joy with Maria by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon!

Instagram: @growingjoywithmaria

Tiktok: @growingjoywithmaria

Subscribe to the Growing Joy YouTube channel! /growingjoywithmaria

Website: www.growingjoywithmaria.com

Pinterest: @growingjoywithmaria

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How can we use flowers to further connect with nature and with the world? My mom once photocopied an entire flower dictionary for me from the thick pages of The Language of Flowers. I loved that she did it, but then I never really used it because it was too dense and there were a lot of meanings nobody says out loud anymore. But then I’ve thought deeply about it. I've grown dahlias my whole life. I have four hibiscus in my front lawn now. What if those choices were saying something? So I sat down with Mary Kelava, a former florist and author of A Bouquet of Words, to finally learn the language of flowers as a gardener. Come learn with me!

• [01:27] Meet Mary Kelava!
• [02:12] How she became a florist and a flower language expert
• [03:41] Two types of flower books you’re bound to read!
• [06:08] My mom’s photocopied dictionary part of ‘The Language of Flowers’
• [07:41] Where does the language of flowers come from?
• [10:21] How did the Victorian era understand the language of flowers?
• [11:38] What the flowers you're drawn to might be telling you
• [12:46] Why color, personal memory, and fragrance matter as much as the meaning
• [15:03] Espoma Organic
• [16:54] Leslie Halleck's new book, Home Greenhouse Revival
• [18:30] Kate Middleton's wedding bouquet, Queen Elizabeth's funeral flowers, and a Lego hibiscus
• [20:16] Do flower colors carry meanings of their own, or is it just color psychology?
• [21:46] What zinnias mean, and how to handle flowers bred in every color
• [22:58] What the research for her book ‘A Bouquet of Words’ looked like
• [23:57] Do flower meanings hold up across cultures?
• [25:35] How to start learning the language of flowers easily
• [27:02] How to build a themed garden with meaning using easy-to-grow flowers
• [28:29] Planning a flower memorial garden for a pet
• [31:01] How to write notes that go with the bouquet
• [32:29] Bringing this to the florist (or to the $6.99 Trader Joe's flowers)
• [34:46] Bouquet recipes for housewarmings, Christmas, and new babies
• [36:26] What are some birth month and zodiac flowers?
• [37:02] Get well flowers, and giving hydrangea to someone who's persevered
• [37:50] Why Mary assigns a signature flower to her closest friends
• [38:34] What flowers to give someone in grief?
• [40:49] Where to find Mary and A Bouquet of Words!

• A Bouquet of Words by Mary Kelava
• Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
• Episode 339: How to Grow Sweet Peas, The World's Most Nostalgic Flower with Marryn Mathis

check out the full show notes and blog for Mary's recommendations!

Follow Mary:

Website
Instagram
Blogs

Visit espoma.com to find your local Espoma dealer or check my Amazon storefront.

Home Greenhouse Revival is available for pre-order now at quarto.com and launches in September. Pre-order your copy wherever books are sold or through your local bookstore.

Follow Maria and Growing Joy:

Order my book: Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness (and Plants)by Maria Failla, Illustrated by Samantha Leung

Take the Plant Parent Personality Quiz (Get the perfect plants, projects and educational resources for YOUR Lifestyle)

Support Growing Joy with Maria by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon!

Instagram: @growingjoywithmaria

Tiktok: @growingjoywithmaria

Subscribe to the Growing Joy YouTube channel! /growingjoywithmaria

Website: www.growingjoywithmaria.com

Pinterest: @growingjoywithmaria

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What if the fewer the plants, the bigger the impact? Right now my house is a construction zone, and my plants are on their own. I have an eight-week-old baby, a '70s house we gutted mid-pregnancy, and a carpeted garage. So yes, a few plants have died. But something else is happening too! My taste is changing. I'm letting go of a lot of little plants, and I want one big beautiful plant for my bathroom instead. In fact, my friend Samantha Hermann of @houseplusplant and I are both in a transitional season of life. She’s moving into a house she designed around her plants... and cutting her collection from 300 to about 100. Here's what she taught me. Let's dive in!

• [01:42] Grab a mini course for whatever your plants need right now with the Growing Joy Academy!
• [02:57] Welcome back, Samantha of @houseplusplant
• [04:05] How much did her plants influence her home design aesthetic?
• [06:07] Instagram vs. reality: where do plant people actually keep their plants?
• [07:36] Cutting her collection from 300 plants down to 100 (intentional vs. collector)
• [10:11] Why she's only keeping big statement plants now
• [12:03] The guilt of letting a plant go
• [15:23] Manukora Honey
• [19:22] What is she most excited about in the new house?
• [22:20] Renovating a 1970s house while I’m pregnant!
• [24:33] Collecting pieces with a story instead of getting them off Amazon
• [25:29] What are some plant styling rules for a calm home?
• [28:21] Treating a statement plant as art!
• [30:19] What makes a plant grouping actually work?
• [32:33] Does the rule of threes work for plants?
• [33:54] Why there's always a hoya in her groupings
• [36:49] Blooming houseplants that don't get enough credit!
• [37:49] The custom window shelves she's sad to take down
• [40:00] How to build grow lights into your house (outlets, dimmers, timers, and hiding cords)
• [42:16] Why spreading plants throughout your home makes you enjoy them more
• [45:20] What makes her book House + Plant different and QR codes to her DIYs
• [47:28] Pre-orders, the October 6th release, and where to find Samantha!

• Growing Joy Academy
• House Plus Plant Equals Home by Samantha Hermann
• Beautiful Views Shelves
• Soltech Highland™ LED Track Light System (Use Bloom15 for 15% off)
• SANSI LED Grow Lights Collection for Indoor Plants
• Episode 235: How to Care for a Lot of Plants (AKA Have a Large Plant Collection) with Samantha of @houseplusplant

check out the full show notes and blog here!

Follow Samantha:

Website
Instagram
YouTube
TikTok
Facebook

Go to manukora.com/bloom to get up to 31% off the starter kit that includes their 850+ Manukora honey jar, 5 honey travel sticks, a wooden spoon, and a guidebook, PLUS $25 worth of free gifts!

Follow Maria and Growing Joy:

Order my book: Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness (and Plants)by Maria Failla, Illustrated by Samantha Leung

Take the Plant Parent Personality Quiz (Get the perfect plants, projects and educational resources for YOUR Lifestyle)

Support Growing Joy with Maria by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon!

Instagram: @growingjoywithmaria

Tiktok: @growingjoywithmaria

Subscribe to the Growing Joy YouTube channel! /growingjoywithmaria

Website: www.growingjoywithmaria.com

Pinterest: @growingjoywithmaria

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

When I got engaged, I figured choosing wedding flowers would be the easy part. I'm a plant person, right? Wrong. Wedding florals are an entire world of their own, and I was lucky to have a florist who walked me through all of it and built the floral landscape of my dreams.

That florist is Corina of The Botaniste, and in this Best of Growing Joy episode, she's sharing the wedding flower crash course I wish I'd had from day one.

We get into how to choose blooms that actually hold up and don't wilt (spoiler: several of my first picks were a hard no), why conditioning matters more than expensive stems, how to work with seasonal availability instead of fighting it, and how to lean on greenery to stretch your budget. Corina also covers the trends she's seeing, how to talk to a florist even if you don't know a single flower name, and how to repurpose arrangements so they outlast the ceremony.

And if a wedding isn't in your future, don't skip this one because it all applies to backyard bouquets and dinner party tables too!

• [02:22] Introducing Corina
• [04:16] What to expect of the last episode of My Botanically Inspired Wedding Series
• [09:29] Corina shares her experiences planning wedding florals with couples
• [10:33] Why Pinterest is every bride’s best friend AND worst enemy
• [11:52] How Corina became a plant lady and how she started The Botaniste
• [17:29] Corina’s biggest influences in floral styling
• [18:18] What are current and upcoming trends for wedding flowers?
• [19:46] What elements are there in a tablescape?
• [22:28] Is there a difference between wedding flowers and event flowers?
• [26:14] Maria shares her decision-making process with her wedding florals
• [28:02] How flowers elevate any event
• [29:26] How to preserve your wedding flowers
• [31:00] What are the best and the worst flowers to have at your wedding?
• [34:01] Which flower is an alternative to peonies?
• [35:54] New rose varieties to try in your wedding flowers
• [39:27] How to condition cut flowers
• [41:23] How to keep cut hydrangeas from wilting
• [42:58] Where to get the best organic indoor and outdoor gardening products
• [44:12] Planning to grow from seeds this coming garden season?
• [48:15] How to work with florists and where to start with your wedding flower planning
• [52:33] Building a trusting relationship with your wedding florist
• [55:08] Corina’s advice for couples planning to DIY their wedding
• [58:51] Maria’s garland and greenery vision
• [01:00:40] How to style a wedding with greenery
• [01:03:38] Incorporating bud vases in your wedding
• [01:07:55] Adding statement greenery to your wedding venue and reception
• [01:12:49] What you should know about greenery
• [01:14:38] Corina’s ultimate tip for wedding planners and contractors
• [01:15:15] Corina’s current favorite flowers and combinations
• [01:17:00] What Maria loved about blushing bride protea
• [01:18:08] Where you can hire Corina as your florist
• [01:20:25] Maria’s Wedding Series reflections

• Check out Corina's video on how to arrange a big bridal bouquet!
• Lush Magnolia Flower Preservation artist
• DIY Wedding Copper Arbor blog
• BAGR Episode: 3 Plant Inspired DIY Wedding Ideas that Live on After the Big Day
• BAGR Episode: 26 Ways to Incorporate Plants Into Your Wedding
• BAGR Blog: 26 Ways to Incorporate Plants Into Your Wedding

Check out the full show notes and blog for the blooms that actually hold up on your wedding day!

Follow Corina:

Website

Instagram

Facebook

Yelp

Follow Maria and Growing Joy:

Order my book: Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness (and Plants)by Maria Failla, Illustrated by Samantha Leung

Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Party Community Platform & App AKA the plantiest and kindest corner of the internet! Get your FREE 2-week trial here!

Take the Plant Parent Personality Quiz (Get the perfect plants, projects and educational resources for YOUR Lifestyle)

Support Bloom and Grow Radio by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon!

Instagram: @growingjoywithmaria

Tiktok: @growingjoywithmaria

Subscribe to the Growing Joy Youtube channel! /growingjoywithmaria

Website: www.growingjoywithmaria.com

Pinterest: @growingjoywithmaria

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Is it possible to tell time with your garden? Apparently, birds and plants can tell us what time of day it is! When we recorded this episode, I was in my third trimester, so sometimes I would be up at 2 AM whether I liked it or not. Which was how I found out that the birds in my Florida backyard start up around 4! For a while, I'd check my phone to see how close we were to sunrise. Now I learned to listen. That's the idea behind The Fullness of Time by Cathy Haynes. It's a book I read about how to tell time without a clock, instead using birdsong, blooms, shadows, and stars. It touched the gardener in my soul, and I knew I needed to have Cathy on the podcast to talk about all of the different ways our ancestors kept time in their gardens and in nature. Come learn with me!

• [02:07] Meet Cathy Haynes!
• [03:12] What is The Fullness of Time book about?
• [04:05] The evening primrose in her London backyard that started all of this!
• [05:55] How does gardening change your sense of time?
• [07:17] How did ordinary people tell time before clocks?
• [09:26] Cock crow, midnight spirits, and what each part of the day means!
• [11:42] Reading a clock vs. actually sensing time
• [12:20] What is the ornithological clock (how to tell time through birds)?
• [15:24] Espoma Organic
• [17:00] Learning to pick out the individual singers in the dawn chorus
• [17:36] Merlin app to learn birdsong
• [18:38] What third-trimester insomnia taught me about the 4 AM birds
• [21:53] What is this Linnaeus’s flower clock?
• [23:55] Did the Bern Botanical Garden get a living flower clock to work?
• [26:30] Daisies, chicory, and the timekeeping plants hiding in pavement cracks
• [28:40] Which time-telling plants can you add to your own garden?
• [30:59] Why mature sunflowers stop following the sun and just face east
• [33:26] How did our ancestors use shadows to tell time?
• [35:21] Ancient scratch sundials on churches and Icelandic hills!
• [37:37] Light pollution and how to adapt to the sun in a city
• [39:32] Can you tell the time by the stars?
• [41:42] What are some simple ways to get started with your time garden?
• [44:52] Where to find Cathy and The Fullness of Time!

• The Fullness of Time: Marking the Day by Birdsong, Blooms, Shadows, and Stars by Cathy Haynes
• Merlin Bird ID
• Collins Bird Guide App
• A Botanical Timekeeper - The Flower Clock
• Growing Joy Episode 186: The History of Houseplants with Jane Perrone

check out the full show notes and blog here!

Follow Cathy:

Website
Instagram

Visit espoma.com to find your local Espoma dealer or check my Amazon storefront.

Follow Maria and Growing Joy:

Order my book: Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness (and Plants)by Maria Failla, Illustrated by Samantha Leung

Take the Plant Parent Personality Quiz (Get the perfect plants, projects and educational resources for YOUR Lifestyle)

Support Growing Joy with Maria by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon!

Instagram: @growingjoywithmaria

Tiktok: @growingjoywithmaria

Subscribe to the Growing Joy YouTube channel! /growingjoywithmaria

Website: www.growingjoywithmaria.com

Pinterest: @growingjoywithmaria

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We're going back to basics today on how to propagate pothos, plant friends! It's one of the simplest things you can do as a plant parent. And pothos is probably the easiest plant to propagate, which is exactly why it's where you should start. I just want you to do it right the first time because one success is what turns this into a lifelong habit. So I brought propagation expert Lindsay Sisti back on the podcast to walk through pothos propagation from the very beginning. Join us as we talk beginner-friendly propagation tips, how to root pothos cuttings in water, light and watering, and why making that first cut actually helps your plant grow. Let's prop!

• [02:51] Meet Lindsay Sisti and her challenge for you!
• [04:24] Why pothos is the best plant to learn propagation on
• [06:00] Why your pothos cutting speeds up your other props
• [07:02] Plant anatomy 101: What do you need to know before you cut?
• [09:11] Why you should leave the leaves on your cuttings
• [10:19] Internodes vs. nodes (aka plant knuckles)
• [13:31] Node cuttings vs. tip cuttings, and what "sterilized shears" really means
• [15:30] Manukora Honey
• [17:16] Espoma Organic
• [19:54] What is a petiole and why will a single pothos leaf never root?
• [21:22] Leaf removal and water setup!
• [23:12] Why cutting back a balding pothos makes it bushier (apical dominance explained)
• [26:57] Do pothos cuttings need to callus first?
• [27:55] What rooting hormone actually does, and the tradeoff of changing your water
• [30:36] The different methods of propagating different types of vining plants like pothos
• [31:44] Sphagnum, fluval stratum, and perlite (why water still wins for pothos)
• [35:02] Can you root bare nodes with no leaves? Plus prop box basics
• [37:40] Does cinnamon work as a rooting hormone?
• [38:56] Why the thrift store is the best place to find propagation vessels
• [40:15] Root length sweet spot!
• [41:25] Potting up: indoor mix, extra perlite, and starting small
• [47:03] Why light matters while rooting
• [48:19] Propagation walls and test tube shelves
• [51:30] Thrifted candelabras, champagne racks, and DIY propagation stations
• [53:27] Where to find Lindsay, her book, and all of her propagation resources!

• Growing Joy 129: How to Root Bare Nodes or "Wet Sticks"
• Growing Joy 350: Propagation Tips For Plant Parents That Actually Work: Prop Boxes, Ikea Grow Cabinets and How to Avoid Mold Damage
• Growing Joy 309: How to Propagate an Alocasia Corm
• Growing Joy 289: How to Propagate Plants in Fluval Stratum
• The Ultimate Guide to Houseplant Propagation by Lindsay Sisti
• Clonex Rooting Gel

check out the full show notes and blog here!

Follow Lindsay:

Website
Instagram
YouTube
TikTok

Go to manukora.com/bloom to get up to 31% off the starter kit that includes their 850+ Manukora honey jar, 5 honey travel sticks, a wooden spoon, and a guidebook, PLUS $25 worth of free gifts!

Visit espoma.com to find your local Espoma dealer or check my Amazon storefront. 

Follow Maria and Growing Joy:

Order my book: Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness (and Plants)by Maria Failla, Illustrated by Samantha Leung

Take the Plant Parent Personality Quiz (Get the perfect plants, projects and educational resources for YOUR Lifestyle)

Support Growing Joy with Maria by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon!

Instagram: @growingjoywithmaria

Tiktok: @growingjoywithmaria

Subscribe to the Growing Joy YouTube channel! /growingjoywithmaria

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When it comes to killing plants, it's not a matter of if... it's a matter of when.

And killing a plant doesn't mean you're bad at plants. It just means you're a plant parent. But so many of us carry real shame around plant death. One loss, and we decide we're a plant killer and quit for good.

In this Best of Growing Joy series episode, I'm bringing back my conversation with Cassidy from Succulents and Sunshine about the guilt that comes with plant death, especially with succulents. They get sold as easy care plants. They're not.

We get into why even plant experts lose plants, how to know when to treat versus when to toss, and why your plant number shifts with the seasons of your life.

• [00:00] Does being a plant parent mean you’re also a plant killer?
• [05:24] Who is Cassidy and how she became the plant parent she is today
• [06:00] What is Succulents and Sunshine about?
• [10:55] Cassidy's take on how plant parents handle plant death
• [12:45] Trying to keep an echeveria succulent alive
• [14:36] When to toss vs. treat your plants [it's simple!]
• [16:24] The importance of a plant care routine
• [18:34] Why it’s important to know your plant number
• [19:27] Emotional attachment to our plants [feat. Maria's lime tree story]
• [22:20] Maria's experience with generational plant gifts
• [25:45] What Cassidy learned from every plant failure
• [25:52] Tip #1 Be more attentive to your plants
• [26:18] Tip #2 Different plants require different care
• [27:41] Tip #3 Don't be too hard on yourself; plants die in the wild too
• [28:43] Where to get plant seeds that are guaranteed to last longer
• [30:40] Get quality grow lights that will last and look stunning next to your plants
• [32:31] Why most of the plants we have aren’t designed to live in our homes.
• [34:39] Why Haworthia is most suitable as your indoor succulent
• [36:37] Should you try to grow the same plant again or let it go completely?
• [41:20] What are some ways to reduce your plant collection?
• [44:13] Learning to let go of dying plants
• [48:32] The mental cost of holding onto something that no longer serves you
• [51:23] What are the two options when you kill a plant?

• Snappy pots
• Smart Passive Income
• Hygrometer
• Lomi composter

Check out the full show notes and blog for a gentler way to think about losing your heirloom plants!

Follow Cassidy:

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Instagram

Facebook

YouTube

Follow Maria and Growing Joy:

Order my book: Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness (and Plants)by Maria Failla, Illustrated by Samantha Leung

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Take the Plant Parent Personality Quiz (Get the perfect plants, projects and educational resources for YOUR Lifestyle)

Support Bloom and Grow Radio by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon!

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We often talk about garden-to-table, but what about garden-to-glass? AKA how to grow plants for garden inspired cocktails, and all the ways to turn a harvest into something delicious, regardless if you drink alcohol or not. I spent a full year not drinking, first through fertility treatments and then through pregnancy. And I learned that the mocktail section of most menus is a trap. Everything is so sweet that you finish it in about 90 seconds. And then I met Belinda and Venise at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show. They're sisters, they're plant ladies, and they run a garden-to-glass syrup company called Simple Goodness Sisters. They also wrote the book called Drink Your Garden. In this episode, they share different ways you can enjoy your garden harvest in easy yet delicious cocktail and mocktail recipes. Let's dive in!

• [02:46] Meet Belinda and Venise of Simple Goodness Sisters!
• [03:26] How did their syrup business begin?
• [06:29] Venise's homesteading story
• [10:49] What the farm grows for the business vs. for their families
• [13:52] What counts as a cocktail garden?
• [15:29] Home Greenhouse Revival by Leslie Halleck
• [17:07] How to use edible flowers
• [18:18] Which edible flowers are easiest to grow?
• [21:33] What actually belongs in a cocktail garden
• [22:41] Why purple sage and mojito mint taste better in drinks
• [23:49] Rows vs. interplanting, reusable mulch
• [27:05] Building a bar cart from your garden
• [29:32] Why they wrote the book they couldn't find
• [30:34] What is a syrup and how do you make one?
• [32:06] Their favorite syrups
• [36:09] What is a shrub and how do you drink it?
• [38:57] Beet shrub showstopper
• [40:05] How to make a blue mocktail for a baby shower
• [40:48] Tinctures vs. bitters
• [42:42] How an infused spirit becomes a liqueur
• [44:59] Buzz button gin, cherry bourbon, and Midnight at the movies
• [49:03] Travel syrups hack!
• [52:06] Cordials, and balancing sweet, sour, bitter, and spirit
• [53:00] What to gift a gin-obsessed dad, and why you might just dislike tonic
• [55:00] How to make your own compound gin at home
• [56:38] Garnishing like a container garden (thriller, filler, spiller, and powdered rims)
• [58:30] Braided chives, pickled garnishes, and drinks you can snack on
• [1:00:10] Where to find Belinda, Venise, the book, and the Farm Club subscription box!
• [1:02:47] The herbal lemonade and blue spritz I served at my baby shower

• Join the Cocktail Farm Club - Simple Goodness Sisters
• Drink Your Garden: Recipes, Stories and Tips from the Simple Goodness Cocktail Farm by Belinda Kelly and Venise Cunningham
• USDA Organic Blue Spirulina Powder
• Organic Apple Cider Vinegar | Bragg
• Herb Garden Syrup (Lemon Herb)

check out the full show notes and blog here!

Follow Simple Goodness Sisters:

Website
Instagram
YouTube
Recipes

Home Greenhouse Revival is available for pre-order now at quarto.com and launches in September. Pre-order your copy wherever books are sold or through your local bookstore.

Follow Maria and Growing Joy:

Order my book: Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness (and Plants)by Maria Failla, Illustrated by Samantha Leung

Take the Plant Parent Personality Quiz (Get the perfect plants, projects and educational resources for YOUR Lifestyle)

Support Growing Joy with Maria by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon!

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If you're looking for a large, tree-like plant, a pop of color, or a cool, structural statement piece for your home, might I suggest the rubber plant? Ficus elastica is one of the most underrated houseplants out there, and today we're giving it the hype it deserves!

In this Best of Growing Joy series, I pulled my conversation with Raffaele of Ohio Tropics, a fellow rubber plant lover, where we talk about everything you need to know about rubber plant care: how to help your rubber plant truly grow, how to stop it from dropping its leaves, and how to keep those glossy leaves from crisping up.

Because whether it's a simple green rubber tree or a stunning variegated variety like my beloved Ficus Belize on my green wall, those huge, glossy leaves make such a statement in your home. Listen in to learn simple rubber plant care tips, plus the most common mistakes plant parents make (and exactly how to avoid them), so you can grow your very own iconic indoor tree.

• [00:43] Maria’s plant and personal updates
• [02:12] Introducing Raffaele from Ohio Tropics
• [03:14] Your invitation to a free 10-day virtual garden festival!
• [03:58] What to expect from this rubber plant episode
• [06:40] How Raffael became the plant parent he is today
• [10:06] What is a rubber plant?
• [11:26] Do rubber trees produce latex?
• [12:53] Where can you find rubber plants in nature?
• [14:33] What are the different types and varieties of rubber plants?
• [18:54] How to water rubber plants
• [21:27] Raffaele’s watering tip using a turkey baster
• [23:21] How much sunlight does a rubber plant need?
• [27:35] Are rubber plants low-light plants?
• [28:35] What kind of soil mix is good for rubber plants?
• [30:52] Where to get pre-grown plants and seeds for your spring garden
• [32:09] The best indoor and outdoor gardening products
• [34:49] How to fertilize rubber plants
• [37:11] Rubber Plant FAQ #1: Why is my rubber plant not growing?
• [39:03] Rubber Plant FAQ #2: How do I get my rubber plant to branch and be bushier instead of taller?
• [39:51] What is the air layering propagation method?
• [44:15] Rubber Plant FAQ #3: Why are my new leaves smaller than the older ones?
• [45:32] Rubber Plant FAQ #4: Why are my rubber plant leaves dropping?
• [48:20] Why overwatering can cause issues to your plant (in ways you might not expect)
• [49:12] Rubber Plant FAQ #5: My plant looks healthy, but the branches are all over the place; why is this happening?
• [50:26] Rubber Plant FAQ #6: What are the tiny white spots on my rubber plant?
• [51:26] Rubber Plant FAQ#7: Why are the edges of my variegated rubber plant browning?
• [54:09] Rubber Plant FAQ #8: My rubber plant has aerial roots, but do they grow better in slightly cooler conditions?
• [55:18] Raffaele’s recommendations of the best rubber plant varieties for beginners
• [57:35] What Raffaele’s book Houseplant Warrior is about!
• [59:41] Where to connect with Raffaele
• [01:01:52] Upgrade your plant education with these two events!

• Houseplant Warrior: 7 Keys to Unlocking the Mysteries of Houseplant Care, book by Raffaele Di Lallo
• The Great Grow Along Virtual Garden Festival

Check out the full show notes and blog to start growing your own statement rubber plant!

Follow Raffaele:

Blog

Instagram

YouTube

Book

Follow Maria and Growing Joy:

Order my book: Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness (and Plants)by Maria Failla, Illustrated by Samantha Leung

Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Party Community Platform & App AKA the plantiest and kindest corner of the internet! Get your FREE 2-week trial here!

Take the Plant Parent Personality Quiz (Get the perfect plants, projects and educational resources for YOUR Lifestyle)

Support Bloom and Grow Radio by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon!

Instagram: @growingjoywithmaria

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Subscribe to the Growing Joy Youtube channel! /growingjoywithmaria

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Propagation is your best friend as a plant parent. It's a free way to make more of the plants you already have, and watching new roots grow is so much fun! But there's more to it than sticking a pothos in a glass of water, not to mention that if you get the humidity wrong, you’ll get mold. So I invited over my go-to propagation nerd, Lindsay Sisti, to guide us through the different ways you can propagate successfully. She’s a propagation expert, plant breeder, and author of The Ultimate Guide to Houseplant Propagation. She’s been in the podcast before, and we've both survived mold cleanup in our own homes. Listen in!

• [02:22] Welcome back, Lindsay, my propagation nerd and friend of the pod!
• [04:28] What tropical houseplants are found in the rainforest?
• [06:00] Why your heating/AC sucks the humidity out of your home
• [10:00] Why growing houseplants indoors in Florida is hard!
• [10:56] When does humidity become a big aspect of plant keeping? (common plants vs. the divas)
• [14:51] Experience the richness of single-origin honey with 3x more antioxidants with Manukora!
• [16:36] Why filling your house with humidifiers isn't realistic
• [17:45] Lindsay's black mold nightmare in her 100-year-old home!
• [21:20] How humidity travels through your HVAC and grows mold where you'd never expect
• [23:29] Humidity hacks that fail (sorry!)
• [25:09] Why misting is mostly pointless and when it causes problems
• [28:31] IKEA grow cabinets 101: the MILSBO, Rust-Oleum, and building your glass box
• [33:40] Choosing grow lights: Barrina, Monios, and T8 vs. T5
• [35:53] Why you need fans and airflow (transpiration and guttation explained)
• [40:18] What prop boxes are and why they root plants better than a glass of water
• [43:21] Building a prop box (containers, sphagnum moss, and the "wrung-out sponge" rule)
• [46:30] Lindsay's layered setup!
• [49:44] Do you really need to "burp" your prop box?
• [52:31] How to rebuild Raffi the Rhaphidophora from node cuttings
• [58:16] Should you let cuttings callus first? Variegated vs. non-variegated
• [1:01:16] Mold vs. algae, and the diluted hydrogen peroxide fix
• [1:03:18] Final steps: lid on, into the window, and when to transplant
• [1:06:56] Can you crowd the nodes?
• [1:08:11] Why are prop boxes low stakes?
• [1:09:43] Where to find Lindsay and her propagation book!
• [1:11:21] Update: how Raffi's prop box actually turned out

• The Ultimate Guide to Houseplant Propagation by Lindsay Sisti
• IKEA MILSBO
• Barrina Grow Light
• Monios-L Grow Lights
• LECHUZA-PON

check out the full show notes and blog here!

Follow Lindsay:

Website
Instagram
YouTube
TikTok

Go to manukora.com/bloom to get up to 31% off the starter kit that includes their 850+ Manukora honey jar, 5 honey travel sticks, a wooden spoon, and a guidebook, PLUS $25 worth of free gifts!

Visit zen.ai to start your first vibecast for free.

Follow Maria and Growing Joy:

Order my book: Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness (and Plants)by Maria Failla, Illustrated by Samantha Leung

Take the Plant Parent Personality Quiz (Get the perfect plants, projects and educational resources for YOUR Lifestyle)

Support Growing Joy with Maria by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon!

Instagram: @growingjoywithmaria

Tiktok: @growingjoywithmaria

Subscribe to the Growing Joy YouTube channel! /growingjoywithmaria

Website: www.growingjoywithmaria.com

Pinterest: @growingjoywithmaria

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Have you ever thought about growing your own luffa? Someone sent me a packet of luffa seeds about four years ago. I think I won them in a giveaway, and they just... sat there. I never planted it because something about luffa felt kinda different. It's not your classic garden edible, and I couldn't picture how it worked. So I invited Janice Cox over to talk about growing luffa! Janice is a garden and natural beauty expert, and she's written a whole workbook on this plant. Now I can't stop thinking about growing luffa, harvesting it, and figuring out what to make with it. Turns out it's way simpler than I built it up to be in my head. Learn with me!

• [01:47] Meet Janice Cox, the luffa queen!
• [02:34] What is luffa, and why does it have so many surprising uses?
• [04:10] How Janice backed into gardening through natural beauty writing
• [05:57] Why clean beauty pushed her toward aloe vera and label-reading in the US
• [10:12] How luffa went from ancient Egypt to WWII oil filters
• [12:18] Turning a luffa harvest into soap, crafts, and pet toys
• [15:29] Feed your midsummer garden with Espoma Organic!
• [17:47] What does luffa need to grow? (full sun, pollinators, and a trellis)
• [19:54] Male vs. female flowers and hand-pollinating your luffa
• [22:06] What the luffa growth stages look like and how to know when to harvest
• [25:24] Water and light requirements for luffa
• [26:44] How do you process your luffa? (peeling, saving seeds, and cleaning for gifts)
• [29:09] Direct sowing vs. starting luffa seeds indoors
• [30:58] How to slice, flatten, and sew with dried luffa
• [33:59] What are the different luffa varieties?
• [35:52] What are the most common mistakes first-time luffa growers make?
• [38:30] Why luffa makes a great gift and a full-circle, sustainable plant
• [40:15] Luffa seed tips: nicking, soaking, and testing for viability
• [42:06] Where to find Janice, her books, and her guides

• Growing Joy 310: Digital Detox: What 3 Days in Nature Taught Me (and How You Can Recreate It at Home)
• Growing Joy 319: How to Preserve Food From Your Garden with Staci and Jeremy Hill
• Janice Cox’s books:
  • Natural Beauty At Home Handbook
  • Beautiful Luffa
  • Beautiful Roses
  • Beautiful Lavender
  • Beautiful Flowers

check out Janice's guide in the full show notes and blog!

Follow Janice:

Website
Instagram
Blog
Books

Visit espoma.com to find your local Espoma dealer or check my Amazon storefront.

Visit zen.ai to start your first vibecast for free.

Follow Maria and Growing Joy:

Order my book: Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness (and Plants)by Maria Failla, Illustrated by Samantha Leung

Take the Plant Parent Personality Quiz (Get the perfect plants, projects and educational resources for YOUR Lifestyle)

Support Growing Joy with Maria by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon!

Instagram: @growingjoywithmaria

Tiktok: @growingjoywithmaria

Subscribe to the Growing Joy YouTube channel! /growingjoywithmaria

Website: www.growingjoywithmaria.com

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Philodendron might just be the most underrated genus in the houseplant world, and plant friends, it's completely beginner-friendly! This isn't a plant you bring home from the garden center only to watch it shrivel, brown, and die within a week. It gives you trailing vines, climbing drama, bold pops of color, and incredible leaf shapes. It's one of my all-time favorites, and it's the star of today's episode of our Best of Growing Joy series.

We're breaking down everything you need to know about philodendron care, aka this iconic houseplant genus that's been beloved for decades and never goes out of style. Today's episode covers philodendron light requirements, philodendron watering tips, and the best philodendron varieties to add to your indoor plant collection.

You'll also learn how philodendron grow in the wild and discover which variety might just become your next plant obsession.

• [03:50] Philodendron high-level overview
• [09:38] Care #1: Light
• [13:43] Care #2: Water
• [15:38] Care #3: Soil
• [16:05] Care #4: Humidity
• [17:08] Care #5: Fertilizer
• [17:39] Troubleshooting philodendron issues
• [19:10] Thank you Proven Winners leafjoy™ for sponsoring this episode!
• [21:01] Heartleaf Philodendron (Philodendron hederaceum)
• [22:21] Philodendron ‘Brasil'
• [22:37] Philodendron ‘Lemon Lime' (as seen on my podcast art!)
• [24:13] Prismacolor™ Brandtianum
• [25:16] Philodendron atabapoense
• [26:05] Philodendron ‘Silver Sword' (Philodendron hastatum)
• [27:11] Prismacolor™ Philodendron Fozzie™
• [28:38] Philodendron ‘White Wizard' (Philodendron erubescens)
• [30:18] ‘Prince of Orange' Philodendron
• [32:08] Prismacolor™ Sun Red Philodendron
• [32:33] Philodendron ‘Pink Princess'

• Prismacolor™ Sun Red – Philodendron hybrid
• Prismacolor™ Atabapoense – Philodendron hybrid
• Prismacolor™ Brandtianum – Philodendron hybrid
• Prismacolor™ Florida Green – Climbing Philodendron
• Prismacolor™ Fozzie – Fuzzy Petiole Philodendron
• Prismacolor™ Gloriosum – Creeping Philodendron
• Prismacolor™ Hastatum – Silver Sword Philodendron
• Prismacolor™ Pink Princess – Philodendron hybrid
• Prismacolor™ Rojo Congo – Philodendron hybrid
• Prismacolor™ Sun Red – Philodendron hybrid
• Prismacolor™ White Wizard – Philodendron hybrid
• Prismacolor™ Lemon Lime – Philodendron hybrid

Check out the full show notes and blog for all my favorite philodendron varieties!

Follow Maria and Growing Joy:

Order my book: Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness (and Plants)by Maria Failla, Illustrated by Samantha Leung

Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Party Community Platform & App AKA the plantiest and kindest corner of the internet! Get your FREE 2-week trial here!

Take the Plant Parent Personality Quiz (Get the perfect plants, projects and educational resources for YOUR Lifestyle)

Support Bloom and Grow Radio by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon!

Instagram: @growingjoywithmaria

Tiktok: @growingjoywithmaria

Subscribe to the Growing Joy Youtube channel! /growingjoywithmaria

Website: www.growingjoywithmaria.com

Pinterest: @growingjoywithmaria

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What if your backyard could feed you for decades with way less work than a tomato patch? You can achieve this with fruit trees! I met arborist Allen Taylor at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show earlier this year. He's the founder of Conservation Tree Care, and he shares how to grow fruit trees in your own backyard with confidence and patience. I'm a homeowner now, and I am so excited to finally have fruit trees of my own!

• [01:52] Meet Allen Taylor, founder of Conservation Treecare!
• [02:17] What is forestry, and how did Allen get into it via a college course?
• [03:22] How arboriculture differs from forestry (individual trees vs. whole ecosystems)
• [04:45] The Overstory and tree climbers who work up in the canopy
• [09:37] How his passion for large trees relates to small fruit trees
• [10:51] Seattle's century-old orchard trees!
• [12:32] What are the two starting points for fruit trees? (assessing a bare site vs. inheriting mature trees already there)
• [14:07] Why you also have to think about harvest volume you can handle
• [15:02] Check out The Essential Guide to Ecological Gardening by the American Horticultural Society!
• [16:17] Set your fruit trees up right from planting with Espoma Organic!
• [18:21] Why it's okay to treat a fruit tree as a low-maintenance shade tree (that happens to fruit)
• [19:38] What makes something an "orchard" vs. just having a tree?
• [22:30] Why fruit exists (spreading seeds) and how domestication changed fruit itself
• [24:10] Fruit tree timeline! What age of wood trees fruit on?
• [26:55] Which fruit trees are most popular by region, and why local zone/climate matters so much?
• [29:19] Why local extension services and nurseries beat big box stores for picking trees
• [31:41] What does the yearly care for fruit trees look like (pruning, planting, harvest windows)?
• [34:17] Planting and transplant shock!
• [35:52] Fruit trees planting basics: hole size, soil, mulch, watering to establishment
• [39:03] Sun and site selection (full sun, flat ground, and thinking about ladder access)
• [42:38] Why you should prune fruit trees compared to other edibles
• [43:58] Why does dormant pruning work with the tree's stress response?
• [46:14] Should you remove blossoms in year one, or just leave the tree alone and wait?
• [47:33] Pruning vs. training explained
• [48:59] Pruning intensity tips
• [52:10] What are the top beginner mistakes you commit with trees?
• [57:10] The 3 types of pruning cuts (removal, reduction, heading) and how the tree responds to each
• [59:06] Why fruit trees are a great gateway into caring about trees generally
• [59:51] Allen's favorite fruit tree and the joy of sharing homegrown harvests with neighbors!
• [1:01:33] Where to find Allen, Conservation Treecare, and his work at the Amazon Spheres

• Robert Jan Van Pelt’s Books
• The Overstory by Richard Powers

check out the full show notes and blog here!

Follow Allen:

Website
Instagram

Grab the Essential Guide to Ecological Gardening at quarto.com and wherever books are sold.

Visit espoma.com to find your local Espoma dealer or check my Amazon storefront.

Visit zen.ai to start your first vibecast for free.

Follow Maria and Growing Joy:

Order my book: Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness (and Plants)by Maria Failla, Illustrated by Samantha Leung

Take the Plant Parent Personality Quiz (Get the perfect plants, projects and educational resources for YOUR Lifestyle)

Support Growing Joy with Maria by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon!

Instagram: @growingjoywithmaria

Tiktok: @growingjoywithmaria

Subscribe to the Growing Joy YouTube channel! /growingjoywithmaria

Website: www.growingjoywithmaria.com

Pinterest: @growingjoywithmaria

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Did you know plants for your home office can do more than just look nice? Office or work from home, they can boost your focus, spark creativity, lift your mood, and cut your stress. It's been proven over and over.

So today, for the Best of Growing Joy series, I'm digging into the archives and refreshing an old solo episode from the middle of the pandemic. Fair warning, you'll hear me talk about work from home a lot, since that's all we were doing back then. Our community got really creative with their setups too.

This one's all about biophilic design, something I keep coming back to this year since I'm renovating my own home through that lens. We'll get into easy ways to turn your desk into a plant-filled workspace that actually helps your productivity and your mental health.

Think about it, work is a huge chunk of our life. Nine to five, five days a week. So why not spend it surrounded by plants? That's what this episode is about: making your workday more joyful, more relaxing, and more productive. I hope it helps.

• [02:07] Why Bloom and Grow Radio is doing an episode on #plantywfh spaces
• [04:39] Check out Maria’s Planty WFH space tour
• [05:03] What to expect from this episode on work from home setups and biophilic design
• [06:50] The AMAZING and unbelievable benefits of engaging with plants and biophilic design, according to 14 Patterns of Biophilic Design
• [07:27] What is biophilia, the idea behind it, and the important figures behind this wonderful hypothesis
• [09:24] The psychological role of plants in our creativity
• [10:09] How being around nature and scenery affects patient recovery, as studied by Dr. Ulrich in 1972 to 1981
• [11:13] A review of direct versus involuntary attention based on studies by Stephen R. Kellert and Rachel Kaplan
• [13:41] Biophilic Pattern #1: Visual Connection with Nature
• [13:54] Planty WFH Tip #1: Put your desk near a window
• [14:15] Planty WFH Tip #2: Put plants within the eyeline of your desk
• [14:33] Planty WFH Tip #3: Have a green wall in your office
• [14:56] Planty WFH Tip #4: If you can’t have real plants, pictures of plants will do!
• [15:09] Biophilic Pattern #2: Non-Visual Connection with Nature
• [15:26] Planty WFH Tip #5: Play nature sounds like the one-square inch forest silence in the Olympic National Park, bird songs, or waves
• [16:36] Planty WFH Tip #6: Have different plant scents nearby, or you can use a diffuser like Maria!)
• [16:53] Biophilic Pattern #3: Non-Rhythmic Sensory Stimuli
• [17:09] Planty WFH Tip #7: Set up bird feeders or pollinator-attracting plants, or take care of rare-blooming plants for a nice surprise
• [17:39] Biophilic Pattern #4: Thermal and Air Flow Variability
• [17:59] Biophilic Pattern #5: Presence of Water
• [18:07] Planty WFH Tip #8: It’s your humidifier’s time to shine! Maybe a tiny fancy plug-in fountain?
• [18:40] Biophilic Pattern #6: Dynamic and Diffuse Light
• [18:52] Planty WFH Tip #9: Install a grow light with a timer, and have a more sustainable work hours setup!
• [19:12] Planty WFH Tip #10: Reduce your blue light intake and light candles after a long day of work
• [19:33] Biophilic Pattern #7: Connection with Natural Systems
• [19:47] Biophilic Pattern #8: Biomorphic Forms and Patterns
• [19:56] Did you know there are interesting and precise angles in nature?
• [20:35] Biophilic Pattern #9: Material Connection with Nature
• [21:07] Planty WFH Tip #11: Add accents in your home office like wood grains, fossil textures, and bamboo rattans
• [21:30] Planty WFH Tip #12: Try a natural color palette of greens and browns
• [21:50] How Maria and Billy managed their storage during their move
• [24:52] Biophilic Pattern #10: Prospect
• [25:04] Why it’s important to change the focus of your eyes every once in a while
• [25:18] Biophilic Pattern #11: Refuge
• [25:19] Why Maria recommends a planty screen-free space
• [26:10] Biophilic Patterns #12: Mystery and #13: Risk and Peril
• [26:20] The biggest rule of thumb of biophilic designs for Maria
• [27:06] If you can’t have real plants, download the Bloom and Grow Radio’s free and gorgeous watercolor of prickly pear cactus in various states of bloom!
• [28:03] Planty WFH Tip #13: Envelop your space in plants (if you can!)
• [28:32] Maria’s planty WFH tips and ideas based on her own WFH setup
• [30:04] The best plants for low-light home offices
• [31:13] Are you blessed with a high-light office situation? Maria recommends these plants that love abundant light
• [31:36] Planty WFH Tip #14: Install grow lights to incorporate more plants
• [32:44] Planty WFH Tip #15: Tiny space? Go vertical!
• [34:21] Maria’s biggest takeaways from 14 Patterns of Biophilic Design and her top advice on #plantyWFH setups
• [36:26] Finding joy and awe in your #plantyWFH as a small break from your work day

• Get the free download with 9 Tips for Greening Up Your Work From Home Office Space
• Check out Maria's #plantywfh office tour on youtube!
• BAGR YouTube video Houseplant Tour: My Restorative Plant Corner // Why Plant Care Truly is Self Care
• BAGR Episode How To Use Plants To Create Restorative Environments With Anne Meore From NYBG
• 14 Patterns of Biophilic Design by William Browning, Catherine Ryan, and Joseph Clancy
• Hoh Rainforest Audio
• Biophilia by Edward O. Wilson
• Frederick Law Olmsted
• View Through a Window May Influence Recovery from Surgery by Roger Ulrich
• Stephen R. Kellert
• Attention Restoration Theory: Exploring the Role of Soft Fascination and Mental Bandwidth by Rachel Kaplan
• What Was That Like Podcast by Scott Johnson

Check out the full show notes and blog for my plant-filled home office setup!

Follow Maria and Growing Joy:

Order my book: Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness (and Plants)by Maria Failla, Illustrated by Samantha Leung

Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Party Community Platform & App AKA the plantiest and kindest corner of the internet! Get your FREE 2-week trial here!

Take the Plant Parent Personality Quiz (Get the perfect plants, projects and educational resources for YOUR Lifestyle)

Support Bloom and Grow Radio by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon!

Instagram: @growingjoywithmaria

Tiktok: @growingjoywithmaria

Subscribe to the Growing Joy Youtube channel! /growingjoywithmaria

Website: www.growingjoywithmaria.com

Pinterest: @growingjoywithmaria

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What if the most relaxing time for you in your garden isn't during the day, but after dark? In those cool summer nights when garden chores aren't practical because you can't see very well, we have a unique opportunity to ease burnout, support mental health, and deepen your connection to plants and nature. So I'm joined by a friend, Perla Sofia Curbelo-Santiago, a repeat guest and the author of Verdura, to talk about her new take on garden breaks after dark. And we discuss how to create simple, mindful rituals that help plant parents unwind, reset, and find joy in the garden in the evening, in even just 10 minutes. Let's get started!

• [01:39] Catching up with Perla Sofia Curbelo-Santiago and the Northwest Flower and Garden Show!
• [03:43] What Perla has been up to since publishing her book, Verdura
• [05:13] How do garden breaks improve employee well-being?
• [09:15] Perla’s personal wake-up call with burnout and
• [10:22] Why we need to stop feeling guilty about taking breaks
• [14:05] Why shifting your garden break to the evening is an overlooked opportunity
• [14:58] Experience single-origin honey with 3x more antioxidants with Manukora!
• [16:43] How experiencing complete darkness after Hurricane Maria inspired Perla’s night sky gardening
• [18:36] How our artificial outdoor lighting negatively affects pollinators and migrating birds
• [19:01] Why it’s actually easier to relax in your garden at night than during the day
• [21:12] Simple ways to light your outdoor spaces without disturbing local wildlife
• [25:14] How to safely plan your paths and prepare for your first garden break after dark
• [28:48] What should you actually do during a 5 to 15-minute nighttime garden break?
• [33:25] How to take a meaningful nature break when winter weather keeps you indoors
• [36:43] How one client uses her garden's evening soundscape to decompress after a long workday
• [41:21] Where to find Perla, AgroChic, and her resources online!

• Growing Joy Episode 225: Indoor Plant Projects for Stress Relief with Perla Sofía Curbelo-Santiago
• ¡Verdura! – Living a Garden Life: 30 Projects to Nurture Your Passion for Plants and Find Your Bliss by Perla Curbelo-Santiago

check out the full show notes and blog here!

Follow Perla:

Website – Spanish
Website – English
Instagram
Facebook
Twitter/X

Go to manukora.com/bloom to get up to 31% off the starter kit that includes their 850+ Manukora honey jar, 5 honey travel sticks, a wooden spoon, and a guidebook, PLUS $25 worth of free gifts!

Visit zen.ai to start your first vibecast for free.

Follow Maria and Growing Joy:

Order my book: Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness (and Plants)by Maria Failla, Illustrated by Samantha Leung

Take the Plant Parent Personality Quiz (Get the perfect plants, projects and educational resources for YOUR Lifestyle)

Support Growing Joy with Maria by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon!

Instagram: @growingjoywithmaria

Tiktok: @growingjoywithmaria

Subscribe to the Growing Joy YouTube channel! /growingjoywithmaria

Website: www.growingjoywithmaria.com

Pinterest: @growingjoywithmaria

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What if herbs go beyond the small, contained, and kitchen-window plants we use them for? Herbs could do so, so much more! In this episode, I sit down with Sue Goetz, a garden designer, author, and herb obsessive, to explore the many different ways we can use our favorite herbs in our garden landscape. She has a five-foot rosemary hedge in her backyard and uses chamomile between her stepping stones. She also grows lavender, sage, and catmint as full-on landscape plants that feed her, scent her garden, attract pollinators, and keep deer out. So not only do herbs have flavor, fragrance, and medicinal properties, they’re also low-maintenance once established. Let's dive in!

• [01:38] Meet garden designer and author Sue Goetz!
• [02:09] How Sue developed a passion for plants
• [05:07] Why herbs are the most "generous" plants
• [06:28] Why scent is the most underutilized sense in our gardens
• [08:57] How to start treating herbs as large landscape shrubs, trees, and hedges
• [10:45] Which herbs are best for replacing large plants/hedges?
• [12:23] How to get large creeping and upright rosemary hedges
• [15:09] Invest in quality soil and compost to build your garden’s foundation with Espoma Organic!
• [16:33] What are some deer-resistant herbs that we can use as protectors?
• [19:02] Which smaller herbs work best for edging borders and invisible fences
• [20:24] Is Alyssum an herb?
• [20:48] Landscape herb sun needs and chamomile ground cover
• [24:37] How chives double as a sturdy pollinator magnet and an easy DIY gift
• [26:25] How can we use herbs as landscape plants to attract more pollinators?
• [29:04] Why you might be killing your lavender and how it actually wants to be treated
• [32:10] How to pair landscape herbs together (and which aggressive spreaders belong in pots)
• [34:34] Why you should grow what you love and then try one "crazy" experiment
• [38:55] How to use colored basil for landscape pop and cut flower arrangements
• [41:21] Simple ratio for mixing your own herbal bath salts from the garden
• [44:26] Where to find Sue, her blog, and her themed container herb gardening book!

• Complete Container Herb Gardening by Sue Goetz
• Crescent Garden Self-Watering Elevated Planter

check out the full show notes and blog here!

Follow Sue:

Website
The Herb Lover's Garden
Instagram
Facebook

Visit espoma.com to find your local Espoma dealer or check my Amazon storefront.

Visit zen.ai to start your first vibecast for free.

Follow Maria and Growing Joy:

Order my book: Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness (and Plants)by Maria Failla, Illustrated by Samantha Leung

Take the Plant Parent Personality Quiz (Get the perfect plants, projects and educational resources for YOUR Lifestyle)

Support Growing Joy with Maria by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon!

Instagram: @growingjoywithmaria

Tiktok: @growingjoywithmaria

Subscribe to the Growing Joy YouTube channel! /growingjoywithmaria

Website: www.growingjoywithmaria.com

Pinterest: @growingjoywithmaria

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ferns are some of the most gorgeous houseplants you can grow... and one of the oldest plants on the planet. They're basically living dinosaurs. But if you've ever watched a maidenhair fern grow in a sidewalk crack, only to crumble the second you bring it indoors, you know exactly why ferns have a reputation for being impossible to keep alive.

Most people aren't failing at ferns. They're just growing the wrong fern for their home.

In this episode, I'm bringing back one of my favorite interviews from the archives with my friend Lisa from The Houseplant Guru. Lisa is a lifelong plant expert who has successfully grown ferns for years, even in a Midwest home that's about as far from a tropical rainforest as you can get.

We're talking about how to keep your ferns healthy, how to actually get them to grow, why you keep finding crispy fronds all over your floor, and how to choose the right fern for your lifestyle and your home conditions. Spoiler: it's almost never going to be the maidenhair fern... unless you're growing it under glass.

• [02:03] Meet houseplant expert Lisa!
• [03:27] Lisa’s 60-year-old heirloom Boston fern and why ferns get a bad rap
• [06:05] Where do ferns grow naturally?
• [08:53] Is there something about ferns' root systems that makes them more finicky?
• [10:51] How to choose the right window and light placement for ferns
• [12:28] How to fertilize ferns without burning their roots?
• [14:40] How to water ferns correctly?
• [20:53] How to safely treat pests and scale on sensitive leaves
• [23:55] What are spores, stolons, and how do ferns actually reproduce?
• [29:05] Maidenhair ferns
• [29:56] What are the best ferns for your home?
• [30:54] What does Lisa recommend with brown fronds?
• [34:20] Unique collector ferns to add to your collection!
• [38:20] How to care for staghorn ferns
• [41:36] How to properly water a bird’s nest fern without rotting the center
• [44:23] Tips for raising tree ferns and baby mother ferns using closed glass terrariums
• [46:53] Where to find Lisa, her resources, and her books!

• Growing Joy Episode 84: African Violets 101 with Lisa from Houseplant Guru
• Growing Joy Episode 261: The Best Low Light Plants for Dim Spaces
• Grow in the Dark: How to Choose and Care for Low-Light Houseplants by Lisa
• Creative Houseplant Projects (Former Houseplant Party) by Lisa
• How to Care for An Heirloom Fern Over 40 Years Old (Blog)
• The Austral Gem Fern is THE Fern for the Fern Challenged (Blog)
• The Antlers on My Walls (Blog)
• Do You Use Lemon Juice to Clean Your Plant Leaves? I Do! (Blog)
• Systemic Houseplant Insect Control
• Espoma Organic Indoor!
• Jack's Classic 20-20-20 All Purpose Water-Soluble Fertilizer

Check out the full show notes and blog for Lisa's easy-care fern guide!

Follow Lisa:

Website

Books

Instagram

Facebook

Follow Maria and Growing Joy:

Order my book: Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness (and Plants)by Maria Failla, Illustrated by Samantha Leung

Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Party Community Platform & App AKA the plantiest and kindest corner of the internet! Get your FREE 2-week trial here!

Take the Plant Parent Personality Quiz (Get the perfect plants, projects and educational resources for YOUR Lifestyle)

Support Bloom and Grow Radio by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon!

Instagram: @growingjoywithmaria

Tiktok: @growingjoywithmaria

Subscribe to the Growing Joy Youtube channel! /growingjoywithmaria

Website: www.growingjoywithmaria.com

Pinterest: @growingjoywithmaria

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What if we don't design or control our gardens, but instead collaborate with them? I moved from the lush woods of Zone 5B to a front yard full of sand in Zone 10B Florida and felt like I had no control over my garden design. It was frustrating! So I sat down with Evan Meyer of Bloedel Reserve, a 140-acre garden and wild lands complex on Bainbridge Island just outside of Seattle, to help me feel more grounded in my new garden. Evan has spent his career working across the states studying restoration ecology, native plants, and conservation horticulture. We talked about co-designing with nature, as he believes we should move away from the "God complex" of traditional garden design and let Mother Nature be our co-designer. Listen in!

• [01:57] Meet Evan Meyer, Executive Director of Bloedel Reserve!
• [05:15] What Evan learned about ecological horticulture across different climates
• [10:15] Why individual home gardens have a larger ecological footprint than public parks
• [12:19] How the plant supply chain keeps most landscapes generic
• [15:43] Experience single-origin honey with 3x more antioxidants with Manukora!
• [17:28] Prep your kitchen for garden harvest season with Caraway Cookware!
• [18:53] Why are more gardeners actively seeking out native plants?
• [21:45] How to co-design your home garden with nature
• [22:06] If a tree falls, leave it!
• [24:42] Why you should read your local ecology
• [25:46] Let’s reframe garden "problems" as opportunities
• [29:10] More examples from Bloedel that home gardeners can actually steal
• [30:06] How does Bloedel's moss gardener curate rather than plant?
• [31:44] Retrain your eyes to find dormant plants and deadwood beautiful!
• [34:35] Practical steps for learning your local wild ecology
• [37:58] How an ecologically minded front yard builds neighborhood community
• [39:07] The rise of whimsy in garden design and why we're craving that feeling right now
• [40:13] What to expect when you visit Bloedel Reserve!

• iNaturalist
• Understanding Natural Light
• What's Your Plant Parent Personality?

Check out the full show notes and blog here for Evan's advice!

Follow Evan & Bloedel Reserve:
Evan's LinkedIn
Website
Facebook
Instagram

Go to manukora.com/bloom to get up to 31% off the starter kit that includes their 850+ Manukora honey jar, 5 honey travel sticks, a wooden spoon, and a guidebook, PLUS $25 worth of free gifts!

Visit carawayhome.com and use promo code BLOOM at checkout for an additional 10% off your order.

Follow Maria and Growing Joy:

Order my book: Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness (and Plants)by Maria Failla, Illustrated by Samantha Leung

Take the Plant Parent Personality Quiz (Get the perfect plants, projects and educational resources for YOUR Lifestyle)

Support Growing Joy with Maria by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon!

Instagram: @growingjoywithmaria

Tiktok: @growingjoywithmaria

Subscribe to the Growing Joy YouTube channel! /growingjoywithmaria

Website: www.growingjoywithmaria.com

Pinterest: @growingjoywithmaria

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We’ve likely all had some run-in with a carnivorous plant. I brought one of those little Venus flytraps home from the hardware store, even though I had no idea how to care for it. Maybe you have marveled at the wide array of these plants at your local botanical garden. Or maybe you just know the man-eating Audrey II from Little Shop of Horrors! However you found them, you have probably figured out that these plants are in a league of their own. Proper carnivorous plant care is incredibly specific. They are a whole subsect of plants, and they might just get you if you do not care for them correctly. So I invited Damon from California Carnivores to help. He is a carnivorous plant expert (learned from Peter D'Amato) and is going to teach us everything we need to know to grow them indoors! Let's jump in!

• [02:35] Damon’s history with carnivorous plants
• [07:28] What are carnivorous plants? What makes up a carnivorous plant?
• [13:25] Where to find carnivorous plants in the wild
• [16:33] Why conservation of carnivorous plants is a must
• [19:01] How long have carnivorous plants been around?
• [20:09] Damon shares what he thinks of Little Shop of Horrors musical
• [22:07] General care rules for growing carnivorous plants indoors
• [23:00] The right kind of water for carnivorous plants (and how to identify them in a store!)
• [25:23] How the “tray method” replicates a bog environment at home
• [27:39] The best carnivorous plants to grow indoors (Venus flytrap, pitcher plants, butterworts)
• [31:06] What is the best growing media for carnivorous plants?
• [33:43] Why you shouldn’t use terracotta pots for your carnivorous plants
• [35:00] What’s the ideal sunlight for carnivorous plants (+ grow lights!)
• [37:04] Should you fertilize carnivorous plants?
• [39:31] How to feed your Venus flytrap and Cape sundews
• [41:54] Fertilizing your pitcher plants!
• [44:14 How much humidity do carnivorous plants need?
• [45:22] How to make your Venus flytrap go dormant
• [46:39] Can you fertilize your carnivorous plants even if they’re catching bugs?
• [47:15] Can you overwater sundews and butterworts?
• [48:11] Taking care of your Mexican butterworts
• [49:36] Damon’s recommended beginner carnivorous plants
• [51:03] Should you still buy Venus flytraps even when they’re not sustainably sourced?
• [53:46] Where to find Damon, his book ‘The Savage Garden,’ and nursery resources!

• The Savage Garden
• Wetlands Reclamation Act
• Osmocote
• Maxsea All-Purpose Nutrient Fertilizer
• California Carnivores YouTube video: Winter Dormancy for Temperate Plants in Cold Climates

check out the full show notes and blog here!

Follow Damon:
Website
Instagram
YouTube
TikTok

Follow Maria and Growing Joy:

Order my book: Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness (and Plants)by Maria Failla, Illustrated by Samantha Leung

Take the Plant Parent Personality Quiz (Get the perfect plants, projects and educational resources for YOUR Lifestyle)

Support Growing Joy with Maria by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon!

Instagram: @growingjoywithmaria

Tiktok: @growingjoywithmaria

Subscribe to the Growing Joy YouTube channel! /growingjoywithmaria

Website: www.growingjoywithmaria.com

Pinterest: @growingjoywithmaria

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

If you are just starting out as a plant parent, there comes a moment when you realize your plant has outgrown its pot and you need to figure out how to repot it. And in learning how to repot plants, you might feel like you are doing it wrong, or you end up being way too careful and precious about the whole thing.

Repotting is actually a very simple process, and it can even become a really fun and meditative part of caring for your plants.

Today, I am bringing back a solo episode from the archives as part of the Best of Growing Joy series. This is your go-to beginner's guide on how to repot houseplants the right way. I will walk you through the most common repotting mistakes I see beginner plant parents make so you can avoid them and feel confident going into your next repotting session.

This episode is completely free, but if you want extra support with visuals, soil science tips, and a deeper dive into how to repot plants with confidence, I have a very affordable repotting course linked here. I hope this episode is helpful, quick, and gets you fully set up for success at your next repotting party!

• [02:30] Things I learned about repotting in the last couple of years
• [03:34] Some personal plant care routines
• [04:59] Do some spring cleaning!
• [06:28] Repotting vs potting up vs potting up water-rooted cuttings
• [09:04] Some rules to remember in potting up
• [10:43] Do the two-inch “bump up” rule when potting up
• [11:59] When should you pot up?
• [13:08] What is repotting and why is it important?
• [14:36] How do you repot a plant?
• [15:03] Get stylish, minimalist grow lights your plants will love with Soltech!
• [17:16] Give your plants the love they deserve with Espoma's organic, eco-friendly potting mixes!
• [19:08] Common mistake people make when repotting/potting up
• [19:30] How do you pot up water-rooted cuttings?
• [21:02] General steps for repotting/potting up/potting up water-rooted cuttings
• [27:31] The ​​best time to repot or pot up houseplants
• [29:05] Why you should not pot your houseplants in dirt from outside
• [32:00] Make sure that you saturate the soil!
• [32:35] Pay attention to the type of container or pot you are using
• [34:08] Use repotting as an opportunity for mindfulness
• [37:16] A letter to my pepper plant going into transplant shock

• Repot With Confidence Course
• How to Repot Plants // A Step By Step Guide
• Growing Joy Ep 182: Spring Houseplant Care
• Growing Joy Ep 192: How To Overcome Burnout Through The Healing Power Of Nature
• Growing Joy Ep 200: Common Houseplant Pest Identification And How To Get Rid Of Fungus Gnats, Spidermites, Scale, White Flies And Mealybugs: Grow Better
• Potting Soil Mix by Espoma Organic
• Cactus Potting Soil Mix by Espoma Organic
• African Violet Potting Soil Mix by Espoma Organic
• Orchid Mix – Coarse Bark Mix by Espoma Organic

Check out the full show notes and blog for everything you need to know about how to repot with confidence!

Follow Maria and Growing Joy:

Order my book: Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness (and Plants)by Maria Failla, Illustrated by Samantha Leung

Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Party Community Platform & App AKA the plantiest and kindest corner of the internet! Get your FREE 2-week trial here!

Take the Plant Parent Personality Quiz (Get the perfect plants, projects and educational resources for YOUR Lifestyle)

Support Bloom and Grow Radio by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon!

Instagram: @growingjoywithmaria

Tiktok: @growingjoywithmaria

Subscribe to the Growing Joy Youtube channel! /growingjoywithmaria

Website: www.growingjoywithmaria.com

Pinterest: @growingjoywithmaria

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Aren't flowers just the perfect little pockets of joy? I have been following Claudia from In the Garden with Claudia on Instagram for over a year now, and I live for her cut flower garden stories! I’ve been feeling a little humbled by my own garden setbacks in South Florida recently. So when I finally got her on the podcast, I thought we were going to do a straight-up how-to on growing flowers. And we did, kind of. But this conversation turned into what flowers can actually do for you! Claudia has turned her space into a garden with thousands of blooms that make me excited for my next garden season. I hope this helps you find your own smile as big as the one Claudia put on my face! Let's jump in!

• [03:40] Meet Claudia, the queen of backyard cut flower joy!
• [04:56] How she turned her backyard into a cut flower garden
• [07:31] She was a pre-dental student!? (a career pivot)
• [09:49] What her first couple of seasons gardening looked like
• [14:08] Why Claudia chose a production-style layout over traditional garden design
• [15:29] Fuel your garden mornings with the caramel-tasting bioactives in Manukora Honey!
• [17:15] Building her dream garden on a budget!
• [19:53] Claudia’s experience from disliking to growing dahlias
• [22:38] How to seed start indoors (Claudia grows 4000+ seeds!)
• [26:09] My biggest pain point right now
• [28:21] What is Claudia’s cut flower planting strategy for dahlias?
• [31:03] How she spaces and organizes her dahlia beds
• [32:08] Our favorite Espoma Organic products!
• [34:27] How and when to fertilize dahlias throughout the growing season
• [35:46] How to set up irrigation for cut flowers
• [36:38] Daily maintenance routines for better airflow and pest defense
• [38:28] Why you should deadhead your flowers for more blooms
• [39:50] How to manage and share excess flowers?
• [42:18] Selling her first massive bouquets at the office!
• [44:41] How to structure a flower CSA (Community Supported Agriculture)
• [48:03] What are Claudia’s joyful practices in her garden?
• [50:59] How the ‘In the Garden with Claudia’ YouTube channel started
• [54:52] Claudia’s dream of scaling up to a Washington flower farm
• [56:58] Where to find Claudia’s social media and upcoming resources!

• Growing Joy 258: Budget Friendly Ways to Elevate Your Garden with Robbie of Visit Our Garden
• Growing Joy 253: 5 Tips for Growing in Hot Climates with Janey of Dig Plant Water Repeat
• Flower Farming Workshop
• Espoma Organic Bio-tone Starter Plus
• Espoma Organic Land & Sea Gourmet Compost
• Espoma Organic Mushroom Compost Blend
• Espoma Organic Indoor!
• Alaska Morbloom Fertilizer
• Dan's Dahlias | Oakville WA

check out the full show notes and blog here!

Follow Claudia:
YouTube
Instagram
Facebook
TikTok

Go to manukora.com/bloom to get up to 31% off the starter kit that includes their 850+ Manukora honey jar, 5 honey travel sticks, a wooden spoon, and a guidebook, PLUS $25 worth of free gifts!

Follow Maria and Growing Joy:

Order my book: Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness (and Plants)by Maria Failla, Illustrated by Samantha Leung

Take the Plant Parent Personality Quiz (Get the perfect plants, projects and educational resources for YOUR Lifestyle)

Support Growing Joy with Maria by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon!

Instagram: @growingjoywithmaria

Tiktok: @growingjoywithmaria

Subscribe to the Growing Joy YouTube channel! /growingjoywithmaria

Website: www.growingjoywithmaria.com

Pinterest: @growingjoywithmaria

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

If you're looking for your garden to be a little more curated, calm, and cohesive (put together in a way that just feels right) what if you've been looking for advice in the wrong places? What if you shouldn't be looking at a garden designer at all, but instead at an interior designer to give you garden design tips that help pull everything together?

I'm bringing this one back as part of the Best of Growing Joy series a conversation I had a couple of years ago with Kelly Wilkniss, an interior designer, avid gardener, and co-host of the Decorating Tips and Tricks podcast. Kelly uses her interior design principles in the garden, and I still use the concepts we talked about in my own garden and houseplant collection today.

We cover how these beginner-friendly garden design principles can completely change and improve your plants and your outdoor space, and you'll walk away with practical tips to create flow, balance, beauty, and calm in your garden.

• [04:50] How has Kelly’s gardening passion intersected with her interior design career?
• [07:16] What inspired Kelly to do an all-white garden
• [08:45] What is Kelly’s interior design style?
• [10:30] Kelly’s opinion on modernizing antiques
• [12:01] How did she transition from being a lawyer to an interior designer?
• [14:08] Where can you find stylish lights for upgrading indoor plant environments?
• [16:04] Where to find a personalized Mother's Day gift that includes handcrafted wind chimes
• [20:31] Tip #1 Take a photo of interior and exterior spaces (it promotes a cohesive design flow!)
• [21:56] Tip #2 Limit your color palette
• [25:18] Tip #3 Create a flow
• [33:49] A must-have book for outdoor living area design ideas with mix-and-match suggestions and before-and-after pictures
• [35:10] Tip #4 Plant in odd numbers
• [37:55] Tip #5 Layering!
• [40:44] Tip #6 Balance and scale
• [44:26] Tip #7 Visual noise
• [48:48] Tip #8 The touch of black
• [52:08] Tip #9 Not having an ugly storage
• [01:00:13] Where can you find Kelly on social media?

• Growing Joy Episode 145: Interior Design Trends and Houseplants With Betsy From Affordable Interior Design
• Wayfair sheds
• Growing Joy Episode 180: Minimalism and Plants With Stephanie of Sustainable Minimalist

Check out the full show notes and blog for Kelly's beginner-friendly garden design principles!

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Have you ever heard of the hügelkultur gardening method? I first heard the word ‘hügelkultur’ a couple of years ago while visiting The Lodge at Woodloch's organic farm. They had this beautiful setup where they grew the food that the spa guests would eat. And in the middle of it all was this raised bed that looked like it was mid-construction. It was a hügelkultur bed. Since then, I kept hearing that word, especially among organic growers! So for this episode, I sat down with Sarah Wagstaff of SUOT Farm (Small Units of Time). Sarah is a full-time flower farmer, and her entire farm is built on hügelkultur! Come learn with me!

• [03:09] Meet flower farmer Sarah Wagstaff from SUOT Farm!
• [03:45] How Sarah's childhood and family inspired her love for growing plants
• [05:55] Why Sarah decided to build her entire flower farm using hügelkultur
• [07:27] What is hügelkultur and where did it originate?
• [09:30] How long does it take for woody debris to break down before you can plant?
• [12:49] Can you plant into a new hügelkultur mound immediately?
• [14:53] Build a healthy soil foundation for your garden with Espoma Organic!
• [17:00] How to properly layer greens and browns to create compost in place
• [19:23] How to use the 180-degree topography of a mound to maximize growing space
• [21:43] How tall should you actually build a hügelkultur bed?
• [24:20] Till vs. no-till: Which protects soil decomposers for long-term soil fertility?
• [27:35] How spent mushroom blocks can add extra nutrients and mycorrhizae
• [28:53] Scaling hügelkultur down for small containers and porch gardening
• [29:41] Common mistakes when building your first hügelkultur bed
• [32:49] Adapting hügelkultur to your specific climate
• [33:43] Why Sarah doesn't use additional fertilizers on her hügelkultur beds
• [35:28] Why hügelkultur is a perfect solution for gardeners stuck with sandy/poor soil
• [37:31] How Sarah grows flowers year-round in Zone 7B
• [39:24] How to continually add scraps/compost while your hügelkultur beds are growing
• [41:41] How SUOT Farm has evolved over the last 10 years
• [44:10] Where to find Sarah, her CSA, and her hügelkultur PDF!

• SUOT's free downloadable PDF: Hugelkultur Planning Tool
• Growing Joy 246: What is Regenerative Gardening and Permaculture? with Stephanie Rose of Garden Therapy
• Growing Joy 178: The Mushroom Miniseries: Mushrooms 101 Plus the Answer to "What is the Mushroom Growing in My Houseplant!"

check out the full show notes and blog here!

Follow Sarah:
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Visit espoma.com to find your local Espoma dealer or check my Amazon storefront.

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Calathea is one of the most gorgeous and often most disappointing houseplants a new plant parent can bring home. If you've ever taken a beginner plant shopping, you already know: they walk straight to the calatheas. Can you blame them? These plants look like they were literally hand-painted by Mother Nature.

But calathea care is pretty tricky. The leaves curl. The edges go crispy and brown. The humidity demands feel impossible. Suddenly, your most beautiful plant becomes your most dramatic one.

That's why I brought Mark Hachadourian, Director of Glasshouse Horticulture at the New York Botanical Garden, to cover how to care for calatheas and prayer plants, troubleshoot the most common problems, and actually keep them alive.

• What Marc does for the NYBG
• What plants fall under the Marantaceae Family
• Prayer Plant, Calathea and Stromanthe- their differences and similarities
• Why do the leaves fold up and down as in “prayer”
• Why the bottoms of many Marantaceae are purple
• Why the tips brown and how we help avoid this
• Why humidity is so important for the Marantaceae family
• Marc answers a collection of listener questions

• New York Botanical Garden

Check out the full show notes and blog for Mark's expert Calathea troubleshooting guide!

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Order my book: Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness (and Plants)by Maria Failla, Illustrated by Samantha Leung

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Does this design decision bring me closer to nature? When I started renovating our new home a few months ago, I wasn’t going to make a single design choice without asking this question. This lens is called biophilic design, and I actually had an episode about it before! But to talk about it more, I’ve invited Oliver Heath, an architect, designer, and thought leader in biophilic design. Oliver is based in England, studied at the Bartlett School of Architecture, runs his own biophilic design consultancy, and has spent decades translating this science from large-scale commercial buildings into something the rest of us can actually use. He also wrote a book called Design a Healthy Home. Let's dive in!

• [02:46] How did Oliver discover biophilic design?
• [05:30] Is biophilic design taught in architecture school?
• [07:34] How Oliver’s consulting firm applies nature to large commercial spaces
• [10:05] Why happy people are more productive
• [11:47] How biophilic design is trickling down to residential housing and communities
• [13:52] What is the true definition of biophilic design?
• [15:10] Espoma Organic
• [17:31] The "always on" urban environments
• [19:09] How nature affects property values, crime rates, and education
• [24:41] The three key elements of biophilic design
• [27:04] The true foundation of designing a space
• [29:41] How to approach indoor airflow, fresh air, and scent
• [31:32] Moving beyond technical checklists to the sensory quality of a building
• [32:31] How to make your home more biophilic
• [34:31] Tips for managing artificial light and circadian rhythms at home
• [40:00] Picking colors based on positive nature experiences? (Ecological Valence Theory)
• [44:02] Incorporating ‘haptic invitations’ and natural materials into your spaces
• [45:34] How an autistic school in London used biophilic niches to create a safe sensory environment
• [48:22] How to safely incorporate the sound and feel of water indoors
• [51:55] Check out Oliver’s book ‘Design a Healthy Home’
• [53:45] Check out Oliver’s online course!
• [55:36] Oliver’s favorite biophilic features in his own home
• [57:08] Where to find Oliver, his book, and the Biophilic Design School!

• Design A Healthy Home by Oliver Heath
• Oliver Heath Design School
• The Hackney Garden School Project
• International WELL Building Institute
• Seattle Spheres
• Lumie® | Wake-Up Light Alarm Clocks for Better Sleep + Waking

check out the full show notes and blog here!

Follow Oliver:
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Visit espoma.com to find your local Espoma dealer or check my Amazon storefront.

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Order my book: Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness (and Plants)by Maria Failla, Illustrated by Samantha Leung

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What if your houseplants are doing so much more than just looking pretty on your windowsill? What if they’re actually communicating, sensing their environment, and responding in ways we’re only beginning to understand?

In this Best of Growing Joy replay, I sit down with Paco Calvo and Natalie Lawrence, co-authors of Planta Sapiens, to explore plant intelligence, plant behavior, and the big question: do plants have feelings and some form of plant consciousness?

We talk about how plants sense their surroundings, how they “decide” where to grow, and what our human-plant connection can teach us about slowing down and reconnecting with nature.

If you’ve ever wondered whether your plants notice you, or what’s really going on inside your favorite vining houseplants, this conversation will totally change how you see every plant in your home and garden!

• [06:32] Who is Professor Paco Palvo?
• [07:01] Why is MINT Lab in the philosophy department instead of the plant science department?
• [09:28] Who is Natalie Lawrence? 
• [10:00] The relationship between animals and plants: biophilia
• [13:34] What is anthropophilia?
• [16:26] What role do houseplants play in our relationship with nature?
• [18:04] How humans have shaped the phenotype, or characteristics, of plants through agriculture
• [20:09] What special message would you engrave on your wind chime?
• [22:40] The best way to sleep better and feel calmer naturally in no time!
• [25:58] Different types of intelligence displayed by plants
• [26:39] How do we see from a plant’s perspective?
• [27:27] Tip 1: Observe the plants’ behavior through time-lapse photography
• [27:45] Tip 2: Monitor the plants’ electrophysiological states
• [28:14] Tip 3: Observe the plant holistically through naked eyes (the most important!)
• [32:41] Melatonin synthesis in plants: what we can learn 
• [34:57] How vines (climbing plants) have evolved to locate host trees through senses like “sniffing”
• [36:59] Where to get the best quality and variety of seeds for ease of planting experience this year!
• [38:35] Sourcing a wide variety of high-quality soil, fertilizer, potty mix, and more!
• [40:24] What are some of the ways vines (climbing plants) can find their host trees?
• [42:04] Are plants smarter? (Hint: It’s not what you think!)
• [44:07] What are the limits of technology when it comes to understanding plant intelligence?
• [46:56] Do plants have feelings? 
• [50:24] Do plants understand music?
• [53:35] What is plant blindness?

• Planta Sapiens: The New Science of Plant Intelligence, book by Paco Calvo and Natalie Lawrence
• MINT Lab / Minimal Intelligence Lab
• How society makes monsters, TEDx talk by Natalie Lawrence
• BBC Wildlife – Natalie Lawrence 
• BBC Woman's Hour “The unicorn – a symbol of our times?” with Natalie Lawrence
• Natalie Lawrence on Aeon Magazine

Check out the full show notes and blog for a deeper look at plant intelligence and consciousness!

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Order my book: Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness (and Plants)by Maria Failla, Illustrated by Samantha Leung

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Do you have the guts to release beneficial insects in your home? I recently invited Jamie, the co-founder of DMV Beneficials, into my studio to do exactly that. We spent the afternoon performing a professional consultation on my green wall. We examined my alocasia, philodendron, hoya, and more under a microscope to see what was really going on. We found broad mites, spider mite eggs, and a possible infestation starting on my rabbit's foot fern. It was a little scary, but probably the best way to recreate nature right in our living rooms is to release these beneficial insects.

• [02:03] What to expect from this unique live-audio episode
• [07:04] Meet Jamie from DMV Beneficials and what her company offers!
• [08:46] What are beneficial insects?
• [09:53] How Jamie conducts a live pest diagnostic check
• [12:27] What kind of microscope should you use to look for pests?
• [14:05] Why we start diagnostics with plants like Alocasia and Philodendron
• [15:35] Manukora
• [17:20] How to identify eggs vs. dust
• [19:45] Is it normal to see pests on your plants?
• [22:12] Checking for thrips on a philodendron
• [24:24] Are beneficial bugs safe to use in a home with birds and pets?
• [24:49] Identifying broad mites and how they get inside your home
• [27:40] What to look for when checking Hoyas for flat mites
• [29:48] Checking my fern for pests
• [32:58] How to use keystone plants to assess your plant population health
• [33:26] How to release soil predators (Stratiolaelaps) to your pots
• [35:22] How to aesthetically place and hang beneficial insect sachets
• [39:02] Treating ferns and hoyas with the beneficial insects!
• [43:21] How to safely release lacewings to your plants
• [46:44] How to use a hex cell to treat 60 plants with one release
• [49:19] Where to find Jamie, DMV Beneficials, and local bug chapters!

• Growing Joy 272: Beneficial Insects For Effortless Houseplant Pest Management with Jamie of DMV Beneficials
• The Ultimate Guide to Houseplant Pests
• DMV Beneficials Shop
• Neem Oil
• Lacewing Larvae in Hexcell (400 Count)
• Cryptolaemus Larvae in Bottle (250 Count)
• Stratiolaelaps Mites in Bottle (12500/25000/125000)

check out the full show notes and blog here!

Follow DMV Beneficials:

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Go to manukora.com/bloom to get up to 31% off the starter kit that includes their 850+ Manukora honey jar, 5 honey travel sticks, a wooden spoon, and a guidebook, PLUS $25 worth of free gifts!

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Order my book: Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness (and Plants)by Maria Failla, Illustrated by Samantha Leung

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Support Growing Joy with Maria by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon!

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To me, a hedge of hydrangea is one of the most iconic things you can do for your garden. They're epic, gorgeous, and yes, they have a reputation for being a little high maintenance. But once you set them up for success, hydrangeas can be one of the easiest flowering shrubs to grow.

In this Best of Growing Joy replay, I'm sitting down with Ryan McEnaney aka @ryanplantsplants a fifth-generation member of Bailey Nurseries and the face behind the best-selling Endless Summer Hydrangeas collection. Ryan breaks down everything from the 4 main hydrangea varieties and the number one pruning mistake killing your blooms, to soil pH secrets for changing your flower color, fertilizing tips, and how reblooming varieties can flower every month.

If you already have a hydrangea in your garden, it's going to be so much happier this year. And if you don't have one yet? You just might be inspired to bring one home!

• [06:13] What has Ryan’s plant parent journey looked like?
• [09:54] What are the 4 main species of hydrangea?
• [13:42] Understanding bloom cycles for pruning
• [16:56] Say goodbye to balcony watering stress this summer with self-watering planters!
• [17:23] Learn how to create the perfect cutting garden for bouquets with The Cut Flower Handbook
• [18:25] What is the blooming cycle of hydrangeas?
• [20:09] When should you prune hydrangeas?
• [22:40] How does soil affect the color of Hydrangea macrophylla blooms?
• [28:58] What should you know about planting hydrangeas in the ground?
• [30:12] What’s the general light guideline?
• [30:42] Common mistakes people make with planting hydrangea
• [31:23] Get everything you need, from containers to raised beds, with Gardener's Supply Company
• [32:40] Check your hydrangeas’ soil acidity with Espoma Organics
• [34:30] Why is it important to choose hydrangeas with flower buds?
• [42:42] How to extend the length of hydrangea blooms
• [48:26] Where can you find Ryan on social media?
• [48:43] Where can you get Ryan’s book ‘Field Guide to Outside Style’?

• Northwest Flower and Garden Show
• Bailey Nurseries
• First Editions
• Youtube: 210 How to Grow Citrus Indoors
• Pop Star® Reblooming Hydrangea
• Endless Summer Hydrangeas
• Espoma Organic Soil Acidifier
• Espoma Organic Garden Lime
• Espoma Organic Holly-tone Organic Fertilizer
• Espoma Organic Rose-tone Organic Fertilizer
• ‘Limelight' – Panicle Hydrangea – Hydrangea paniculata
• Vanilla Strawberry™ Panicle Hydrangea

Check out the full show notes and blog for everything you need to know about hydrangea care, pruning, and soil!

Follow Ryan

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Order my book: Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness (and Plants)by Maria Failla, Illustrated by Samantha Leung

Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Party Community Platform & App AKA the plantiest and kindest corner of the internet! Get your FREE 2-week trial here!

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Don't sweet peas have the most amazing floral scent? I remember them as a scent before I ever knew them as a flower, like the Bath & Body Works body spray that no other brands can seem to replicate. Then I realized I had never actually done an episode on these before, so there’s no better time than to invite my dear plant friend, Marryn Mathis, the Sweet Pea Queen, to share her story! Marryn quit a 21-year IT career, moved her family onto raw land in a 28-foot travel trailer, and built The Farmhouse Flower Farm from the ground up. She's now growing 40,000 sweet pea seedlings a season, breeding her own varieties, and just wrote a book on the subject! Let's get growing!

• [02:49] Meet Marryn Mathis, the Sweet Pea Queen!
• [06:51] Growing flowers at scale without formal training
• [08:12] Growing cut flowers for florists vs. harvesting seeds for sale
• [09:14] What’s her process of breeding and naming a new Sweet Pea variety?
• [10:52] Why Sweet Pea deserves more popularity!
• [13:38] What’s the history behind Sweet Pea? (Hint: It started in Sicily!)
• [15:37] Lisa Ziegler’s Cut Flower Handbook
• [16:55] Espoma Organic
• [18:47] How sweet peas migrated from garden fixtures into the cut flower industry
• [19:38] What is the sweet pea fragrance scale and how do you differentiate them?
• [21:31] Spencer sweet peas vs. other varieties
• [22:37] How to grow sweet peas in hot climates and warmer zones (like Florida and Texas)
• [24:31] Starting sweet peas from seed vs. buying garden center seedlings
• [24:45] How to start sweet peas from seed
• [26:25] The #1 mistake people make when growing sweet peas
• [27:06] The 55-degree germination temperature for sweet pea seeds
• [29:51] When to transplant indoor-started sweet peas
• [31:27] How sunlight and location impact the lifespan of your sweet peas
• [32:58] How to set up drip irrigation for sweet pea beds
• [36:17] How to create a magical "Sweet Pea Tunnel" with cattle panels
• [37:15] What are the biggest mistakes beginners make with sweet peas?
• [39:45] Some cutting tips for sweet peas
• [41:38] Is there a way to preserve sweet pea scent after cutting?
• [41:51] What are the best workhorse sweet pea varieties for beginners?
• [45:30] Where to find Marryn, her seeds, and her farm!
• [46:10] Check out their new storefront on their farm!

• Sweet Pea School Book by Marryn Mathis
• PRO-MIX Potting Mix
• Espoma Potting Soil Mix
• Growing Joy 246: What is Regenerative Gardening and Permaculture? with Stephanie Rose of Garden Therapy

check out the full show notes and blog here!

Follow Marryn:
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Pick up The Cut Flower Handbook at your favorite local bookstore, quarto.com, bookshop.org, Barnes & Noble or amazon.com.

Visit espoma.com to find your local Espoma dealer or check my Amazon storefront.

Follow Maria and Growing Joy:

Order my book: Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness (and Plants)by Maria Failla, Illustrated by Samantha Leung

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Support Growing Joy with Maria by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon!

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If you knew where most grocery store lettuce comes from and what it goes through before it lands in that plastic box, you’d never look at bagged salad the same way again.

In this Best of Growing Joy episode, I’m sharing a practical, beginner-friendly guide on how to grow lettuce from seed so you can harvest fresh, crunchy salad greens right outside your door with my friend and garden coach, Nicole Burke of Gardener. We talk about simple ways to grow lettuce in raised beds, containers, grow bags, and even tiny balconies, so you can enjoy homegrown salads on repeat all season long!

Nicole breaks down the different types of lettuce and salad greens, when to direct sow seeds versus starting them indoors, and the watering routine that actually keeps those shallow roots happy. We also chat about easy organic pest strategies, smart spacing, and how to harvest lettuce so it keeps growing back, giving you that dreamy cut-and-come-again salad garden.

By the end of this episode, you’ll feel confident starting lettuce from seed and excited to swap those plastic boxes for vibrant, living greens just a few steps from your kitchen!

• [00:03] Maria shares indoor hydroponic lettuce growth and outdoor lettuce garden prep.
• [06:02] Why lettuce is ideal for first-time food-growing houseplant parents.
• [06:53] What is Gardenary all about?
• [08:23] How Nicole makes beautiful raised-bed gardens
• [14:19] Where are 98% of the United States lettuces grown?
• [17:01] What materials are needed for lettuce?
• [20:47] Where can you find a wide array of quality lettuce seeds and seed mixes?
• [23:27] Where to get a potting mix, soil, fertilizer, or compost for your garden beds/containers?
• [25:15] What lettuce does Nicole recommend for beginners?
• [24:34] Lettuce Category #1: Loose leaf
• [29:15] Lettuce Category #2: Head lettuce
• [31:09] Is Nicole indoor-starting or direct-sowing lettuce?
• [32:32] How do you calculate when it's time to start direct sowing?
• [35:55] What is the process of growing lettuce from seed?
• [36:14] Process #1: If you have limited space
• [40:40] Where to find a nutrition program for weight management, more energy, and clear skin?
• [42:55] Process #2: If you live in an apartment
• [46:01] What are Nicole’s tips for harvesting?
• [47:53] What mistakes do people commonly make in growing lettuce?
• [49:58] How to eat Swiss chard
• [52:23] Have you heard of Nicole’s newest book Kitchen Garden Revival?
• [57:45] Where can you follow Nicole?

• Growing Joy Episode 120 Designing and Planning My Garden // Coaching With Nicole of Gardenary
• Ivette Soler’s book The Edible Front Yard: The Mow-Less, Grow-More Plan for a Beautiful, Bountiful Garden
• Hydroponic planter
• Nicole Burke’s book Kitchen Garden Revival
• Nicole’s Burke’s book Leaves, Roots & Fruit
• Rocky Top Mix Salad Blend
• Territorial Seed Company Spring Mixes
• Martha Stewart's book Vegetables: Inspired Recipes and Tips for Choosing, Cooking, and Enjoying the Freshest Seasonal Flavors: A Cookbook
• 10 Years, 4 Cities, 8 Gardens-Nicole Burke's Kitchen Garden Journey

Check out the full show notes and blog for my favorite beginner lettuce varieties, seed-starting tips, and easy harvest tricks!

Follow Nicole

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Facebook

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Follow Maria and Growing Joy:

Order my book: Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness (and Plants)by Maria Failla, Illustrated by Samantha Leung

Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Party Community Platform & App AKA the plantiest and kindest corner of the internet! Get your FREE 2-week trial here!

Take the Plant Parent Personality Quiz (Get the perfect plants, projects and educational resources for YOUR Lifestyle)

Support Bloom and Grow Radio by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon!

Instagram: @growingjoywithmaria

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Subscribe to the Growing Joy Youtube channel! /growingjoywithmaria

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Why are monarch butterflies so special? If you follow me on Instagram, you already know my answer. The monarch butterfly has completely taken over my heart. I literally dressed up as one for Halloween this year, and I have zero regrets! Ever since my husband and I moved to Florida, I started planting milkweed just to watch them hatch in my own yard. And wow. Seeing their life cycle happen right in front of me made me think deeply about gardening. It also made me realize I had a lot to learn. So I called up my favorite wildlife nerd, David Mizejewski, and we spent a whole podcast episode just geeking out about monarch butterflies together! Let's dive in!

• [03:57] Meet David Mizejewski, a naturalist, NWF, and a fellow monarch nerd!
• [04:36] Why monarch butterflies hold a special emotional place for me
• [06:06] What are the benefits of monarchs?
• [08:49] Are monarchs really disappearing?
• [10:53] Why the endangered/threatened designation is so confusing
• [12:52] What would a "threatened" listing actually do for monarchs?
• [15:28] Manukora
• [17:13] How microplastics affect the environment
• [18:25] Why are monarchs disappearing?
• [19:20] The monarch lifecycle
• [22:19] Why monarchs are specialists
• [29:48] How gardeners can actually help monarch butterflies
• [31:33] Native milkweed varieties worth knowing
• [35:12] How to source pesticide-free native plants
• [36:45] What are neonicotinoids?
• [37:37] Which milkweed to avoid (aka the tropical milkweed problem)
• [42:39] How to visually identify tropical milkweed
• [45:05] Why you shouldn’t hand-rear monarchs!
• [48:25] How the monarch migration actually works
• [52:03] What to do instead of hand-rearing!
• [53:43] Why parasitic wasps killing caterpillars is natural
• [57:46] Where to find native plants by zip code
• [59:46] How to certify your monarch garden with NWF
• [01:01:19] My plans for my new home, my HOA, and my neighborhood kids!
• [01:02:35] NWF's "cues of care" strategy
• [01:04:37] Where to find David and all NWF resources

• National Wildlife Federation
• Native Plants Finder
• Garden for Wildlife
• Native Plant Finder by Zip Code
• Certified Wildlife Habitat

check out the full show notes and blog for David's expert advice!

Follow David:

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YouTube
Facebook
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LinkedIn

Go to manukora.com/bloom to get up to 31% off the starter kit that includes their 850+ Manukora honey jar, 5 honey travel sticks, a wooden spoon, and a guidebook, PLUS $25 worth of free gifts! 

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Order my book: Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness (and Plants)by Maria Failla, Illustrated by Samantha Leung

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Support Growing Joy with Maria by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon!

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Did you know your “regular” herb garden can double as a medicinal herb garden, and that the mint you grab for mojitos can actually calm your nerves and your digestion? I used to think herbalism meant mysterious tincture bottles and complicated formulas… until I started turning the basil, mint, and lemon balm I grow into simple herbal teas I actually drink every night.

In this Best of Growing Joy episode, I’m revisiting a conversation with Juliet from the Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine, botanist, herbalist, and author of The Healing Garden. If you’re a gardener, tea lover, or herbalism beginner who wants to learn how to grow and use medicinal herbs you already have, this episode is for you!

You’ll learn which common herbs (like mint, basil, rosemary, lemon balm, and calendula) are most powerful to start with, how to harvest and dry them for tea, and why plant energetics (matching herbs to your unique body) matters more than any trendy supplement. By the end, you’ll know exactly how to make your own herbal tea from garden herbs instead of reaching for another tea bag.

• [04:58] What led Juliet Blankenspoor to become interested in herbalism
• [08:52] What makes plants medicinal, and have they been proven by doctors?
• [11:51] Energetics of plants and how to complement their energies with people's
• [15:49] How do you determine your own energy constitution?
• [16:45] Who is Wim Hoff and what are the possible benefits of cold showers?
• [19:16] What's the best way to get started with this completely new field of medicinal benefits?
• [22:22] Where to get the best seeds for your spring garden
• [23:38] The right choice for safe indoor and outdoor gardening products
• [27:03] What are the properties of Mint?
• [28:30] Some of the commonly used herbs that we might not be aware of
• [30:01] What tonic means in the context of herbal medicine
• [32:36] What are the medicinal properties of chives?
• [33:58] How we can prepare tea from fresh and dried herbs
• [38:16] Is there any medicinal value to the mint stem?
• [39:43] What other herbs can you grow to make your own tea?
• [44:13] Your next favorite kitchen appliance!
• [47:19] What are some of the most versatile medicinal plants Juliet recommends exploring that aren't found in a traditional culinary garden?
• [48:19] What plants should you add to your culinary garden for medical benefits?
• [52:38] Juliet Blankespoor’s favorite herbs that you can add to your cooking recipes
• [57:39] What can you learn from the book ‘The Healing Garden: Cultivating and Handcrafting Herbal Remedies'?

• The Healing Garden: Cultivating and Handcrafting Herbal Remedies, book by Juliet Blankespoor
• Tea strainers
• Wim Hof Method
• FREE 2-week trial to the Garden Party!

Check out the full show notes and blog for beginner-friendly herbalism tips and recipes!

Follow Juliet

Website

Instagram

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Healing Garden Gateway, Juliet's personal website

Follow Maria and Growing Joy:

Order my book: Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness (and Plants)by Maria Failla, Illustrated by Samantha Leung

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I’ve always wanted to make gardening a lifelong hobby because I plan to have dirt under my nails well into my 80s or 90s, but I never really thought through HOW to make that happen. Because as much as we love our plants, gardening as you age is not about doing the same thing forever. I see it with my mom who’s an incredible gardener. She has that true plant parent energy, but even she has to change how she gardens. So what if the secret to longevity is just learning how to garden differently? To help me with that topic is Rhonda Fleming Hayes. She’s the author of Garden for Life and has been gardening across more climates, zones, and life changes than most of us can imagine. And in this episode, she teaches us gardening tips for seniors and how to adapt your garden as you age so gardening stays joyful!

• [02:56] Meet Rhonda Fleming Hayes, author of Garden for Life!
• [03:25] What do we call “senior gardeners” without promoting ageism?
• [04:21] Why 55 is the turning point for when/how much you garden!
• [05:56] How has Rhonda's gardening experience been?
• [08:09] How Rhonda’s relationship with her garden has changed as she’s gotten older
• [09:42] What are the mistakes senior gardeners make?
• [12:04] Gardening as something that should change with you!
• [13:03] Why continuing to garden matters as you age
• [15:09] Concrete Botany by Joey Santore
• [16:14] My summer with Melody + how companionable garden buddies help each other!
• [18:49] How to evaluate your garden for safety/accessibility?
• [21:00] Tools that make gardening sustainable over time
• [23:06] How to start gardening over again when moving to a new space
• [25:59] Why you need to create "way stations" to sit and enjoy your garden
• [27:52] How to overcome the “ego blow” of hiring professional garden help
• [31:01] What does Rhonda's own Minnesota garden look like?
• [33:40] What getting help actually looks like in practice
• [34:39] Inspiring real-life gardener stories from her book, Garden for Life
• [36:27] Where to find Rhonda and her book online

Rhonda’s books:

• Garden for Life: Strategies for Easier, Greener, More Joyful Gardening as We Age
• Pollinator Friendly Gardening: Gardening for Bees, Butterflies, and Other Pollinators

check out the full show notes and blog here!

Follow Rhonda:

Instagram
BlueSky
The Garden Buzz Facebook
The Garden Buzz X

Grab Concrete Botany at quarto.com and wherever books are sold.

Follow Maria and Growing Joy:

Order my book: Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness (and Plants)by Maria Failla, Illustrated by Samantha Leung

Take the Plant Parent Personality Quiz (Get the perfect plants, projects and educational resources for YOUR Lifestyle)

Support Growing Joy with Maria by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon!

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Subscribe to the Growing Joy YouTube channel! /growingjoywithmaria

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Did you know mushrooms aren’t actually plants, but a completely different kingdom that plays a huge role in soil health, plant health, and the success of your indoor and outdoor garden?

This is the third episode in our Mushroom Mini Series, and this week we’re having a high-level conversation all about what mushrooms are, how fungi and mycelium work, and why they matter so much for plant parents and anyone interested in holistic plant care.

Louis from North Spore joins me and my husband Billy for a really fun conversation about the underground “wood wide web,” how mushrooms support your garden ecosystem, and why understanding fungi can completely change the way you think about gardening, mushrooms in soil, and growing mushrooms at home.

I hope this conversation helps you better understand the hidden life in your soil and inspires you to look at mushrooms, plant care, and your garden in a whole new way.

• [05:42] What is it like being a mushroom farmer?
• [06:40] Multiple harvests from the grow kits through proper moisture management
• [08:51] Debunking magic mushroom misconceptions
• [2:44] Billy and Maria’s positive experiences with Lion's mane mushroom
• [14:34] How do you grow mushrooms indoors?
• [14:44] #1 Spray & Grow Kits (The perfect beginner species!)
• [18:02] #2 Fruiting Blocks
• [19:17] Where can you get premium quality growlights?
• [21:05] Where can you find delightful wind chimes that make for a perfect gift choice?
• [22:23] #3 Martha Tents (aka North Spore’s Boom Room)
• [25:36] How do you avoid mold with a Martha tent?
• [28:18] What's the ideal humidity level on the humidistat for the fruiting blocks?
• [30:39] What comprises a fruiting block and what goes into making it?
• [32:17] How do you distinguish spawns versus spores?
• [37:13] How do you pasteurize something?
• [37:58] What would be three great beginner mushrooms to start in a grow tent?
• [40:09] Economics of mushroom cultivation
• [42:26] Can a Martha tent enable a wider range of mushroom growth compared to a mono tub?
• [43:21] #3 Mono tub
• [50:22] What are the two substrates of Nameko mushrooms?
• [54:23] Who is North Spore?

• How to Make a Martha Tent Mushroom Fruiting Chamber
• ‘BoomRoom’ Automated Mushroom Martha Tent Grow Kit
• How to Make a Monotub: The Complete Monotub Tek Guide
• Using a Spray & Grow Kit
• Fruiting Block Kits
• Spray & Grow Kits
• Monotub Kits
• Monotub Set Up & Grow Guide
• How to Grow Mushrooms in Buckets & Containers

Check out the full show notes and blog for fungi basics and growing tips!

Follow North Spore

Louis' LinkedIn

Website

Instagram

YouTube

Facebook

TikTok

Follow Maria and Growing Joy:

Order my book: Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness (and Plants)by Maria Failla, Illustrated by Samantha Leung

Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Party Community Platform & App AKA the plantiest and kindest corner of the internet! Get your FREE 2-week trial here!

Take the Plant Parent Personality Quiz (Get the perfect plants, projects and educational resources for YOUR Lifestyle)

Support Bloom and Grow Radio by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon!

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Did you know that your bulb garden doesn't have to be high-maintenance? One of my earliest memories is my mom planting what felt like endless tulip bulbs—500 of them, in fact. She was a young mom with three kids, no spare time, and definitely not a person who could fuss over plants every day, but somehow, she always had color! Bulbs showed up for her, and she did not have to slave over her garden to get them. That’s why I know it is possible to create a low‑maintenance garden with bulbs. So I invited Jenny Rose Carey on the show to walk us through it. She gardens on a 4.5‑acre property called Northview, filled with thousands of bulbs that bloom from late winter through fall. She’s a horticulturist, a biologist, a teacher at heart, and the author of The Essential Guide to Bulbs. She shares how bulbs actually work, which ones are worth planting, and how to plant them so they don’t rot or disappear after one season! Let's begin!

• [04:04] Meet Jenny Rose Carey
• [07:05] What’s the history behind her 4-acre garden called Northview?
• [09:57] What a full season of bulbs actually looks like at Northview
• [11:30] What counts as a bulb? (Are dahlias bulbs?)
• [12:43] How the bulb cycle works
• [14:25] Designing a wedding garden with dahlias, raised beds, and containers full of flowers!
• [15:44] Manukora Honey
• [17:30] How to understand the seasonal lifecycle & dormancy of bulbs (spring bulb vs summer bulb)
• [22:12] How bulbs can create a lower-maintenance garden
• [23:37] What are the best summer bulbs?
• [26:55] Summer bulbs Jenny loves most for flowers and cutting gardens!
• [29:48] Bulb planting 101
• [33:20] How do you know which way is up when planting a bulb?
• [34:32] Why some bulbs seem to “fail” the first year
• [37:16] The drainage rule to avoid bulb rot
• [39:28] In-ground vs. containers for bulbs
• [41:42] How lasagna planting works for bulbs
• [44:39] The best places in your garden to plant bulbs
• [45:52] What are Jenny’s favorite fragrant bulbs for summer?
• [48:03] The biggest mistakes people make when planting bulbs
• [49:15] How to use store-bought bulbs for instant gratification
• [50:28] Where to find Jenny, her book The Essential Guide to Bulbs, and her garden at Northview!

• Growing Joy 150: Bulb Basics with Jenks Farmer
• The Essential Guide to Bulbs by Jenny Rose Carey
• Northview Gardens

check out the full show notes and blog here!

Follow Jenny:

Website
Northview Garden
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube
X

Go to manukora.com/bloom to get up to 31% off the starter kit that includes their 850+ Manukora honey jar, 5 honey travel sticks, a wooden spoon, and a guidebook, PLUS $25 worth of free gifts!

Follow Maria and Growing Joy:

Order my book: Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness (and Plants)by Maria Failla, Illustrated by Samantha Leung

Take the Plant Parent Personality Quiz (Get the perfect plants, projects and educational resources for YOUR Lifestyle)

Support Growing Joy with Maria by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon!

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Subscribe to the Growing Joy YouTube channel! /growingjoywithmaria

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Did you know that you can actually grow edible gourmet mushrooms in your garden right alongside your tomatoes, lettuce, peppers, herbs, and veggies?

You can! And by doing that, you can improve your soil health, support your garden ecosystem, and add another delicious crop to harvest and enjoy throughout the growing season.

This is the second episode in our Mushroom Mini Series. Last week, we re-released our episode on growing mushrooms indoors, and this week, we’re talking all about how to grow mushrooms outdoors in your garden.

Louis from North Spore joins me and my husband Billy for such a fun conversation about growing mushrooms outdoors right alongside your vegetables, herbs, and even cut flowers.

We talk about beginner-friendly ways to start growing edible mushrooms at home without a fancy setup required! If you’re a plant lover, gardener, or curious plant parent, this episode will open your mind to just how easy and rewarding mushroom gardening can be.

I can’t wait to see what kinds of mushrooms you grow, how you cook them up, and how they support both your garden and your health.

• [05:35] Benefits of Lion's Mane mushroom supplements for improved focus and energy
• [09:15] Why should you grow mushrooms in your garden?
• [10:45] Specific vocabulary in mushroom cultivation
• [12:43] Is mushroom DNA diverse or uniform across different areas?
• [15:30] Why you can't simply grow any mushrooms in soil alone
• [17:15] Are mushrooms annuals or perennials?
• [20:14] Where can you find full spectrum plant lights to bring the beauty of outdoors inside this April?
• [22:16] Where can you find a healthy meal delivery program?
• [24:52] What protections exist for preventing other mushroom species from colonizing a bed of ripe food and confusing the farmer?
• [26:29] Can you harvest mushrooms immediately after inoculating your garden beds?
• [27:35] What mushrooms are best for beginners to grow in the garden?
• [29:30] Do you need a lot of space to grow a good harvest?
• [30:29] Do worms compete or work with mycorrhizal?
• [32:25] What materials do you need for growing mushrooms in your garden?
• [34:44] Where can you find a wind chime that would make the perfect gift these holidays?
• [36:21] How can you grow mushrooms in your mulch?
• [41:04] Does a denser, ground-level plant provide better shade for the mushrooms??
• [44:00] Is there a general rule for spacing the insertion points when inoculating a bale of hay?
• [44:49] How do mycorrhizal networks and mold coexist in nature, particularly in damp and dark environments?
• [48:09] How to create a mushroom container for small gardening spaces
• [52:49] What are the required maintenance tasks for growing mushrooms during the season?
• [57:03] What is the difference between cutting and pulling mushrooms during harvesting?
• [58:23] Best beginner mushroom varieties that are resilient to temperature and humidity changes
• [59:40] Different mushrooms that you can grow in different garden zones or different climates
• [01:00:56] What is the process of inoculating logs for growing mushrooms?
• [01:03:48] What's the purpose of wax capping your mushrooms?
• [01:05:29] Can mushroom inoculation be done before or after the frost date?
• [01:10:12] Where can you find mushroom spawns and learn more about mushroom growing?

• North Spore ‘Spray & Grow' Mushroom Growing Kits
• Pink Oyster ‘Spray & Grow’ Mushroom Growing Kit
• YouTube video North Spore Test garden in Portland, Maine
• Lion’s Mane tincture
• How to Grow Mushrooms in Buckets & Containers
• Which Species of Log is Best?
• How to Make Outdoor Mushroom Beds
• How to Grow Mushrooms on Logs, Totems & Stumps
• Mushroom Spores vs. Spawn: What is the Difference?
• YouTube video How to Grow Mushrooms on Logs | Complete Inoculation Walkthrough!

Check out the full show notes and blog for mushroom-growing tips and everything we mentioned in this episode!

Follow North Spore

Louis' LinkedIn

Website

Instagram

YouTube

Facebook

TikTok

Follow Maria and Growing Joy:

Order my book: Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness (and Plants)by Maria Failla, Illustrated by Samantha Leung

Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Party Community Platform & App AKA the plantiest and kindest corner of the internet! Get your FREE 2-week trial here!

Take the Plant Parent Personality Quiz (Get the perfect plants, projects and educational resources for YOUR Lifestyle)

Support Bloom and Grow Radio by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon!

Instagram: @growingjoywithmaria

Tiktok: @growingjoywithmaria

Subscribe to the Growing Joy Youtube channel! /growingjoywithmaria

Website: www.growingjoywithmaria.com

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My goal this year is to find more ease and joy in my garden! I love my plants, but I don’t want my yard to feel like another job. And when I realized that was a theme that was gonna keep coming up, I knew I needed to do an episode on permaculture. So I invited my plant friend, Brandy Hall. She’s a permaculture designer and has helped me see it as a simple, practical way to garden. She calls herself a garden editor for homeowners, which means she helps people like us turn regular lawns into regenerative spaces that get better over time.

• [02:45] Meet Brandy Hall of Shades of Green Permaculture!
• [03:23] How did she become the permaculture expert that she is today?
• [04:38] What pesticide exposure did to her family and why it changed everything
• [08:24] How travel, farm life, and construction work pulled Brandy into this career
• [10:51] Permaculture vs regenerative gardening vs rewilding vs ecological landscaping
• [12:50] Is permaculture growing your own food?
• [14:44] What are the three pillars of a regenerative landscape?
• [14:55] Pillar #1 Restore water cycle
• [15:11] Pillar #2 Soil fertility
• [15:46] Espoma Organic
• [17:22] Pillar #3 Building plant communities
• [18:00] Applying permaculture to real neighborhoods
• [21:19] How modern development broke the natural water cycle
• [23:42] What permaculture does differently with water
• [26:22] The biggest water management mistakes homeowners make
• [27:23] How to work with your downspouts and rain gardens to manage water
• [28:19] Why the soil is your best water storage system
• [30:19] How much water actually falls on your roof
• [31:55] What does a permaculture site consultation actually look like?
• [33:23] How to “read” your own space
• [34:47] How to choose plants for permaculture
• [36:02] Native vs non‑native plants
• [37:39] How to make a permaculture garden look aesthetic (even in an HOA)
• [40:00] How Brandy designs beautiful & productive beds
• [41:10] Where to start if you're new to permaculture
• [42:53] Brandy's online course, The Regenerative Backyard Blueprint
• [44:10] Where to find Brandy, her book, and her resources

• The Complete Guide to Home Permaculture by Brandy Hall
• The Cut Flower Handbook: Select, Plant, Grow, and Harvest Gorgeous Blooms by Lisa Ziegler

check out the full show notes and blog here!

Follow Brandy:
Website
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube

Visit espoma.com to find your local Espoma dealer or check my Amazon storefront.

Follow Maria and Growing Joy:

Order my book: Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness (and Plants)by Maria Failla, Illustrated by Samantha Leung

Take the Plant Parent Personality Quiz (Get the perfect plants, projects and educational resources for YOUR Lifestyle)

Support Growing Joy with Maria by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon!

Instagram: @growingjoywithmaria

Tiktok: @growingjoywithmaria

Subscribe to the Growing Joy YouTube channel! /growingjoywithmaria

Website: www.growingjoywithmaria.com

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What if your next houseplant could double in size overnight and end up on your dinner plate?

Today we’re talking about how to grow mushrooms indoors and why it might be one of the most fun, beginner-friendly ways to grow edible mushrooms at home.

A couple of years ago, I recorded a Mushroom Miniseries with my husband and mushroom expert Louis from North Spore, and we talked about everything from growing mushrooms indoors to outdoor cultivation and harvesting your own mushrooms at home.

This episode is all about growing mushrooms indoors, including beginner-friendly options like mushroom grow kits, easy edible varieties like oyster mushrooms and lion’s mane, and what you actually need to get started.

It’s weird, it’s fascinating, it’s surprisingly easy, and if you’re a plant parent who’s ever wanted your hobby to become dinner, this one’s for you.

I’m so excited to bring this episode back as part of our Best of Growing Joy series, and I think you’re going to love it.

• [00:56] This episode’s special guest!
• [02:02] Billy and I started exploring mushrooms after watching ‘Fantastic Fungi’
• [05:57] An overview of our four-part mushroom miniseries!
• [07:57] Who is Louis Giller and why is he so crazy about mushrooms?
• [11:31] Mushroom appreciation!
• [12:36] How we started this passion project
• [16:42] What is the difference between mushrooms and fungi?
• [19:00] Are you looking for a product that improves plant growth while reducing water usage?
• [20:40] Where can you get high-quality potato seeds this summer?
• [22:50] What differentiates fungi from flora?
• [25:21] What is the main purpose of mushrooms?
• [27:08] Let’s explore the Wood Wide Web!
• [30:54] What determines the fungus' fruiting body structure?
• [35:38] Do potting mixes and composts with mycorrhizae help plants absorb water and nutrients faster, and how does this work?
• [37:05] What are the little yellow mushrooms growing in your houseplant soils?
• [39:36] What are adaptogenic mushrooms?
• [40:40] Chaga and Reishi mushrooms: their anti-inflammatory benefits and unknown mechanisms
• [43:43] Why mushroom have high-end protein content
• [48:56] Ready to prioritize your health by investing in your sleep with the comfiest bedsheets
• [51:07] Are the Cordyceps from The Last of Us TV show real?
• [53:21] Louis’ best mushroom-related books for beginners!
• [57:37] What are the mushrooms that Loius regularly consumes?
• [59:31] What are some affordable ways to grow mushrooms at home?

• Champs Trade Shows
• Paul Stamets’s film Fantastic Fungi
• Pizza ai Funghi
• Giuliana Furci
• FunDiS
• HBO TV Series The Last of Us
• Netflix TV Series How to Change Your Mind
• Tero Isokauppila’s book Healing Mushrooms
• Tero Isokauppila’s book Healing Adaptogens
• David L. Spahr’s book Edible and Medicinal Mushrooms of New England and Eastern Canada 
• Merlin Sheldrake’ book Entangled Life
• Four Sigmatic

Check out the full show notes and blog for grow kits, mushroom-growing tips, and everything we mentioned in this episode!

Follow North Spore

Louis' LinkedIn

Website

Instagram

YouTube

Facebook

TikTok

Pinterest

Follow Maria and Growing Joy:

Order my book: Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness (and Plants)by Maria Failla, Illustrated by Samantha Leung

Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Party Community Platform & App AKA the plantiest and kindest corner of the internet! Get your FREE 2-week trial here!

Take the Plant Parent Personality Quiz (Get the perfect plants, projects and educational resources for YOUR Lifestyle)

Support Bloom and Grow Radio by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon!

Instagram: @growingjoywithmaria

Tiktok: @growingjoywithmaria

Subscribe to the Growing Joy Youtube channel! /growingjoywithmaria

Website: www.growingjoywithmaria.com

Pinterest: @growingjoywithmaria

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the sea of information about indoor plants, wondering which tips to trust? You're not alone! Join me on this enlightening episode of "Growing Joy with Plants," where I chat with Tanner, the creative mind behind Tanner the Planter. Tanner's journey into the world of plants began in his childhood in Oregon, and he’s here to share his passion for plant care and how he navigates the challenges of caring for indoor plants in the age of social media. 

As Tanner recounts his transition from Oregon to Texas, he reveals how his early love for plants blossomed into a mission to provide realistic plant care advice online. We discuss the conflicting information that often leaves plant parents feeling lost and frustrated. This episode is packed with valuable insights on understanding the basic needs of your plants, such as light and water, to prevent common issues like scale insects and plant pests. Tanner emphasizes the importance of setting realistic expectations in plant care, helping you avoid the disappointment of plants dying or struggling due to mismanagement.

Throughout our conversation, we touch on the impact of social media on the perception of plant care, exploring how idealized images can create unrealistic standards for plant enthusiasts. Tanner's upcoming book aims to demystify plant care, offering practical guidance for joyful living with your indoor plants, encouraging you to embrace the process without the pressure of perfection. We also delve into essential topics like humidity for plants, watering tips, repotting plants, and propagation tips that will elevate your plant parenthood journey.

Whether you're a seasoned plant lover or just starting your gardening adventure, this episode is an invitation to cultivate wellness rooted in nature. Tune in to learn how to nurture your indoor plants with confidence and joy!

• [02:54] Meet Tanner the Planter
• [04:05] How Tanner’s relationship with plants evolved
• [06:51]  Where did Tanner get his information while learning?
• [08:03] AI, Google, and other confusing sources
• [09:31] Why “just put ice on it” is a perfect example of bad internet plant care!
• [11:56] How Tanner and Erica built a viral plant brand
• [16:46] Manukora
• [18:33] Espoma Organic
• [22:32] How Tanner approached writing his plant care book!
• [24:15] Why you should focus on mastering the basics in plant care
• [30:34] How to give yourself more grace when plants die
• [32:15] My Hoya heart wedding favors!
• [34:12] Why florist planters with no drainage are set up to fail
• [35:47] Did millennials change the emotional relationship we have with plants?
• [37:27] Why modern plant culture got way too complicated after COVID
• [39:41] Why “intuition” is overrated when you’re learning plant care
• [40:54] How understanding light makes the rest of plant care easier
• [42:03] Skipped generations, lost skills, and why killing plants isn’t your fault
• [44:22] How older generations were naturally more connected to plants than we are now
• [45:42] What Tanner means by “social media is killing your plants”
• [47:45] The cycle of overcorrecting, overspending, and stressing plants to death
• [52:21] How much joy even one plant can bring to you
• [54:50] Where to find Tanner, Erica, their shop, and his new book!

• Pre-order Tanner’s new book: For the Love of Houseplants: Caring for & Keeping Plants with Confidence
• Growing Joy 327: Growing a Plant Business, A Marriage and A Community of Plant Parents with @mrstannertheplant
• Google Scholar
• Maria's Espoma Storefront

check out the full show notes and blog here!

Follow Tanner the Planter:

Website
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YouTube

Go to manukora.com/bloom to get up to 31% off the starter kit that includes their 850+ Manukora honey jar, 5 honey travel sticks, a wooden spoon, and a guidebook, PLUS $25 worth of free gifts!

Visit espoma.com to find your local Espoma dealer or check my Amazon storefront.

Follow Maria and Growing Joy:

Order my book: Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness (and Plants)by Maria Failla, Illustrated by Samantha Leung

Take the Plant Parent Personality Quiz (Get the perfect plants, projects and educational resources for YOUR Lifestyle)

Support Growing Joy with Maria by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon!

Instagram: @growingjoywithmaria

Tiktok: @growingjoywithmaria

Subscribe to the Growing Joy YouTube channel! /growingjoywithmaria

Website: www.growingjoywithmaria.com

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