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

This might be the CRAZIEST thing I’ve done with my plants but this has also been such an extraordinary experience as I fly our lime tree, Limey, from New York to Florida! I am so excited to share the experience with you and talk about the citrus alley Mama Failla and I made in their beautiful Florida home. I document the entire journey of flying with a plant including the thought process, plant modifications, legal processes and the next few days' updates in an Youtube Vlog: https://youtu.be/jtelXljM1gkLet me know which part is your fave!Pre-order Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness (and Plants)Join the Bloom & Grow Garden Society Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Plant friends, this has been in the works for almost two years and I am so excited to finally be able to share it with you! Two YEARS of quietly working on a very special project with our guest, and not being able to talk about it! We will dive more into this project in the second half of this episode, but more importantly, we get to know Samantha Leung. Samantha, the founder of the well-known plant brand Hemleva, is the real deal. She's so freaking smart, she's kind, she's generous, she's honest, and she’s built her business with such integrity and hustle and grown a thriving business that creates botanically inspired products. In this episode, we are so lucky to be joined by Samantha to learn how she got to where she is now, and I’ve been lucky enough to have gotten to know her offline over the last year because we’ve been working on a very special project! Find out what it is in the ep!Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Society!The Bloom and Grow Garden Society is your one-stop shop for plant parenthood growth. When you join, you'll gain full access to the Garden Party Community Platform and App PLUS monthly plant care lectures with Horticulturist in Residence Leslie Halleck, monthly office hours with Leslie to troubleshoot your personal plant care issues and monthly Growing Joy Calls with Maria to develop our community of Society Members and explore the plant/person connection.Click here to join us!Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast,so you don't miss the amazing episodes we have coming up!In this episode we learn:[01:27] What to expect from this episode[04:26] How one woman’s jewelry collection was used to make diplomatic history[05:41] What was Samantha’s first-ever product?[06:28] How Samantha got started with pins[08:44] Why are plants important to Samantha?[10:28] How plants carry our memories with them[12:26] Where did Hemleva get its name from and what does it mean?[15:10] What was Hemleva’s first year in business like?[17:50] How did Samantha go about Hemleva’s logistics and business requirements?[20:04] What other crafts has Samantha tried building a business for?[23:02] Maria shares some of the challenges as a woman entrepreneur[26:15] How does Samantha handle her entrepreneur days?[27:42] Where to get the high-quality vegetable plants this season[29:17] The best indoor and outdoor gardening products for you and your pets[31:47] How does Samantha ideate, develop, and execute a product?[33:56] What tools does Samantha use to create a product?[35:27] How does Samantha source people and businesses she works with?[37:49] What does the process or ordering samples look like for Hemleva?[39:36] How does Samantha decide her inventory?[41:00] How profit margins differ in different business categories[44:19] In what ways is Hemleva structured to give back to different organizations?[45:57] What does One Percent for the Planet do?[47:56] What does work-life balance look like for Samantha?[50:47] How to figure out your own workflow and work schedule[52:37] How baking helps Samantha with her focus[54:24] Maria and Samantha’s very special collaboration![56:26] Asking Samantha to illustrate the book cover[01:00:20] Samantha shares her experience illustrating her first book[01:03:32] Growing Joy merch collection with Hemleva![01:04:44] Your official invitation to the Growing Joy launch celebration[01:06:09] How to join the Growing Joy giveaway for a free book![01:07:54] Samantha shares a juicy sneak peek of Growing Joy[01:10:56] Sisterhood of The Traveling Plants[01:11:58] How Samantha inspires Maria[01:13:29] Maria’s reflections on writing a book and running a podcastMentioned in our conversation:PRE-ORDER LINK: Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness (and Plants) by Maria Failla, Illustrated by Samantha LeungFolia CollectiveBAGR Episode: How to Start a Plant Shop with Folia CollectiveRead My Pins: Stories from a Diplomat’s Jewelry Box, book by Madeleine AlbrightYou Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life, book by Jen SinceroCharity NavigatorChinese for Affirmative Action1% for the PlanetThank you to our episode sponsors:Territorial Seed CompanyExcited for this year's growing season? If you’re looking for plants for your garden, skip the lines at the garden center and let Territorial Seed Company deliver top-of-the-line, healthy and hardy vegetable plants right to your door! They have a great line of pre-grown plants, an expansive seed catalog, and over 40 years of experience delivering the best seeds and plants for everyone's garden. They are offering an exclusive discount just for listeners of Bloom & Grow Radio, use code GROW10 to get 10% off your first order. Order now at territorialseed.comEspoma OrganicEspoma Organic is dedicated to making safe indoor and outdoor gardening products for people, pets, and the planet. They have an amazing variety of high-quality, organic potting mixes, garden soil, fertilizers, and pest control products tha

Rubber plants don't get enough credit in the tropical plant world. These humble plants are always available at the garden center but tend to get overlooked for some of our sexier Instagram-worthy plants. In this episode, we will dive into the many reasons why rubber plants are fantastic plants with Raffaele of Ohio Tropics. The first part is going to be an overview of general rubber plant care and different types of rubber plants, and then the second half is actually frequently asked questions that Raffaele answers and troubleshoots. Welcome, plant friend!Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Society!The Bloom and Grow Garden Society is your one-stop shop for plant parenthood growth. When you join, you'll gain full access to the Garden Party Community Platform and App PLUS monthly plant care lectures with Horticulturist in Residence Leslie Halleck, monthly office hours with Leslie to troubleshoot your personal plant care issues and monthly Growing Joy Calls with Maria to develop our community of Society Members and explore the plant/person connection.Click here to join us!Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast,so you don't miss the amazing episodes we have coming up!In this episode we learn:[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!Mentioned in our conversation:Houseplant Warrior: 7 Keys to Unlocking the Mysteries of Houseplant Care, book by Raffaele Di LalloThe Great Grow Along Virtual Garden FestivalThank you to our episode sponsors:Territorial Seed CompanyExcited for this year's growing season? If you’re looking for plants for your garden, skip the lines at the garden center and let Territorial Seed Company deliver top-of-the-line, healthy and hardy vegetable plants right to your door! They have a great line of pre-grown plants, an expansive seed catalog, and over 40 years of experience delivering the best seeds and plants for everyone's garden. They are offering an exclusive discount just for listeners of Bloom & Grow Radio, use code GROW10 to get 10% off your first order. Order now at territorialseed.comEspoma OrganicEspoma Organic is dedicated to making safe indoor and outdoor gardening products for people, pets, and the planet. They have an amazing variety of high-quality, organic potting mixes, garden soil, fertilizers, and pest control products that are organic and eco-friendly. To learn more about their pet safe indoor and outdoor gardening products, visit espoma.com to find your local Espoma dealer or check my Amazon storefront.Follow Raffaele: BlogInstagramYouTubeBookFollow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio:Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Party Community Platform & App AKA the plantiest and kindest corner of the internet!Take the Bloom and Grow 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 and Facebook: @BloomandGrowRadioTiktok: @bloomandgrowradioSubscribe to the Bloom and Grow Youtube Show! /BloomandgrowradioWebsite: www.bloomandgrowradio.comJoin the (free) Garden Club: www.bloomandgrowradio.com/garden-club Ho

Has the concept of “bright indirect light” ever confused you? Or how to measure your light in your home in general? Or how to figure out when you need to supplement with grow lights, and if you get grow lights, how to set your plants up for success under them? Light is probably the most confusing topic when it comes to our plants. It was definitely my biggest pain point when I was starting out as I had so many plants in what I thought was indirect light… but it was actually extremely low light. Lucky for us, Leslie Halleck, my plant friend and Bloom and Grow Garden Society's resident horticulturist, breaks down brightness and PAR for us in this Knowledge Nugget. Let's dive in!Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Society!The Bloom and Grow Garden Society is your one-stop shop for plant parenthood growth. When you join, you'll gain full access to the Garden Party Community Platform and App PLUS monthly plant care lectures with Horticulturist in Residence Leslie Halleck, monthly office hours with Leslie to troubleshoot your personal plant care issues and monthly Growing Joy Calls with Maria to develop our community of Society Members and explore the plant/person connection.Click here to join us!Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast,so you don't miss the amazing episodes we have coming up! In this episode we learn:[00:19] Is light your biggest pain point in your plant care?[00:54] What to expect from this mini-series episode[01:25] What are Knowledge Nuggets?[03:26] Why brightness is not important[04:06] What is PAR and why is it important to your plants?[05:13] Which spectrums of light are optimal for photosynthesis?[06:22] Why do plants grow best in red light?[07:11] Where to get the best horticulturist-led plant education[08:34] What the next Node of Knowledge lecture is about Follow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio:Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Party Community Platform & App AKA the plantiest and kindest corner of the internet!Take the Bloom and Grow 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 and Facebook: @BloomandGrowRadioTiktok: @bloomandgrowradioSubscribe to the Bloom and Grow Youtube Show! /BloomandgrowradioWebsite: www.bloomandgrowradio.comJoin the (free) Garden Club: www.bloomandgrowradio.com/garden-club 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 sort of run-in with a carnivorous plant: maybe bringing one of those little venus flytraps at the hardware store home to realize you had no idea how to care for it, maybe marveling at the wide array of carnivorous plants at your local botanical garden, and maybe even getting to see a fly land on one, or maybe it’s just knowing the man-eating plant Audrey II in the musical Little Shop of Horrors. However you’ve engaged with carnivorous plants, you’ve likely figured out that they are really a whole subsect of plants of their own, require very specific care, and might get you if you don't care for them correctly. Lucky for us, we are joined by carnivorous plant expert Damon from California Carnivores for an incredibly informative episode about everything we need to know about these mysterious, hungry plants!Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Society!The Bloom and Grow Garden Society is your one-stop shop for plant parenthood growth. When you join, you'll gain full access to the Garden Party Community Platform and App PLUS monthly plant care lectures with Horticulturist in Residence Leslie Halleck, monthly office hours with Leslie to troubleshoot your personal plant care issues and monthly Growing Joy Calls with Maria to develop our community of Society Members and explore the plant/person connection.Click here to join us!Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast,so you don't miss the amazing episodes we have coming up!In this episode we learn:[01:02] Introducing Damon[03:22] Damon’s history with carnivorous plants[08:24] What are carnivorous plants? What characteristics make up a carnivorous plant?[14:25] Where to find carnivorous plants in the wild[16:14] Why conservation of carnivorous plants is a must[18:50] How long have carnivorous plants been around?[20:09] Damon shares what he thinks of Little Shop of Horrors musical[22:19] The right kind of water for carnivorous plants (and how to identify them in a store!)[28:08] The best carnivorous plants to grow indoors (Venus flytrap, pitcher plants, butterworts)[31:36] Are you planning your garden already?[33:32] Level up your plant education with a horticulturist![35:43] What is the best growing media for carnivorous plants?[38:22] Why you shouldn’t use terracotta pots for your carnivorous plants[40:16] How to use grow lights on carnivorous plants[42:13] Should you fertilize carnivorous plants?[43:06] How to feed your Venus flytrap and Cape sundews[46:53] Fertilizing your pitcher plants[49:35] How much humidity do carnivorous plants need?[50:48] How to make your Venus flytrap go dormant[52:11] Can you fertilize your carnivorous plants even if they’re catching bugs?[52:58] Troubleshooting carnivorous plants soil mix[53:39] Taking care of your Mexican butterworts[55:29] Damon’s recommended beginner carnivorous plants[57:26] Should you still buy Venus flytraps even when they’re not sustainably sourced?[59:53] Where to buy carnivorous plants and access educational resources[01:02:00] Just a note about peat moss[01:02:42] Maria’s winter updatesMentioned in our conversation:The Savage GardenWetlands Reclamation ActMaxsea All-Purpose Nutrient FertilizerCalifornia Carnivores YouTube video: Winter Dormancy for Temperate Plants in Cold ClimatesThank you to our episode sponsors:Territorial Seed CompanyExcited for this year's growing season? Territorial Seed Co recently launched their Kitchen Counter collection, a selection of vegetables specifically bred to grow and produce in small spaces and lower light—perfect for indoor cultivation. From Artichoke through Zucchini, they have everything you need to grow your best garden ever! And with over 40 years of experience, you know they have seeds and plants you can trust. They are offering an exclusive discount just for listeners of Bloom & Grow Radio, use code GROW10 to get 10% off your first order. Order now at territorialseed.comBloom and Grow Garden SocietyThe Bloom and Grown Garden Society is the premium tier of the Garden Party Platform, rooted in high-quality education and community. I’ve partnered with our Horticulturist in Residence Leslie Halleck to bring monthly “Node of Knowledge” plant science lectures, monthly “Ask our Horticulturist Anything” office hours, and Growing Joy Community Calls with me. Treat yourself to an annual membership for the holidays or gift to your crazy plant friends! Learn more at jointhegardensociety.com.Follow Damon: WebsiteInstagramYouTubeTikTokFollow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio:Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Party Community Platform & App AKA the plantiest and kindest corner of the internet!Take the Bloom and Grow 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 and Facebook: @BloomandGrowRadioTiktok: @bloomandgrowradioSubscribe to the Bloom and Grow Youtube Show! /BloomandgrowradioWebsite: www.bloomandgrowradio.comJoin the (free)

Welcome to a new mini-series for Bloom & Grow Radio: Knowledge Nuggets. They will be 5-10 minute episodes that show up once a month, in addition to our regular episodes, and will highlight one "nugget" of plant nerd education taken from the Node of Knowledge Plant Science lectures Leslie Halleck gives in the Garden Society. These lectures are so good, I couldn't help sharing a teeny bit with you!Episode one is a snippet from our AHAs (Ask Our Horticulturist Anything) where members can hop on a zoom call with Leslie and troubleshoot their plant collections with her. Do you remember the first time one of your peperomia grew an inflorescence or flower? Have you ever seen one before? I remember the first time when my watermelon peperomia threw off a ton of inflorescence, these weird spikey things popped out of the plant and I had no idea what they were. In the first episode of Knowledge Nuggets, Leslie Halleck is giving you insight into what these spikey things are and more importantly, what we need to know about them when they show up in our collections. Let's get learnin'!Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Society!Stop struggling with your plant collection and start THRIVING with he Bloom and Grow Garden Society. Expert led houseplant & gardening education with a community of plant friends… at your fingertips.When you join, you'll gain full access to the Garden Party Community Platform and App PLUS monthly plant care lectures with Horticulturist in Residence Leslie Halleck, monthly office hours with Leslie to troubleshoot your personal plant care issues and monthly Growing Joy Calls with Maria to develop our community of Society Members and explore the plant/person connection.Click here to join us!Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast,so you don't miss the amazing episodes we have coming up!In this episode we learn:[00:40] What to expect from this episode[03:54] Troubleshooting your plant problems[04:57] What is an inflorescence and why do peperomias have them?[05:27] How to prune peperomia inflorescence[06:06] How to keep variegation in plants / how to grow a fuller, bushier plant[08:05] Where to get personalized plant coaching from a horticulturistFollow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio:Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Party Community Platform & App AKA the plantiest and kindest corner of the internet!Take the Bloom and Grow 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 and Facebook: @BloomandGrowRadioTiktok: @bloomandgrowradioSubscribe to the Bloom and Grow Youtube Show! /BloomandgrowradioWebsite: www.bloomandgrowradio.comJoin the (free) Garden Club: www.bloomandgrowradio.com/garden-club Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It's been such a joy having fellow podcasters join me in the pod as they never disappoint and have such wonderful insights about plant parenthood and plantrepreneurship. I met this episode's guest in 2020 and figured it was time to have her back on to catch up and explore a concept she’ll be tackling on the next season of her show: the past, present, and future of black people in horticulture. Colah has created an amazing brand called Black in the Garden that has blown up in the last couple of years, and created a space for so many people to feel seen within the plant community. Tune in as we share an important conversation about historic black plant people and their rich yet less discovered contributions to plant society.Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Society!The Bloom and Grow Garden Society is your one-stop shop for plant parenthood growth. When you join, you'll gain full access to the Garden Party Community Platform and App PLUS monthly plant care lectures with Horticulturist in Residence Leslie Halleck, monthly office hours with Leslie to troubleshoot your personal plant care issues and monthly Growing Joy Calls with Maria to develop our community of Society Members and explore the plant/person connection.Click here to join us!Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast,so you don't miss the amazing episodes we have coming up!In this episode we learn:[00:57] Maria’s plant updates[05:30] Who is Colah and why she started her podcast, Black in the Garden[09:16] How has Colah’s plant collection changed through her personal transitions?[15:07] What it’s like to have a plant-sitter[16:52] Reevaluating the lesson of resiliency as a Black woman[19:16] Moving forward and seeking opportunities presented to you[22:04] Letting go of things that don’t bring you joy[23:11] Why Wangari Mathai is Colah’s most inspirational historic Black figure[25:26] Making the diaspora of Black people known and accessible[29:09] Where to get the best seeds for this growing season[30:45] Indoor and outdoor gardening products for people, pets, and the planet[32:30] Jerome the Gnome and Colah’s update on inclusivity in garden products[34:26] Black representation in media and podcasting[38:59] Colah shares recent recognitions for Black people in horticulture[41:51] Horticulturist Abra Lee and her mission to uncover the history of Black garden clubs and societies [46:08] Ideating and self-publishing the Black in the Garden Coloring Book[49:58] Acknowledging white privilege in horticulture[52:52] Why Colah is exploring the past, present, and future in Black in the Garden podcast[55:41] What’s next for Colah and Black in the Garden in 2022[01:00:50] How to level up your plant parent skills this year!Mentioned in our conversation:Bloom and Grow Radio YouTube video Flower Preservation UnboxingYou Grow, Gurl!: A Lush Guide to Plant Parenthood by Christopher GriffinBloom and Grow Radio podcast episode Lessons from Plants from 2021 with Beronda MontgomeryMashable’s article on Juliet Sargeant, “First female black designer in 103 years of Chelsea Flower Show wins gold”Website: Abra Lee / Conquer the SoilColah's tree planting initiative: Underground ArboristThank you to our episode sponsors:Territorial Seed CompanyExcited for this year's growing season? Territorial Seed Co's got you covered with high-quality seeds and plants (over 2,000 varieties) that are tried and tested on their 75-acre farm! From Artichoke through Zucchini, they have everything you need to grow your best garden ever! And with over 40 years of experience, you know they have seeds and plants you can trust. They are offering an exclusive discount just for listeners of Bloom & Grow Radio, use code GROW10 to get 10% off your first order. Order now at territorialseed.comEspoma OrganicEspoma Organic is dedicated to making safe indoor and outdoor gardening products for people, pets, and the planet. They have an amazing variety of high-quality, organic potting mixes, garden soil, fertilizers, and pest control products that are organic and eco-friendly. To learn more about their pet safe indoor and outdoor gardening products, visit espoma.com to find your local Espoma dealer or check my Amazon storefront.Follow Colah: WebsiteInstagramTwitterYouTubeFollow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio:Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Party Community Platform & App AKA the plantiest and kindest corner of the internet!Take the Bloom and Grow 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 and Facebook: @BloomandGrowRadioTiktok: @bloomandgrowradioSubscribe to the Bloom and Grow Youtube Show! /BloomandgrowradioWebsite: www.bloomandgrowradio.comJoin the (free) Garden Club: www.bloomandgrowradio.com/garden-club Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Houseplants and interior design: you’d think these two passions would go together like two peas in a pod, but they can sometimes be at war with each other. We can find ourselves desperately wanting to style plants in rooms with no light, or getting overwhelmed with figuring out how to make our homes look planty and not cluttered. Many plant people don't know the first thing about interior design trends, and many interior designers don't know the first thing about plant care (even if they want to have plants in their designs). Luckily for us, I recently met Betsy, of the Affordable Interior Design podcast, and we decided to huddle up and see how we can match our compatible but different skill sets together and came up with this collaborative episode! Betsy breaks down various design styles, and I match plants that would suit those aesthetics. It’s a super fun chat that I hope will leave you ready to elevate your home and grow more joy in your lives!Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Society!The Bloom and Grow Garden Society is your one-stop shop for plant parenthood growth. When you join, you'll gain full access to the Garden Party Community Platform and App PLUS monthly plant care lectures with Horticulturist in Residence Leslie Halleck, monthly office hours with Leslie to troubleshoot your personal plant care issues and monthly Growing Joy Calls with Maria to develop our community of Society Members and explore the plant/person connection.Click here to join us!Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast,so you don't miss the amazing episodes we have coming up!In this episode we learn:[01:11] What to expect from this episode[04:40] A little info on Maria’s design style[05:41] The importance of deliberate plant corners[07:32] How Betsy became the interior designer she is today[09:59] Why people feel intimidated by interior design[12:22] How interior design and plant care can be similar[14:42] Tip #1: Don’t be afraid to go big![16:43] Tip #2: The rule of thirds // the rule of odd numbers[18:47] Tip #3: How to design a bookshelf[22:35] Is color-blocking your books still in?[25:33] How to prevent plants from overgrowing in spaces on your shelf[26:56] What is bohemian style and how to execute it?[31:40] How many colors can you have in a room?[34:14] How do you mix and match different textures effectively?[35:09] The best indoor and outdoor gardening products[36:13] Where to get quality seeds for this year’s garden[37:55] Incorporating plants into your boho home[39:09] Modern vs contemporary design styles[41:17] What is minimalism?[42:44] How to achieve clean lines in your home[44:18] Adding color to your contemporary home[46:37] The best plants for your clean lines home[48:54] What is glam style and its common components?[53:13] How to achieve a sophisticated beach coastal style[56:57] Adding plants to your beach coastal home[59:49] The principles of rustic design // farmhouse interior[01:02:45] What plants are fit for your farmhouse style?[01:05:51] Is Scandinavian design considered contemporary?[01:08:06] Why plants are popular interior design assets today[01:10:44] Maria’s closing remarksMentioned in our conversation:Find Your Interior Design Style personality quizThank you to our episode sponsors:Espoma OrganicEspoma Organic is dedicated to making safe indoor and outdoor gardening products for people, pets, and the planet. They have an amazing variety of high-quality, organic potting mixes, garden soil, fertilizers, and pest control products that are organic and eco-friendly. To learn more about their pet safe indoor and outdoor gardening products, visit espoma.com to find your local Espoma dealer or check my Amazon storefront.Territorial Seed CompanyExcited for this year's growing season? Territorial Seed Co's got you covered with high-quality seeds and plants (over 2,000 varieties) that are tried and tested on their 75-acre farm! From Artichoke through Zucchini, they have everything you need to grow your best garden ever! And with over 40 years of experience, you know they have seeds and plants you can trust. They are offering an exclusive discount just for listeners of Bloom & Grow Radio, use code GROW10 to get 10% off your first order. Order now at territorialseed.comFollow Betsy: WebsitePodcastBookFollow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio:Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Party Community Platform & App AKA the plantiest and kindest corner of the internet!Take the Bloom and Grow 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 and Facebook: @BloomandGrowRadioTiktok: @bloomandgrowradioSubscribe to the Bloom and Grow Youtube Show! /BloomandgrowradioWebsite: www.bloomandgrowradio.comJoin the (free) Garden Club: www.bloomandgrowradio.com/garden-club Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Happy New Year, plant friends! I hope you had great holidays and like me, are looking forward to a fresh start in 2022. In the first episode of Season 7, I invited some of my favorite planty podcasters back: Stephen and Matthew of the Plant Daddy Podcast, for a really fun conversation inspired by streamlining and simplifying our houseplant care routines. This convo is really rooted in reflecting on 2021 and learning from the transitions we all went through and these guys are just so lovely, so insightful, and thoughtful about their approach to plant care. They share plant care efficiency tips that I think we can all adapt to our own plant care routines!Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Society!The Bloom and Grow Garden Society is your one-stop shop for plant parenthood growth. When you join, you'll gain full access to the Garden Party Community Platform and App PLUS monthly plant care lectures with Horticulturist in Residence Leslie Halleck, monthly office hours with Leslie to troubleshoot your personal plant care issues and monthly Growing Joy Calls with Maria to develop our community of Society Members and explore the plant/person connection.Click here to join us!Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast,so you don't miss the amazing episodes we have coming up!In this episode we learn:[00:35] Happy new year, plant friends![03:36] Stephen shares the transitions he and his collection went through in 2021[07:28] Matthew’s life and plant collection updates[14:48] How plant rack systems work // Tray Method[17:13] How to group plants in your plant rack[17:40] Different ways of watering plants efficiently[23:42] Stephen shares his plant rack setup[25:00] The biggest change Matthew applied to his plant care[27:25] 3 tips to maintaining your urban jungle with thriving plants[29:34] Plant care efficiency tip: hang plants by the window![30:56] How much light do your bookcase plants need?[33:02] Where to get the best seeds for this growing season[34:07] What you’ll get when you join the Garden Society![36:01] Maria’s experience maintaining her plants through four different home environments[37:38] Acclimating your plants to varying growth conditions[38:30] Why grow lights are great investments[39:54] What Matthew’s plant care routine looks like today[40:59] How Stephen engages with his plants[43:24] How your plant parent personality changes with your plant collection[47:58] What’s your favorite aspect of your plant care routine? [50:22] What are you not liking about your plant care routine recently?[52:53] Matthew and Stephen share their plant intentions for 2022[54:27] Maria’s 2022 plant intentions[56:57] Where to find the Plant Daddy PodThank you to our episode sponsors:Territorial Seed CompanyExcited for this year's growing season? Territorial Seed Co's got you covered with high-quality seeds and plants (over 2,000 varieties) that are tried and tested on their 75-acre farm! From Artichoke through Zucchini, they have everything you need to grow your best garden ever! And with over 40 years of experience, you know they have seeds and plants you can trust. They are offering an exclusive discount just for listeners of Bloom & Grow Radio, use code GROW10 to get 10% off your first order. Order now at territorialseed.comBloom and Grow Garden SocietyThe Bloom and Grown Garden Society is the premium tier of the Garden Party Platform, rooted in high-quality education and community. I’ve partnered with our Horticulturist in Residence Leslie Halleck to bring monthly “Node of Knowledge” plant science lectures, monthly “Ask our Horticulturist Anything” office hours, and Growing Joy Community Calls with me. Treat yourself to an annual membership for the holidays or gift to your crazy plant friends! Learn more at jointhegardensociety.com.Follow the Plant Daddy Podcast: WebsiteInstagramFacebookPinterestFollow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio:Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Party Community Platform & App AKA the plantiest and kindest corner of the internet!Take the Bloom and Grow 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 and Facebook: @BloomandGrowRadioTiktok: @bloomandgrowradioSubscribe to the Bloom and Grow Youtube Show! /BloomandgrowradioWebsite: www.bloomandgrowradio.comJoin the (free) Garden Club: www.bloomandgrowradio.com/garden-club Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hi Plant Friends, our official first episode of Season 7 of BAGR starts next week with the return of the guys from the Plant Daddy Podcast for a great talk about streamlining houseplant care in 2022, but since it’s the first week of 2022, I wanted to share a sweet moment with you that we recently had on a Growing Joy Call in the Bloom & Grow Garden Society: a 3 minute meditation, on the turn of the year, through the eyes of our plants. It’s just a little something I’m sharing in hopes you can carve out 5 minutes of time this week to get cozy, sit with your plants, listen, reflect and get excited for 2022. If meditation, visualization or general planty cheesiness isn’t your thing… skip this episode and meet us back here on Tuesday Jan 11th for a highly informative episode to celebrate the launch of the new season! If you are interested in joining us in Bloom & Grow Virtual Garden Society, visit community.bloomandgrowradio.com to sign up! Next live lecture is this Wednesday January 12th and it’s a Seed Starting Intensive for Vegetables, Flowers AND Indoor Plants! The next Growing Joy Lecture will be about Sowing Seeds of Intention for the 2022 on Jan 18th. All calls get recorded and live in the platform for your binging delights :) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

When I think back on this last year, transition is the word that comes to mind. We are literally transitioning into a new year, but I'm sure everyone went through some form of transition this year: a new home, family additions and losses, job changes, and more. And as we grow through those transitions, our plant collection evolves too. I personally went through a tremendous transition this year and my plant collection and plant parent personality completely shifted. These transitions in my plant parenthood brought up a lot for me: feelings of shame, failure, or almost a rigidity to stick with what I used to do. In moving through this transition, I found some really helpful practices and concepts that helped me ebb, flow, and grow that I wanted to share with you today. So, this episode is rather different than our other episodes: it’s highly personal and I get into the nitty-gritty of some behind-the-scenes of this growing business and my life. No ads, no interviews, no guests—just checking in!Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Society!The Bloom and Grow Garden Society is your one-stop shop for plant parenthood growth. When you join, you'll gain full access to the Garden Party Community Platform and App PLUS monthly plant care lectures with Horticulturist in Residence Leslie Halleck, monthly office hours with Leslie to troubleshoot your personal plant care issues and monthly Growing Joy Calls with Maria to develop our community of Society Members and explore the plant/person connection.Click here to join us!Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast,so you don't miss the amazing episodes we have coming up!In this episode we learn:[00:56] Why transition is an important conversation today[02:26] How Maria’s plant parent personality and plant collection have changed this year[03:37] What to expect from this year-end episode[05:45] Maria’s questions to YOU, the listener[08:03] How the Bloom and Grow listener community inspires Maria and the podcast[11:00] Why plants improve our lives[11:30] Updates on the Bloom and Grow Radio podcast[13:40] The different transitions Maria went through this year[15:05] Planty practices to find more joy and stillness in your life[15:16] Why you should have your morning coffee with your plants[18:13] The benefits of engaging with plants during the day[20:23] Shifting how you see plant care and your plant number[22:09] Explore your plant curiosity[23:02] Use planty affirmations and some of Maria’s personal examples[25:44] Maria’s big announcement![30:27] A very special (and secret) snippetMentioned in the conversation:Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness (and Plants) pre-order links: Amazon | Bookshop.orgFollow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio:Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Party Community Platform & App AKA the plantiest and kindest corner of the internet!Take the Bloom and Grow 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 and Facebook: @BloomandGrowRadioTiktok: @bloomandgrowradioSubscribe to the Bloom and Grow Youtube Show! /BloomandgrowradioWebsite: www.bloomandgrowradio.comJoin the (free) Garden Club: www.bloomandgrowradio.com/garden-club Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

There is so much power in flowers, plant friends. A flower is so much more than a bloom, but an expression, a connection to something deeper. Whatever our known or unknown bias for blooms is, flowers are little joy bombs just waiting to be cut or grown. It’s undeniable that flowers also can play a huge part in a wedding day: from the ceremonial bouquet and corsage to the ceremony and reception flowers can be used to enliven a wedding day, and also express a part of yourself through your choices. But as a tropical foliage lover, I was actually tremendously out of my depth when it came to understanding what went into wedding florals, or flowers in general when I was planning our wedding. As wedding florals are also a huge investment, I found myself going through a little wedding floral crash course of my own and with my florist, Corina of The Botaniste. In this episode, Corina and I share all things wedding flowers so that you know where to start come your wedding planning! Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Society!The Bloom and Grow Garden Society is your one-stop-shop for plant parenthood growth. When you join you'll gain full access to the Garden Party Community Platform and App PLUS monthly plant care lectures with Horticulturist in Residence Leslie Halleck, monthly office hours with Leslie to troubleshoot your personal plant care issues and monthly Growing Joy Calls with Maria to develop our community of Society Members and explore the plant/person connection.Click here to join us!Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast,so you don't miss the amazing episodes we have coming up! In this episode we learn:[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 reflectionsMentioned in the conversation:Check out Corina's video on how to arrange a big bridal bouquet!Lush Magnolia Flower Preservation artistDIY Wedding Copper Arbor blogBAGR Episode: 3 Plant Inspired DIY Wedding Ideas that Live on After the Big DayBAGR Episode: 26 Ways to Incorporate Plants Into Your WeddingBAGR Blog: 26 Ways to Incorporate Plants Into Your WeddingThank you to our episode sponsors:Territorial Seed CompanyIt’s time to start planning your garden and placing your seed orders! Territorial Seed Company has an unbelievable selection of seeds and plants to choose from to build the garden of your dreams all year, with sustainably-grown seeds for the best-tasting, best-producing, highest-quality vegetables, flowers, and herbs. Check out their amazing variety of seeds, plants, garden planners, and more at territorialseed.com and use code BLOOM10 to get 10% off your first order.Espoma OrganicEspoma Organic is dedicated to making safe indoor and outdoor gardening products for people, pets, and the planet. They have an amazing variety of high-quality, organic potting mixes, garden soil, fertilizers, and pest control products that are organic and eco-friendly. To learn more about their pet safe indoor and outdoor gardening products, visit espoma.com to find your local Espoma dealer or check my Amazon storefront. Follow Corina:The Botaniste Florida: Website | InstagramThe Botaniste East Hampton: Website | Instagram Follow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio:Join the Bloom and Grow Ga

From the moment I got engaged, and frankly, even before that, I knew that I wanted to have the plantiest wedding possible! My plants are a huge part of me and I wanted to incorporate that aspect into our wedding. I didn’t want my wedding to be houseplant-themed, but I wanted houseplants and nature to be woven into our day seamlessly, in a refined way that felt special. Katie O’Neil of Katydyd Events, our wedding planner, joins me in this episode to talk about the different ways we added plants to our wedding, and some that didn't make it but were totally great ideas! This is one of my most anticipated episodes—I literally waited two years!—and I can't wait to share everything with you.Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Society!The Bloom and Grow Garden Society is your one-stop-shop for plant parenthood growth. When you join you'll gain full access to the Garden Party Community Platform and App PLUS monthly plant care lectures with Horticulturist in Residence Leslie Halleck, monthly office hours with Leslie to troubleshoot your personal plant care issues and monthly Growing Joy Calls with Maria to develop our community of Society Members and explore the plant/person connection.Click here to join us!Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast,so you don't miss the amazing episodes we have coming up!Check out this episode's full blog with photos here!In this episode we learn:[00:28] Why Maria wanted a planty wedding[04:40] Introducing Katie; Maria and Billy’s wedding angel[10:36] Mama Failla’s wedding advice[11:53] How Katie became the epic wedding planner she is today[14:34] Maria’s biggest wedding advice for everyone![16:56] How plants have developed as a trend in the bridal industry[17:58] Hoya kerrii as tablescape and wedding favor[21:36] What questions to ask yourself when planning a wedding with plants[22:56] Katie’s ultimate wedding planning goal[23:45] Finding the balance between a plant-themed wedding and a you-themed wedding[26:04] How to pick your wedding venue and Katie’s professional advice[31:15] How to incorporate plants into your invitations and signages[34:19] Using seed paper for your invitations[35:25] Incorporating plants into your wedding dress and suit[40:09] ‘Something blue’, wedding shoes, and floral hairpins[43:37] Picking out your color palette and bridesmaid dresses[44:36] Where to get your seeds for the upcoming growing season![46:58] What you’ll get when you join the Garden Society[48:37] How to repurpose your bridal bouquet and your bridesmaids’ bouquet during the reception[51:04] How to incorporate plants during the ceremony[54:15] Leaf girl instead of flower girl? Yes, please![55:47] Why you should swap your rice toss for a lavender toss[58:08] Fresh ideas for garlands at your reception[01:00:05] Why it’s important to get the right florist![01:02:19] Other fun, creative ways to add plants into your wedding[01:03:40] How to make the wedding green wall of your dreams[01:07:11] What to prepare for when you have live plants as wedding favors[01:08:11] Katie’s advice when doing DIY wedding pieces[01:10:51] How to make your wedding flowers last beyond your big day[01:12:35] How to incorporate macrame into your wedding[01:16:35] Katie’s biggest advice for incorporating plants into your wedding[01:20:53] Where you can hire Katie as your dream wedding planner![01:23:03] Where to get custom wedding timelines[01:25:54] Maria’s post-wedding reflectionsMentioned in the conversation:Check out the blog for this episode for a deeper dive into all of these ideasKara R. Modliszewski watercolor artist - Mad for Mod StudioBHLDNFiber and Foliage macrame shopLush Magnolia Flower Preservation artistTwo Sturdy Oaks by Henry David ThoreauDIY Wedding Copper Arbor blogBAGR Episode: 3 Plant Inspired DIY Wedding Ideas that Live on After the Big DayThank you to our episode sponsors:Territorial Seed CompanyIt’s time to start planning your garden and placing your seed orders! Territorial Seed Company has an unbelievable selection of seeds and plants to choose from to build the garden of your dreams all year, with sustainably-grown seeds for the best-tasting, best-producing, highest-quality vegetables, flowers, and herbs. Check out their amazing variety of seeds, plants, garden planners, and more at territorialseed.com and use code BLOOM10 to get 10% off their first order.Bloom and Grow Garden SocietyThe Bloom and Grown Garden Society is the premium tier of the Garden Party Platform, rooted in high-quality education and community. I’ve partnered with our Horticulturist in Residence Leslie Halleck to bring monthly “Node of Knowledge” plant science lectures, monthly “Ask our Horticulturist Anything” office hours, and Growing Joy Community Calls with me. Treat yourself to an annual membership for the holidays or gift to your crazy plant friends! Learn more at jointhegardensociety.com.Follow Katie:WebsiteInstagramFacebookPinterestFollow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio:Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Party Community Platform

Plant friends, I am so excited to finally bring you this planty wedding series, after almost two years of waiting! This month, I’m bringing you the Botanically Inspired Wedding Series on Bloom and Grow Radio, where we explore all aspects and intersections of weddings and plants. We have something for everyone in this series whether you love to DIY, are curious about the floral industry and how to make a great bouquet, or just really fun ways to incorporate houseplants into your wedding in unique exciting ways! In this first episode of the series, we share DIY projects that stretch a dollar, because all three projects we discuss can be repurposed in your home to live on forever! Let's get DIY-ing!Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Society!The Bloom and Grow Garden Society is your one-stop-shop for plant parenthood growth. When you join you'll gain full access to the Garden Party Community Platform and App PLUS monthly plant care lectures with Horticulturist in Residence Leslie Halleck, monthly office hours with Leslie to troubleshoot your personal plant care issues and monthly Growing Joy Calls with Maria to develop our community of Society Members and explore the plant/person connection.Click here to join us!Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast,so you don't miss the amazing episodes we have coming up!For a step-by-step tutorial of the DIY copper arbor, click this link!In this episode we learn:[00:20] Introducing the Planty Wedding Series[05:45] What to expect from this episode![07:13] Introducing Marianne[08:10] How to use your wedding arbor during and after your wedding[10:19] DIY wedding copper arbor level of difficulty[12:05] How to customize your own wedding arbor[14:30] Putting the arbor in place on your wedding day[15:20] How to place flowers on your wedding arbor[17:53] Where to get the plantiest gifts this holiday season![20:03] The planty home collection of your dreams[22:09] The best filler flowers and star flowers for your wedding arbor[25:56] Cheaper alternatives for copper pipes[27:49] How to transition your wedding arbor into the garden[32:30] The idea behind Maria’s wedding green wall[34:41] How to add hanging planters to your green wall[36:01] One of Maria’s favorite parts in their wedding![38:09] How to make sure your guests take home your wedding favors[39:22] Where Maria sourced their 100 hoya hearts[41:01] Maria’s tips for sourcing terracotta pots for your wedding[42:14] What to expect when adding houseplants to your wedding[45:58] Maria’s word to the wise for those looking at DIY wedding ideas[47:36] Bonus DIY wedding tips and ideas![50:16] Planty Wedding Series next episodes!Mentioned in the conversation:HGTV Obsessed episode with MariaDIY Wedding Arbor TutorialHGTV Obsessed PodcastTroubleshooting my Wedding Hoya Heart Lighting with Leslie Halleck YouTube videoLittle Prince of Oregon Nursery [discount code: BLOOM20 for 20% off]Fiber and Foliage macrame shopLush MagnoliaGridwall PanelHedge Wall Pieces (12) , (6)Faux FernsDried FernsArtificial Tropical LeavesThank you to our episode sponsors:Modern SproutModern Sprout is on a mission to connect people and plants with their amazing assortment of smart app-enabled grow lights, indoor grow kits and candle kits, and amazing planty accessories that are highly giftable. They have something for everyone this holiday season, whether it's an ultra beginner gardener or a plant enthusiast just looking to up their plant parenthood game. Check out modsprout.com for all their offerings and get 15% off with code BLOOM21.WallyGrowCheck out WallyGrow's extremely sustainable Eco Planter and their Loop Planter-- the answer to all green wall and hanging planter problems (plus they are made out of recycled plastic)! They've recently launched a home line in partnership with exclusive prints from Living Pattern, with gorgeously planty dish towels, burp cloths, swaddles, and even pillowcases! WallyGrow is offering a limited-time 15% discount to BAGR listeners from November 30-December 7th, so take advantage of it while you can at wallygrow.com with code MARIAGIFTS15 at checkout.Follow Marianne:InstagramHGTV Obsessed PodcastFollow Katie:WebsiteInstagramFacebookPinterestFollow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio:Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Party Community Platform & App AKA the plantiest and kindest corner of the internet!Take the Bloom and Grow 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 and Facebook: @BloomandGrowRadioTiktok: @bloomandgrowradioSubscribe to the Bloom and Grow Youtube Show! /BloomandgrowradioWebsite: www.bloomandgrowradio.comJoin the (free) Garden Club: www.bloomandgrowradio.com/garden-club Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Snake plants are completely underrated. These “low light-tolerant” plants are often thrown into dark corners, dusty offices, and bathrooms with no windows due to their notoriously hardy personalities, but there is so much more to this beautiful collection of plants than just their ability to survive. Their leaves come in the most mesmerizing shapes and I think they are one of the most giftable plants around because no matter who you are gifting, and what their lighting situation is, a snake plant will likely be able to handle it. That is why I'm excited to finally have a deep dive into this set of plants with no other than repeat-guest and plant friend, NYC Plant Doctor himself, Chris Satch! Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Society!The Bloom and Grow Garden Society is your one-stop shop for plant parenthood growth. When you join you'll gain full access to the Garden Party Community Platform and App PLUS monthly plant care lectures with Horticulturist in Residence Leslie Halleck, monthly office hours with Leslie to troubleshoot your personal plant care issues and monthly Growing Joy Calls with Maria to develop our community of Society Members and explore the plant/person connection.Click here to join us!Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast,so you don't miss the amazing episodes we have coming up!In this episode we learn:[00:39] Why Maria LOVES snake plants[04:55] Why snake plants are the most giftable plants[06:06] Are snake plants Dracaena or Sansevieria?[09:32] Where do you find snake plants in nature?[10:06] Are snake plants low-light plants?[11:08] The structure of a snake plant[13:43] How snake plants photosynthesize[18:02] How much light do snake plants need? Can you burn them?[19:16] How often should you water snake plants?[21:22] What your snake plant looks like when it needs watering[23:24] How do you get a snake plant to flower?[24:13] Do snake plants need fertilizer?[26:23] Where to get sustainable hanging planters[29:12] The best giftable planty products this season[32:14] Chris’ confession about the best potting media for snake plants[34:49] Maria’s confession about her first snake plants[35:57] How to divide and repot snake plant pups[38:00] How tall should a pup be before you separate them?[41:23] Why do snake plants droop? How do you strengthen their leaves?[43:33] Troubleshooting floppy snake plant leaves[46:06] How do you get snake plants to be fuller?[47:33] Chris’ favorite snake plant species[52:28] Why you should wipe the dust off your snake plant leaves[54:05] What life lessons can we learn from snake plants?Mentioned snake plant species:Sansevieria gracilisSansevieria fischeriSansevieria ‘Cleopatra’Sansevieria kirkii var. pulchra. “Coppertone”Sansevieria trifasciata “Bantel’s Sensation”Sansevieria cylindricaSansevieria trifasciata “Moonshine”Sansevieria trifasciata 'Laurentii'Thank you to our episode sponsors:WallyGrowCheck out WallyGrow's extremely sustainable Eco Planter and their Loop Planter-- the answer to all green wall and hanging planter problems (plus they are made out of recycled plastic)! They've recently launched a home line in partnership with exclusive prints from Living Pattern, with gorgeously planty dish towels, burp cloths, swaddles, and even pillowcases! WallyGrow is offering a limited-time 15% discount to BAGR listeners from November 9 to 23, so take advantage of it while you can at wallygrow.com with code MARIA15 at checkout.Modern SproutModern Sprout is on a mission to connect people and plants with their amazing assortment of smart app-enabled grow lights, indoor grow kits and candle kits, and amazing planty accessories that are highly giftable. They have something for everyone, whether it's an ultra beginner gardener or a plant enthusiast just looking to up their plant parenthood game. They are offering their biggest discounts of the year this Black Friday: 30% off their gorgeous and sleek grow lights, gift sets, and that watering can I’m always talking about. Check out modsprout.com for all their offerings and snag that Black Friday 30% off or get 15% off any other day this month with code BLOOM21.Follow Chris:InstagramWebsiteClassesFollow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio:Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Party Community Platform & App AKA the plantiest and kindest corner of the internet!Take the Bloom and Grow 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 and Facebook: @BloomandGrowRadioTiktok: @bloomandgrowradioSubscribe to the Bloom and Grow Youtube Show! /BloomandgrowradioWebsite: www.bloomandgrowradio.comJoin the (free) Garden Club: www.bloomandgrowradio.com/garden-club Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Plantrepreneurship, or entrepreneurship in the plant space, feels like it’s at an all-time high these days. With the massive shifts our society has gone through, people are feeling more drawn to plants and so many businesses are popping up designed to serve our plant community, and many members of our community are looking to transition into the world of plants professionally! I’ve noticed more and more plant consultants popping up on my social media feeds, and when I was thinking of an inspiring plantrepreneur to bring on this show, Celebrity Plant Stylist Reagan Kastner came to mind. I’ve had my eye on Reagan since she took #planttok or planty TikTok by storm earlier in 2020. Reagan is a serial entrepreneur with a really interesting career path and has used social media to her advantage to grow her planty business as a planty stylist and consultant. Listen to her plantrepreneurship journey below! Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Society!The Bloom and Grow Garden Society is your one stop shop for plant parenthood growth. When you join you'll gain full access to the Garden Party Community Platform and App PLUS monthly plant care lectures with Horticulturist in Residence Leslie Halleck, monthly office hours with Leslie to troubleshoot your personal plant care issues and monthly Growing Joy Calls with Maria to develop our community of Society Members and explore the plant/person connection.Click here to join us!Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast,so you don't miss the amazing episodes we have coming up!In this episode we learn:[00:34] Introducing Reagan[03:56] Don’t have a degree in horticulture? You’re welcome here![06:06] How Reagan became the plant lady she is today[07:41] Where Reagan’s plantrepreneurship began[11:11] How did Reagan come up with the idea for Stylush?[14:41] Being a plant influencer, a business owner, and a plant stylist all at the same time[17:38] Who does Reagan turn to for business advice and resources?[19:10] Reagan’s advice for your first-year plantrepreneurship[22:09] How do you get started in the plant styling business?[24:51] How to figure out your plant styling pricing[25:38] What license do you need to buy wholesale plants?[27:04] Where to get the best planty holiday gifts![30:21] How to install the green wall of your dreams (like Maria!)[33:33] How to compute your hourly rate as a plant stylist[37:59] What is Reagan’s relationship with social media regarding her brand?[40:26] The importance of having the right tools for your business[42:22] Should you keep a content calendar?[45:33] What does Reagan’s hiring process look like? How big is her current team?[47:20] How to get your first 50 clients as a plant stylist[48:57] Where Reagan gets her resources for plant care and plant styling[51:20] Why a simple business card can instantly elevate your business[52:00] 3 tips for people who want to grow on TikTok[54:44] Should you grow your plantrepreneurship on Instagram or TikTok?[55:22] What’s next for Reagan?Mentioned in our conversation:You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life, book by Jen SinceroThank you to our episode sponsors:Modern SproutModern Sprout is on a mission to connect people and plants with their amazing assortment of smart app-enabled grow lights, indoor grow kits and candle kits, and amazing planty accessories that are highly giftable. They have something for everyone, whether it's an ultra beginner gardener or a plant enthusiast just looking to up their plant parenthood game, so head to modsprout.com and use code BLOOM21 at checkout for 15% off.WallyGrowCheck out WallyGrow's extremely sustainable Eco Planter and their Loop Planter-- the answer to all green wall and hanging planter problems (plus they are made out of recycled plastic)! They've recently launched a home line in partnership with exclusive prints from Living Pattern, with gorgeously planty dish towels, burp cloths, swaddles, and even pillowcases! WallyGrow is offering a limited-time 15% discount to BAGR listeners from November 9 to 23, so take advantage of it while you can at wallygrow.com with code MARIA15 at checkout.Follow Reagan:TikTokInstagramYouTube Follow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio:Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Party Community Platform & App AKA the plantiest and kindest corner of the internet!Take the Bloom and Grow 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 and Facebook: @BloomandGrowRadioTiktok: @bloomandgrowradioSubscribe to the Bloom and Grow Youtube Show! /BloomandgrowradioWebsite: www.bloomandgrowradio.comJoin the (free) Garden Club: www.bloomandgrowradio.com/garden-club Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This special mini episode of the podcast is just a little one on one with you and me: where I’m going to peel back the curtain and give you the inside scoop on why I created the Garden Society and how you, my community of listeners, where my muse. We will also dive into all the delicious goodies that are part of it’s membership and later on in the episode, I invite the Garden Society’s Horticulturist in Residence, and beloved guest of BAGR, Leslie Halleck on to talk about her reason for joining me and what she’s excited to bring to our community of Garden Society members.Plant friends, the Bloom & Grow Garden Society has been almost a year in the making. After reviewing your 2020 listener surveys, I heard that you wanted 1) a safe space for our community to grow together (The Garden Party Platform was the answer for that!) and 2) more deeper dives and opportunities to continue to dive deeper into plant parenthood. I started to think about how I, your plant friend next store, could create that for us. And it hit me: a garden society.Back in the day, plant and gardening enthusiasts would gather at local garden and community centers for garden society meet ups, where they could nerd out with fellow plant geeks to get expert level education from guest speakers, trade tips and techniques and show off their prized plants. Nowadays, meeting in real life isn’t quite as practical. Our plant community and community of listeners extends way beyond a local garden center, we are an international, world wide web of beautiful planty humans. So I’ve created a VIRTUAL Garden Society, so everyone is invited, no matter what corner of the earth you live in- especially considering that I myself live in the middle of the woods in Upstate NY! The Bloom & Grow Garden Society, in partnership with the Society’s Horticulturist in Residence, Leslie Halleck, is your new go to place for deeper, concentrated Plant Parenthood Growth. In it, we will be giving you lectures, meetings and materials to help grow your plant care knowledge, your plant collections, and yourselves. Inside the Garden Society, you’ll find:Monthly “Node of Knowledge” plant care lectures rooted in science with Horticulturist in Residence, Leslie HalleckMonthly “Ask our Horticulturalist Anything” to troubleshoot your personal plant issues with Leslie (yes that’s right, an opportunity every month, to troubleshoot your plant collection with a horticulturist, not a billion blogs or youtube videos that don’t apply to you)Private conversation space with other plant friends to discuss monthly Nodes of Knowledge topics and themes and grow togetherPriority in submitting interview questions for other Bloom and Grow Radio Podcast Episodes Access to the easy to navigate Garden Party platform and App (for both iOS and Android) - a place for our community to make new plant friends and grow more joy in their lives with regional groups, daily conversation prompts, special interest spacesand more. Support from other like-minded plant parents to connect and swap your planty knowledge withSecurity and safety through our Community Guidelines and Best Practices #kindplantfriendsonly #notrollsallowedFounding Memberships are 25% off through 11/9. Don't miss our on this amazing discount, and the opportunity to join us, and build this thing up from the ground. Or should I say earth ;)Click here to join us in the Bloom & Grow Garden SocietyIf you are already an existing member of the Garden Party Platform, you'll upgrade your existing membership through this link. See you in the Garden Society!Maria Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Whether you've been around the block of plant parenthood a few times or you're just beginning your journey, you’ve likely seen some version of what I like to call "planty fake news" or plant care myths: allegedly fool-proof hacks that seem too good to be true, old wives' tales that have been translated one too many times, or plant care claims that just seem super confusing. When I started my journey from plant killer to plant lady, I fell prey to a lot of these myths, and this podcast is a testament to all of the trends and trials of my plant parenthood journey. I’m lucky to have a plant friend in Horticulturist Leslie Halleck to turn to when I now see something suspect on the internet. I'm lucky to be able to text her and ask "does this 10 plank care hack video even make sense?", so I thought I’d bring our internal text thread to the podcast and “bust” several plant care hacks and myths we’ve both seen circulating. Also, exciting news, Leslie and I have been keeping a secret from you for what feels like a year. Tune in to find out what it is!Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Society!The Bloom and Grow Garden Society is your one stop shop for plant parenthood growth. When you join you'll gain full access to the Garden Party Community Platform and App PLUS monthly plant care lectures with Horticulturist in Residence Leslie Halleck, monthly office hours with Leslie to troubleshoot your personal plant care issues and monthly Growing Joy Calls with Maria to develop our community of Society Members and explore the plant/person connection.Founding Society Members get 25% through November 9th. Click here to join us!Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast,so you don't miss the amazing episodes we have coming up!In this episode we learn:[03:13] Maria and Leslie reveal their BIG secret![04:38] The goals behind Garden Society[06:02] Why the community is called Garden Society[10:04] Maria gets real about plant hacks[10:44] Plant Care Myth #1: Houseplants clean your air[12:37] NASA’s study on air-purifying plants[15:34] Where does the oxygen we consume most come from?[18:33] How many plants per square foot do you need for better air quality at home?[21:03] Do plants emit pollutants in the air?[22:19] How plants get rid of VOCs or volatile organic compounds[23:50] The psychological value of plants in our homes[24:13] The positive effects of plants on our physical state[25:12] Plant knowledge is power![26:28] Plant Care Myth #2: Potting up your plants every two years[28:07] The truth about repotting plants[30:00] The whys and whens of bumping up a plant[31:40] When is a soil refresh necessary versus repotting?[34:15] Repotting due to root decay or root overgrowth[37:05] The best organic gardening products for all types of plant parents[38:26] Maria’s favorite grow lights and planty accessories[41:53] How seasons can affect your repotting schedule[46:40] Plant Care Myth #3: Misting your plants[51:09] What is the right way to mist your plants? When do you mist your plants?[54:30] When shouldn’t you mist your plants?[58:14] How to increase the humidity around your plants[01:04:28] What you get when you join the Bloom and Grow Garden Society![01:05:56] The first topic for Nodes of Knowledge[01:07:44] Monthly AHAs or Ask Horticulturist Anything[01:10:48] Growing Joy Calls with Maria[01:12:03] Your exclusive discount for Garden Society!Mentioned in our conversation:Moisture Meter and Hygrometer Review YouTube videoJoin the Bloom and Grow Garden Society and take advantage of the Founding Member discounts!Thank you to our episode sponsors:Espoma OrganicEspoma Organic is dedicated to making safe indoor and outdoor gardening products for people, pets, and the planet. They have an amazing variety of high-quality, organic potting mixes, garden soil, fertilizers, and pest control products that are organic and eco-friendly. To learn more about their pet safe indoor and outdoor gardening products, visit espoma.com to find your local Espoma dealer or check my Amazon storefront.Modern SproutModern Sprout is on a mission to connect people and plants with their amazing assortment of smart app-enabled grow lights, indoor grow kits and candle kits, and amazing planty accessories that are highly giftable. They have something for everyone, whether it's an ultra beginner gardener or a plant enthusiast just looking to up their plant parenthood game, so head to modsprout.com and use code BLOOM21 at checkout for 15% off.Follow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio:Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Society : where Horticulturist taught plant care education and plant community come together. We've created the one stop shop for your Plant Parenthood growth. Click here to learn moreTake the Bloom and Grow 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 and Facebook: @BloomandGrowRadioTiktok: @bloomandgrowradioSubscribe to the Bl

I'm so excited to geek out on my favorite planty products with you, plant friends! The holiday season is just around the corner, and what perfect way to show your appreciation and love for the plant parents in your life (or for yourself) than to give them great planty gifts? The holiday season is also a great way to maybe invite our non-planty friends to try growing! I've got an amazing list of plant accessories, plant gift sets, books, and more—with exclusive coupon codes to support our beloved sponsors and the Bloom and Grow Radio podcast. Happy listening!So you know, I have an affiliate or sponsor relationship with some of the companies mentioned below. Others I have no relationship with and just love to their stuff. Regardless of my affiliation, every item on this list is something I've used, loved, or have been recommended by trusted plant friends. PS: if you're a fan of the show, supporting BAGR sponsors with our provided sponsor codes and links is a great way to support the podcast!Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Society!Click here to join the waitlistDon't forget to subscribe to the podcast,so you don't miss the amazing episodes we have coming up!In this episode we learn:[00:52] Maria’s exciting news![02:26] Why this year’s Favorite Things is different[03:52] Why Maria loves doing ‘Maria’s Favorite Things’[05:04] How Maria chose her favorite things this year[06:02] Plant Care Accessories[13:12] Gift Sets, Stocking Stuffers, Teacher Gifts, and Hostess Gifts[17:46] Planters[20:53] The best and cutest gift set for new parents[21:34] Luxurious and efficient Grow Lights[26:09] Maria’s Favorite Books[29:41] The houseplant nursery to watch out for[31:54] Monthly exclusive and educational content to subscribe to!Mentioned in our conversation:Plant Care AccessoriesModern Sprout Watering Can [code: BLOOM21 for 15% off]Govee Hygrometer with Bluetooth (2 pack)Thermpro Hygrometer (2 pack)Terrarium toolsSoil scoopMacro and Wide Angle Lens with LED Light and Travel CaseBotanopia Plant Stakes (set of 4)WallyGrow Placemats [MARIA15 for 15% off from November 9-23]Planty Gift Sets, Stocking Stuffers, and Hostess GiftsModern Sprout Plant Parent Box Set [code: BLOOM21 for 15% off]Modern Sprout Growing Gourmet Kit [code: BLOOM21 for 15% off]Modern Sprout Garden Party Box Set [code: BLOOM21 for 15% off]Modern Sprout Rooted Candles [code: BLOOM21 for 15% off]Modern Sprout Bright Side Seed Balls [code: BLOOM21 for 15% off]Hemleva PinsPlantersMichiko Shamada’s terracotta plantersWallyGrow Eco Wall Planter [MARIA15 for 15% off from November 9-23] WallyGrow Loop Hanging Planter [MARIA15 for 15% off from November 9-23]Modern Sprout Glow and Grow Kits [code: BLOOM21 for 15% off]Grow LightsModern Sprout Smart Growhouse [code: BLOOM21 for 15% off]Modern Sprout Smart Growbar [code: BLOOM21 for 15% off]Modern Sprout Uplift Planter [code: BLOOM21 for 15% off]SolTech Solutions Aspect™ Pendant Grow Light [code: bloomgrow2021 for 15% off]SolTech Solutions Vita™ Grow Light [code: bloomgrow2021 for 15% off]BooksLessons from Plants by Beronda Montgomery (check out the podcast episode here!)Ross GayThe Overstory by Richard PowersBlack in the Garden Coloring Book by Colah B Tawkin (Listen to her podcast here! BAGR episode here)Plant ShopLittle Prince of Oregon [code: BLOOM20 for 20% off]SeedsTerritorial Seed Co Gift CardGet a gift card to Territorial Seed Company for the gardener in your life to get high-quality seeds and gardening supplies! [Code Bloom10 for 10% off]Potting MixEspoma StorefrontYouTube VideosFavorite Things YouTube Video Also Mentioned in the episodeMoisture Meter and Hygrometer ReviewWallygro Greenwall Update and InstallMy Favorite Planty (Plant Inspired) Book Haul from 2020For the full blog post on all Maria's favorite things check it out here! Follow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio:Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Party Community Platform & App AKA the plantiest and kindest corner of the internet!Take the Bloom and Grow 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 and Facebook: @BloomandGrowRadioTiktok: @bloomandgrowradioSubscribe to the Bloom and Grow Youtube Show! /BloomandgrowradioWebsite: www.bloomandgrowradio.comJoin the (free) Garden Club: www.bloomandgrowradio.com/garden-club Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

I admit it, plant friends; I was totally unaware of a total subsect of the plant community: the planted aquarium world. There is a whole corner of the plant world dedicated to elevating our common fishtanks to living, growing underwater worlds that look like art. Aquatic gardeners are using aquatic plants to aquascape insanely beautiful aquariums. It is biophilia in the highest sense because you have so many aspects of the natural world indoors, and you even get to keep cute fishies! I had many of you request this episode but, to be frank, I've only health with above-ground houseplants so I was totally out of my depths. I figured I’d turn to Karen, an avid aquatic gardener who has written a step-by-step tutorial on how to assemble planted aquariums for a chat about the basics of aquatic plants. Get ready to dive into the wild world of aquatic plants and gardening!Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Party!Join us in the plantiest and kindest corner of the internet: our private community platform and app with dedicated conversation topics, quarterly meet-ups, regional groups and the ability to find plant friends near you and so much more!Join the Garden Party and become a Plant Friend!Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast,so you don't miss the amazing episodes we have coming up!In this episode we learn:[01:06] Introducing Karen[03:33] What to expect from this conversation[05:20] How Karen became the plant lady she is today[07:40] The importance of knowing your plants’ natural habitat[08:42] Why are planted aquariums becoming popular again?[10:33] Basic houseplants vs. aquatic plants[12:04] How do you trade aquatic plants?[13:33] What are aquatic plants and how do they grow underwater?[15:04] The different types of aquatic plants[19:48] How are emersed and submersed aquarium plants different[21:24] The basic requirements for a planted aquarium with live plants[23:43] What does ‘cycled’ mean?[25:57] Why do you need to let your plants settle in the aquarium before introducing fish?[28:43] Where to get bacteria that your aquarium needs[30:04] Three uses of filters in your aquarium[33:07] How to prep your plants for winter[34:51] Learn from a horticulturist![37:06] What water to use in your aquarium[38:31] How to figure out the water you have at home[39:52] Troubleshooting your aquarium water[42:03] Why do you need to change the water in your aquarium?[43:17] Using fertilizer in your aquarium[45:08] What type of substrate works best for your aquarium?[50:23] Aquarium lighting and the basics[53:26] The most important lighting factor for your aquarium[56:56] Karen’s aquarium supply recommendations[58:26] How to transition to a bigger tank[01:00:11] Are CO2 systems worth it?[01:03:14] How do you select plants for your aquarium?[01:05:24] Top 5 best aquatic plants for beginners[01:11:41] Maria’s plans for her own planted aquariumMentioned in our conversation:Sunken Gardens: A Step-by-Step Guide to Planting Freshwater Aquariums, book by Karen RandallFlorida Aquatic NurseriesAquatic Gardeners AssociationGH Kit & KH KitFluval Plant and Shrimp StratumSafe-T-Sorb Absorbent ClayKaren Randall's ScrapScapeThank you to our episode sponsors:SolTech SolutionsSoltech Solutions recently launched the Greenfit™ bundle with their new Vita LED Grow Bulb: a bulb that screws into any light fixture. Greenfit your home and get four Vita Grow Light Bulbs for the price of 3, no coupon code necessary! Head over to soltechsolutions.com and check out their bundles of lights and lighting accessories for up to 20% off!Follow Karen:Planted Aquarium WebsiteVivarium/Terrarium WebsitePlanted Nano and Betta Tank Facebook GroupFollow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio:Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Party Community Platform & App AKA the plantiest and kindest corner of the internet!Take the Bloom and Grow 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 and Facebook: @BloomandGrowRadioTiktok: @bloomandgrowradioSubscribe to the Bloom and Grow Youtube Show! /BloomandgrowradioWebsite: www.bloomandgrowradio.comJoin the (free) Garden Club: www.bloomandgrowradio.com/garden-club Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Plant friends, I've been sharing with you my overwhelm, burnout, and general processing of everything that's happening in our world right now. It’s been so nice to connect with so many of you who share similar feelings. I'm also grateful to have had my plant collection to turn to and use as a tool for wellness in these trying times. Several of you had recommended Lessons from Plants by Beronda Montgomery and from page one, I felt like I had met a Plant Soul Sister in this author. Her book seemed to be the answer to my prayers about the struggles of understanding the science behind these phenomena I witness and take meaning from. Beronda has the scientific understanding to deep dive into lessons we can take away from plants. She joins me in this episode to share lessons we can learn from plants for specific scenarios many of us went through in 2021. Let's dive in!Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Party!Join us in the plantiest and kindest corner of the internet: our private community platform and app with dedicated conversation topics, quarterly meet ups, regional groups and the ability to find plant friends near you and so much more!Join the Garden Party and become a Plant Friend!Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast,so you don't miss the amazing episodes we have coming up! In this episode we learn:[01:08] Introducing Beronda[02:56] Maria’s wonderful announcement![05:03] How Beronda became the plant parent she is today[07:17] Beronda shares her planty educational background[08:55] What Maria loves about Lessons from Plants[10:50] Bridging the gap in the plant community[12:46] What plants teach us about loss and pruning back[15:01] What is culling: how to apply the concept of culling in our lives[17:04] Why dormancy is important for us and our plants[18:37] How to honor the losses we’ve had[19:34] What plants teach us about transitions[20:45] Plants rest, and so should we![21:02] How to address your plants’ light needs in the winter[22:26] Where to get safe indoor and outdoor gardening products[24:48] How plants teach us to regulate our resources[26:18] How we make ourselves prone to burnout[27:37] The lessons of sensitivity and self-awareness from plants[28:27] How lack of self-reflection can lead to lack of resources for everyone[29:14] How much time do we need for self-reflection?[30:10] Maria’s small ways to interact with her plants more often[31:04] Why plants are symbols of resilience[32:27] How repotting plants and moving homes are the same[35:14] Pioneer species or pioneer plants and what they do[37:04] How we can be all pioneer plants[38:48] What are intentional disruptors?[41:37] Beronda’s personal favorite lessons from plants[44:14] How plants teach us to connect with others[45:48] Maria shares the best way to read Lessons from PlantsMentioned in our conversation:Lessons from Plants, book by Beronda L. MontgomeryThe Forest Unseen, book by David George HaskellThe Overstory, novel by Richard PowersThank you to our episode sponsors:SolTech SolutionsSoltech Solutions recently launched the Greenfit™ bundle with their new Vita LED Grow Bulb: a bulb that screws into any light fixture. Greenfit your home and get four Vita Grow Light Bulbs for the price of 3, no coupon code necessary! Head over to soltechsolutions.com and check out their bundles of lights and lighting accessories for up to 20% off!Espoma OrganicEspoma Organic is dedicated to making safe indoor and outdoor gardening products for people, pets, and the planet. They have an amazing variety of high-quality, organic potting mixes, garden soil, fertilizers, and pest control products that are organic and eco-friendly. To learn more about their pet safe indoor and outdoor gardening products, visit espoma.com to find your local dealer or check out my Amazon storefront of my favorite Espoma products here. Follow Beronda:InstagramTwitterWebsiteBuy Beronda's book: Lessons from Plants Follow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio:Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Party Community Platform & App AKA the plantiest and kindest corner of the internet!Take the Bloom and Grow 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 and Facebook: @BloomandGrowRadioTiktok: @bloomandgrowradioSubscribe to the Bloom and Grow Youtube Show! /BloomandgrowradioWebsite: www.bloomandgrowradio.comJoin the (free) Garden Club: www.bloomandgrowradio.com/garden-club Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

2020 had us all looking at our homes and asking ourselves if our current lifestyles were truly working for us or if it was time for a change. Billy and I desired more space, more nature, and a new opportunity to grow, which is why we moved upstate. An interesting question rose up when we moved and stared at our new surroundings and new gardening zone with a bit of overwhelm: now what? I've heard this question from so many members of our community who also made a big move, purchased a new home, and are looking at their new landscapes with wide eyes and lots of questions.In this episode, I invited Stephen Orr, editor of one of my favorite magazines and a gardener going through this process himself, to join me for a conversation about his journey to rejuvenating and experimenting with his new garden, or gardens, in his new home in Cape Cod. Can't wait to learn with you!Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Party!Join us in the plantiest and kindest corner of the internet: our private community platform and app with dedicated conversation topics, quarterly meet ups, regional groups and the ability to find plant friends near you and so much more!Join the Garden Party and become a Plant Friend!Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast,so you don't miss the amazing episodes we have coming up!In this episode we learn:[00:00:57] Introducing Stephen[00:05:20] Why Maria is obsessed with Better Homes and Gardens[00:06:30] How Stephen’s parents influenced him to be a plant person[00:09:42] Popular houseplants in the 70s according to Stephen’s mom’s collection[00:15:16] Why it’s important to identify the soil type in your garden[00:17:35] Animal pressure and other factors to consider when looking for a new home with a garden[00:20:01] How to prepare your new garden for the seasons[00:22:13] Know which plants work best for your garden through your neighborhood[00:23:44] How to preserve old gardens and rejuvenate lilacs[00:25:27] Things to keep in mind when moving into a house with history[00:27:03] Where to get efficient and stylish grow lights for your home[00:28:21] How to have garlic all year round[00:29:54] How to transform a sandy area into a gravel garden[00:32:07] The best plants for seaside gardens[00:32:58] How to train plants to thrive in difficult conditions[00:35:51] Conducting your own garden research[00:37:06] Where to begin when starting a new garden in a new home[00:38:44] Common mistakes new homeowners make with their garden[00:39:41] How to avoid new home overwhelm[00:41:29] Stephen’s garden experiments: raised beds and a mini meadow[00:46:01] How to do seed sowing successfully[00:48:33] Checking your soil on your first year gardening[00:50:10] How to rejuvenate your flowering plants[00:52:33] What NOT to do on your first gardening year[00:53:47] Stephen’s recommended culinary herbs to plant in your garden[01:00:46] Stephen shares a nice little note about being Better Homes and Gardens editor[01:04:00] Maria’s BIG news!Mentioned in our conversation:The Dry Gardening Handbook : Plants and Practices for a Changing Climate, book by Olivier FilippiPlanting Design for Dry Gardens, book by Olivier FilippiThe Dry Garden, book by Beth ChattoThe New American Herbal, by Stephen OrrTomorrow's Garden, by Stephen OrrBetter Homes and Gardens MagazineThank you to our episode sponsors:SolTech SolutionsSoltech Solutions recently launched the Greenfi bundle with their new Vita LED Grow Bulb: a bulb that screws into any light fixture. Greenfit your home and get four Vita Grow Light Bulbs for the price of 3, no coupon code necessary! Head over to soltechsolutions.com and check out their bundles of lights and lighting accessories for up to 20% off!Territorial Seed CompanyTerritorial Seed Co provides high-quality seeds and plants (over 2000 varieties) that are tried and tested on their 75-acre farm and have a ton of fall varieties for us to try! Most of us think of the gardening season as spring and summer, but with the right timing and varieties for your location, you can grow year-round! Territorial Seed Company carries lots of varieties to start in summer and harvest in late fall, winter, and even over winter. For seeds, plants, online garden planner, how-to videos and more, visit TerritorialSeed.com and use code BLOOM10 for 10% off on your first order.Follow Stephen:InstagramBuy Stephen's books: Tomorrow's Garden and the The New American Herbal,Check out Better Homes & GardensFollow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio:Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Party Community Platform & App AKA the plantiest and kindest corner of the internet!Take the Bloom and Grow 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 and Facebook: @BloomandGrowRadioTiktok: @bloomandgrowradioSubscribe to the Bloom and Grow Youtube Show! /BloomandgrowradioWebsite: www.bloomandgrowradio.comJoin the (free) Garden Club: www.bloomandgrow

Honestly, I've been feeling so overwhelmed and uninterested in curating my thoughts and feelings about plants and plant parenthood. It’s been a hell of a year and although I’m all about keeping it positive, I’m also all about keeping it real. And lately, social media has made it hard to share authentically. That's why when Christy, a Garden Party founding member, started this plant parent confessional in the Garden Party platform, members had space to post about things they do that wouldn’t pass the Instagram cut: plant fails and “bad” plant parent practices. So, this episode is community-based, from Garden Party members who called in and submitted their confessionals. I'm sharing them with you in hopes to just normalize the messiness of plant parenthood and tell you that no matter where you are on your plant parent journey, you’re welcome here :)Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Party!Join us in the plantiest and kindest corner of the internet: our private community platform and app with dedicated conversation topics, quarterly meet ups, regional groups and the ability to find plant friends near you and so much more!Join the Garden Party and become a Plant Friend!Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast,so you don't miss the amazing episodes we have coming up!In this episode we learn:[01:39] What inspired Maria to have a confessional episode[04:28] Meet Christy, one of Garden Party’s Founding Plant Friends[05:23] Plant care confessions: fertilizing, repotting, disinfecting tools, and more[07:29] How imperfections are the best learning opportunities in plant parenthood[08:14] A Tradescantia zebrina "Purple Tinge" confession[09:59] Why we should normalize falling out of love with our plants[10:51] A confession about cuttings and propagation[12:33] Repotting in the fall and winter, does that make you a bad plant parent?[14:04] Where to get the best indoor and outdoor gardening products[15:40] The best seed provider for year-round harvest![17:03] A frugal plant parent confession[18:09] When you give good plant parent advice— that you don’t do yourself![19:56] Do you isolate your new plants when you bring them home?[22:12] When Maria caught Billy in a cute plant parent moment[23:22] A plant parent’s ‘lazy approach’[24:44] The pressures of Instagram and color editing your plants[26:12] How social media can affect the way we perceive our plants and our own plant journey[28:21] Maria’s reminder: take care of yourself, plant friend![29:28] Maria’s confessions[31:24] The plant parent practice that helped Maria regain her plant parent confidence and joy[33:41] Plant parenthood is messy! That’s how it’s supposed to be, and you are not alone[34:40] Exciting news for the Bloom and Grow Radio Podcast!Thank you to our episode sponsors:Espoma OrganicEspoma Organic is dedicated to making safe indoor and outdoor gardening products for people, pets, and the planet. They have an amazing variety of high-quality, organic potting mixes, garden soil, fertilizers, and pest control products that are organic and eco-friendly. To learn more about their pet safe indoor and outdoor gardening products, visit espoma.com to find your local dealer or check out my Amazon storefront of my favorite Espoma products here.Territorial Seed CompanyTerritorial Seed Co provides high-quality seeds and plants (over 2000 varieties) that are tried and tested on their 75-acre farm and have a ton of fall varieties for us to try! Most of us think of the gardening season as spring and summer, but with the right timing and varieties for your location, you can grow year-round! Territorial Seed Company carries lots of varieties to start in summer and harvest in late fall, winter, and even over winter. For seeds, plants, online garden planner, how-to videos and more, visit TerritorialSeed.com and use code BLOOM10 for 10% off on your first order.Follow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio:Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Party Community Platform & App AKA the plantiest and kindest corner of the internet!Take the Bloom and Grow 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 and Facebook: @BloomandGrowRadioTiktok: @bloomandgrowradioSubscribe to the Bloom and Grow Youtube Show! /BloomandgrowradioWebsite: www.bloomandgrowradio.comJoin the (free) Garden Club: www.bloomandgrowradio.com/garden-club Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Not only is growing your own food a fabulous hobby and a way to reconnect with the food chain, the earth, and yourself, it’s also a way to serve our bodies in a deeper way by feeding them with fresh, organic produce. Not to mention, a freshly picked cherry tomato or piece of lettuce tastes infinitely more delicious than a store-bought one. I’ve really enjoyed diving deep into gardening through the My First Garden Series on this podcast, and as a way to celebrate all our hard work, I've invited someone to help us make the best out of our harvest! Dr. John la Puma is a trained chef and doctor who has committed his life to culinary medicine and eco medicine. In this episode, we talk about the nutritional value of the foods we are growing, and some fun ways to prepare our harvest (we are both Italian-American and have lots of fun recipes we riff on throughout the episode!). Let's get cooking!Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Party!Join us in the plantiest and kindest corner of the internet: our private community platform and app with dedicated conversation topics, quarterly meet ups, regional groups and the ability to find plant friends near you and so much more!Join the Garden Party and become a Plant Friend!Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast,so you don't miss the amazing episodes we have coming up!In this episode we learn:[00:05:55] Maria shares her ‘fresh from the garden’ dinner of kohlrabi![00:07:24] Dr. John’s favorite kohlrabi recipe[00:09:25] How Dr. John became a culinary medicine chef and how his farming journey began[00:10:57] What is eco medicine? How can we apply this concept to our daily lives?[00:15:09] Why gardening is the gateway to reconnecting with nature[00:17:45] How umbellifers like carrots and fennels enable you to use less fertilizer in the garden[00:19:27] How the pleasure of eating can help you eat and become healthier[00:21:06] What does a more vibrant color of a fruit or vegetable mean for nutrition?[00:22:35] How to bring out the lycopene in your tomatoes (it’s good for the heart!)[00:27:00] The beneficial differences between cooking with fresh herbs versus with dried herbs[00:28:31] How to grow turmeric, its health benefits, and the best ways to use it in cooking[00:30:13] Dr. John’s fun kumquat alcohol recipe![00:31:33] The best way to keep animals from your garden[00:33:23] How to help your plants grow with lights[00:35:40] Dr. John’s gentle reminder about store-bought vs organic and home-grown food[00:37:02] How to grow and how to use Mexican oregano in your dishes[00:39:35] Maria’s favorite plant to grow and how she uses it in the kitchen[00:39:57] The health benefits of alliums, the different kinds you can grow, and the best ways to cook with them[00:43:10] Dr. John’s recommended ways to eat lightly cooked onions[00:44:31] What is the best way to eat alliums like onions and leeks raw?[00:46:34] Why cruciferous vegetables like arugula, broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage are good for your liver[00:48:03] Cooking tricks to get the most nutritional benefits from your arugula and other cruciferous veggies[00:49:35] Using arugula and other ways to elevate your pesto![00:51:08] How to cook with sweet potatoes and sweet potato leaves, and keep them growing in your garden[00:53:22] Should you keep the skins on your vegetables?[00:55:30] Dr. John shares one of his inspirations when it comes to cooking[00:56:58] What is 'comfort nature' and how does it help us regain our connection to ourselves and with nature?[00:59:24] How to be in your 'comfort nature' without leaving the house[01:01:56] Help Maria win her TikTok war with Dr. John - LOL!Mentioned resources in this episode:ChefMD’s Big Book of Culinary Medicine by John la Puma, M.D.Yotam Ottolenghi’s recipes in The GuardianWhat is Your Comfort Nature Place? QuizThank you to our episode sponsors:DeerBustersIf you’ve got wildlife looking at your veggie garden, DeerBusters is here to help! DeerBusters strives to protect the gardens of companies and individuals through high-quality, easy-to-install, wildlife fencing kits that come in several different materials and sizes. No fancy hardware needed. Visit deerbuster.com today to protect your plants tomorrow and use code BLOOM at checkout for 10% off.Soltech SolutionsWhether it's simply getting your plants through a lower light environment or you’ve just got too many plants but too few windows, and you need to bring more light indoors so your collection can keep growing, Soltech Solutions has the luxury lighting options for you! Save up to $100 with no coupon necessary. Head over to soltechsolutions.com and check out their bundles of lights and lighting accessories for up 20% off!Follow John:WebsiteBlogBooksTikTokFollow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio:Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Party Community Platform & App AKA the plantiest and kindest corner of the internet!Take the Bloom and Grow Plant Parent Personality Quiz (Get the perfect plants, projects and educational resources for YOUR Lifest

Plant Routines: the crucial part of every plant parent's plant care practice that ensures that our plants (and our minds) are happy and healthy. Going from plant killer to plant lady, I found that I became as attached to my plant care routine, as I was to my plants. The act of disconnecting with a screen to reconnect with these plants and nature, is also a way to clear space to reconnect with yourself. I have learned that a plant care routine practice is so much deeper than just a soil moisture check: they let us check in with our plants, and more importantly, with ourselves. Plant care is truly self care. Everyone’s plant care routines are different, like unique snowflakes, so I brought together a fantastic group of plant friends to have a new format of podcast episode call the "Plant Friend Hang" to dive deeper on this topic. Come and meet them!Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Party!Join us in the plantiest and kindest corner of the internet: our private community platform and app with dedicated conversation topics, quarterly meet ups, regional groups and the ability to find plant friends near you and so much more!Join the Garden Party and become a Plant Friend!Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast,so you don't miss the amazing episodes we have coming up! In this episode we learn:[00:02:36] Maria’s personal and podcast updates![00:05:49] Who is Kamili, how her plant parent journey began, and why she won’t say her plant number![00:07:41] A little fun discussion about Hoya and their recent popularity as houseplants[00:10:17] Paul’s plant parent background, his current collection, and why he recommends pothos for everyone[00:13:35] How Tiffany became @plantmamah, how plants helped her recover from a brain injury, and why she is obsessed with Hoya[00:18:20] What’s the weirdest thing you do with your plants?[00:27:04] What does your plant care routine look like on a daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly basis?[00:35:21] Where to get the best indoor and outdoor gardening products (and plant-specific tones!)[00:37:06] The best options for all your plants’ lighting needs[00:38:24] Why you should bring your plants outside during summer[00:40:48] Maria shares how she realized that her self-care and mental well-being are connected to her plant care[00:43:46] How has your plant care evolved through time? Have you noticed personal shifts as your plant care routine changes with your collection?[00:45:45] Why killing a plant should not make you feel ashamed and guilty[00:49:00] What is your most favorite and least favorite plant chore?[00:53:17] Paul shares his mad scientist soil mix equation![00:56:42] How the Plant Friends stay organized with their plant collection - is it a good idea to try plant apps?[01:02:51] What does your plant care routine mean to you and why is it important?[01:09:44] Maria reflects on the Plant Friend hang panel and why #MentalHealthMattersThank you to our episode sponsors:Espoma OrganicEspoma Organic is dedicated to making safe indoor and outdoor gardening products for people, pets, and the planet. They have an amazing variety of high-quality, organic potting mixes, garden soil, fertilizers, and pest control products that are organic and eco-friendly. To learn more about their pet safe indoor and outdoor gardening products, visit espoma.com to find your local dealer or check out my Amazon storefront of my favorite Espoma products here.Soltech SolutionsWhether it's simply getting your plants through a lower light environment or you’ve just got too many plants but too few windows, and you need to bring more light indoors so your collection can keep growing, Soltech Solutions has the luxury lighting options for you! Save up to $100 with no coupon necessary. Head over to soltechsolutions.com and check out their bundles of lights and lighting accessories for up 20% off!Follow the Plant Friend Hang Gang:Kamili: Instagram | Website | EmailPaul: Instagram | YouTube | EmailTiffany: Instagram | TikTok | EmailFollow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio:Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Party Community Platform & App AKA the plantiest and kindest corner of the internet!Take the Bloom and Grow 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 and Facebook: @BloomandGrowRadioTiktok: @bloomandgrowradioSubscribe to the Bloom and Grow Youtube Show! /BloomandgrowradioWebsite: www.bloomandgrowradio.comJoin the (free) Garden Club: www.bloomandgrowradio.com/garden-club Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The first time I heard about wet stick propagation, I had no idea it even existed! That's why when I got an offer from a listener, Joey (@joey_de_la_plants), for a variegated Monstera 'Albo' wetstick (and I knew I wanted that plant but I had no idea what “wetstick” meant), I went down a research rabbit hole to know more about the process of rooting it. For the last 5 months, my node has not only rooted, but started growing!. So when I connected with Payton from Bloom Daddy Plants—who actively uses this method all the time to run his shop—I knew we had a super fun episode on our hands. And boy, did we go overboard with the cross-platform collaboration surrounding this episode! Tune in to learn all about node propagation, and join the Philodendron "Pink Princess" Wetstick Giveaway on Instagramfor the chance to win your own Philodendron 'Pink Princess' wet stick to try this method yourself!!Join the Bloom and Grow Garden PartyJoin us in the plantiest and kindest corner of the internet: our private community platform and app with dedicated conversation topics, quarterly meet ups, regional groups and the ability to find plant friends near you and so much more!Join the Garden Party and become a Plant Friend!Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast,so you don't miss the amazing episodes we have coming up!In this episode we learn:[03:35] What to expect in this cross-platform episode (and where to find them!)[04:51] How to get your own Philodendron ‘Pink Princess’ wet stick![07:17] Who is Payton, how his journey as a plant parent began, and how Bloom Daddy came to be[10:05] Should we refer to plants as ‘rare’?[13:00] Breaking the myth surrounding node propagation[14:15] What is a ‘wet stick’? Its many other names and how to identify a node[18:00] Why node propagation is used in nurseries[19:33] 4 things you need for node propagation[20:53] The ideal humidity level for your nodes (and cheaper alternatives for humidity chambers!)[24:37] Where to cut a node from and how to do it[25:50] Where to get the best garlic varieties for your year-round garden[27:14] How to protect your greens and veggies from wildlife[29:08] At what angle should you cut a node?[29:54] When do you put the node in a prop box?[30:43] Why you should let your node callus over[31:02] How to activate your node (and make it happy!)[32:48] Differentiating levels of moisture, and what the best moisture level is for your node[35:23] How much space should you leave between your node and your prop box?[37:17] The ideal light situation for your node prop box[40:06] Transitioning your node after it establishes roots[45:00] Maria shares where her curiosity took her recent peperomia propagation[47:00] How to join the Philodendron ‘Pink Princess’ wet stick giveawayMentioned in our conversation:Payton’s YouTube video on different Sphagnum moss moisture levelsPhilodendron 'Pink Princess' Wetstick Giveaway happening on the @bloomandgrowradio IG accountThank you to our episode sponsors:Territorial Seed CompanyTerritorial Seed Co provides high-quality seeds and plants (over 2000 varieties) that are tried and tested on their 75-acre farm and have a ton of fall varieties for us to try! Most of us think of the gardening season as spring and summer, but with the right timing and varieties for your location, you can grow year-round! Territorial Seed Company carries lots of varieties to start in summer and harvest in late fall, winter, and even over winter. For seeds, plants, online garden planner, how-to videos and more, visit TerritorialSeed.com and use code BLOOM10 for 10% off on your first order.DeerBustersIf you’ve got wildlife looking at your veggie garden, DeerBusters is here to help! DeerBusters strives to protect the gardens of companies and individuals through high-quality, easy-to-install, wildlife fencing kits that come in several different materials and sizes. No fancy hardware needed. Visit deerbuster.com today to protect your plants tomorrow and use code BLOOM at checkout for 10% off.Follow Payton:InstagramWebsiteEtsyFollow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio:Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Party Community Platform & App AKA the plantiest and kindest corner of the internet!Take the Bloom and Grow 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 and Facebook: @BloomandGrowRadioTiktok: @bloomandgrowradioSubscribe to the Bloom and Grow Youtube Show! /BloomandgrowradioWebsite: www.bloomandgrowradio.comJoin the (free) Garden Club: www.bloomandgrowradio.com/garden-club Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

When I first got into gardening, I got very fixated on the food I could grow for myself, but what I’m realizing is growing flowers can be as appealing as growing food — and flowers, being the pollinator magnets they are, are crucial to a healthy garden and a healthy mind. I’ve been so curious about cut flower gardening and connected with this episode's guest on Clubhouse, and started picking her brain about what cut flowers I should try as an ultra beginner. Brooklyn's passion for plants, her sensitivity, and her knowledge are things I've been wanting to share with this community! We also share heartwarming stories about our mothers and the lessons they taught us. I hope this episode brings you joy, just like flowers do!Join the Bloom and Grow Garden PartyJoin us in the plantiest and kindest corner of the internet: our private community platform and app with dedicated conversation topics, quarterly meet ups, regional groups and the ability to find plant friends near you and so much more!Join the Garden Party and become a Plant Friend!Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast,so you don't miss the amazing episodes we have coming up! In this episode we learn:[00:02:23] Maria’s garden update[00:05:40] Who is Brooklyn and how she became a flower farmer[00:08:31] Why everyone should have flowers in their garden[00:09:15] Brooklyn shares the personal connection she feels when growing flowers[00:12:08] Things to consider before growing flowers in your garden[00:14:06] The best flowers to grow for beginners: sunflowers, zinnias, strawflowers, and more[00:17:05] A quick recap on annuals vs perennials[00:18:32] The best perennial flowers to grow for blooms year after year[00:21:22] How to plan your flower garden so you have blooms all year long[00:25:48] Brooklyn’s favorite ‘cut and come again’ flowers[00:27:16] How to make the best soil mix for your flowers[00:29:30] When to use fertilizers on your flowers[00:31:04] Where to get the best potting mix, compost and fertilizer for your garden[00:32:41] Where to order your garlic for this season[00:35:03] Why you want to fertilize your flowers (and some signs that they need it!)[00:36:12] Determining how much light your flowers need[00:37:30] Maria shares her experience with her first garden and reading seed packets[00:41:17] How to transplant your flowers and harden them off[00:44:27] How to pinch flowers, what is it for, and when you should do it[00:48:04] What should you do with your flower’s first bud?[00:48:25] What is deadheading and how to do it properly[00:51:03] Brooklyn’s growing tips for peonies[00:52:43] How to grow flowers from corms and bulbs[00:57:33] Brooklyn’s top five favorite flowers (and greens) to grow[00:59:34] A little heartwarming story about Mama Failla and her garden gifts[01:03:22] Maria shares her newfound interest and joy in flower gardeningThank you to our episode sponsors:Espoma OrganicEspoma Organic is dedicated to making safe indoor and outdoor gardening products for people, pets, and the planet. They have an amazing variety of high-quality, organic potting mixes, garden soil, fertilizers, and pest control products that are organic and eco-friendly. To learn more about their pet safe indoor and outdoor gardening products, visit espoma.com to find your local dealer or check out my Amazon storefront of my favorite Espoma products here.Territorial Seed CompanyTerritorial Seed Co provides high-quality seeds and plants (over 2000 varieties) that are tried and tested on their 75-acre farm and have a ton of fall varieties for us to try! Most of us think of the gardening season as spring and summer, but with the right timing and varieties for your location, you can grow year-round! Territorial Seed Company carries lots of varieties to start in summer and harvest in late fall, winter, and even over winter. For seeds, plants, online garden planner, how-to videos and more, visit TerritorialSeed.com and use code BLOOM10 for 10% off on your first order.Follow Brooklyn:Instagram: @brooklynsherriPetal and Herb FarmYa Grandma's Garden and Houseplants on Clubhouse Follow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio:Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Party Community Platform & App AKA the plantiest and kindest corner of the internet!Take the Bloom and Grow 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 and Facebook: @BloomandGrowRadioTiktok: @bloomandgrowradioSubscribe to the Bloom and Grow Youtube Show! /BloomandgrowradioWebsite: www.bloomandgrowradio.comJoin the (free) Garden Club: www.bloomandgrowradio.com/garden-club Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

#plantsmakepeoplehappy, this hashtag has almost 8 million posts so far and there’s a reason for it. It’s just true. Plants, nature, and the act of witnessing life itself make people happy, more connected, and more empowered. The plant/person connection is hard to explain, yet everyone knows it. We all feel this connection to our plant collection. Our hearts swell with new growth, and sometimes even grieve losses. Over the last year and a half, I’ve dove rather deeply into exploring this plant-person connection, reading several incredibly inspiring books one being written by our special guest today. Dr Sue Stuart Smith took me on a journey of this plant/person connection and made me feel so seen. I knew I just had to have her on the show, so find a cozy spot and let's dive in!Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Party Founding Plant Friend discounts running through July 1st! Then prices go up!Become a Founding Plant Friend!Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast,so you don't miss the amazing episodes we have coming up!In this episode we learn:[00:27] Why we’re taking a deep dive into the plant-person connection[06:04] How Sue became a vegetable gardener and a plant lady[09:17] Sue’s background in psychiatry and psychotherapy[11:30] How Sue realized the plant-person connection based on her own experiences in the garden[13:18] The topics that Sue explores in her book “The Well Gardened Mind”[16:50] Explaining plant blindness and the two aspects of this occurrence[18:42] What is a plant mentor and why they’re important to the development of people’s interest in plants and in nature[20:16] Maria shares her own experience with plant blindness and with her own plant mentors[21:30] How plant mentors can help eliminate the feeling of plants being alien to people[22:09] How the pandemic has paved the way for people to get back in touch with nature[23:49] Where to get the best grow lights for all types of plant lighting needs[25:25] Have you joined the plantiest place on the internet?[27:46] The perspective that plants give Maria about time and moving forward[29:43] What are some life-garden parallels that Sue has learned over time?[32:20] How seeds encourage positive anticipation and trigger future plans[33:57] Why gardening is about relationships and how it is more than just a hobby[35:12] Who is Harold S and what important concepts did he introduce to the plant-person relationship[37:02] What is urgent biophilia and how today’s context of a global pandemic and crises triggers this need[40:03] Geosmin, petrichor, and how evolution developed our sensitivity to the natural world[43:16] How gardening promotes good bacteria[43:45] Mycobacterium vaccae (M. vaccae) and how it can be a potential treatment for PTSD[46:30] Maria gives a hint about what’s next for her and for Bloom and Grow!Mentioned in our conversation:The Well Gardened Mind by Sue Stuart SmithThank you to our episode sponsor:Soltech SolutionsWhether it's simply getting your plants through a lower light environment or you’ve just got too many plants, too few windows, and need to bring more light indoors so your collection can keep growing, Soltech Solutions has the luxury lighting options for you! Save up to $100 with no coupon necessary. Head over to soltechsolutions.com and check out their bundles of lights and lighting accessories for up 20% off!The Bloom & Grow Garden PartyBecome a Founding Plant Friend of our new Community Platform & App, the Bloom and Grow Garden Party. Available for iOS and Android- it's the new Plantiest and Kindest corner of the internet! I created it so we can make new plant friends, cultivate knowledge and grow more joy. Inside there are planty conversation topics, regional groups, the "plant friends near me" feature and exclusive plant care downloads found only in the platform. Join us! Follow Sue:WebsiteInstagramTwitterFollow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio:Take the Bloom and Grow 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 and Facebook: @BloomandGrowRadioTiktok: @bloomandgrowradioSubscribe to the Bloom and Grow Youtube Show! /BloomandgrowradioWebsite: www.bloomandgrowradio.comJoin the (free) Garden Club: www.bloomandgrowradio.com/garden-club Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this mini episode, I share the why behind the creation of the Garden Party Community Platform & App and give you all the details of what’s inside! Become a Founding Plant Friend of the Garden Party (Offer expires July 1st- you can get a whole years membership for the amount of one 8 inch plant!) https://community.bloomandgrowradio.com/Check our a tour on the Youtube Channel! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This isn't a story about gardening, plant friends. This is an episode on plant friendship. Melody is a local gardener who lives 15 minutes from me and has one of the most unbelievable gardens I’ve ever seen! Her backyard is a whimsical garden oasis, with a gazebo, greenhouse, and a different flower or bloom everywhere you look. In this episode, I share the story of how I met Melody and Melody gives us a deeper understanding of soil, how it's alive, and how to make it the best soil for growing. Hear all of Melody's great tips on keeping your soil rich and how plants teach us the importance of coexistence. Listen to our gardening story below!Get on the waitlist for the Bloom and Grow Garden Party LaunchBe the first to gain access and founding member discounts through joining our waitlistSnag your spot on the waitlist hereDon't forget to subscribe to the podcast,so you don't miss the amazing episodes we have coming up!In this episode we learn:[03:39] The changes to Maria’s gardening plans and a preview of her friendship with Melody[07:50] The story of the attack rooster[08:06] How Maria and Melody met and became friends[09:23] Melody shares her rich horticultural background and how she became the plant lady that she is today[11:11] How community-supported agriculture (CSA) helped address food shortage during the first months of COVID[12:54] Store-bought vegetables vs homegrown and organic vegetables[14:05] Melody discusses one of the biggest problems in agribusiness and food nutrition[15:23] What is in Melody’s amazing live soil[16:37] The three different types of soil and their characteristics[19:41] What type of soil is best for the garden?[21:01] Why you need the best soil for your plants[21:13] Where to get the best indoor and outdoor gardening products[22:39] How to best keep animals away from your greens[25:14] How to keep weeds from growing in your garden with a collinear hoe[27:07] Melody’s first year gardening[28:28] How to keep your soil rich and how to format your garden[30:12] Melody’s tips on designing an in-ground garden[31:17] How to use compost in your garden[33:28] A little trivia about sweet illicium, and the importance of knowing your beneficials[34:59] Bees in the garden and why you shouldn’t be scared of them[35:55] How plants teach us the importance of co-existence[36:36] Garden beginner tip: try square gardening![38:21] Why you should examine the roots of your plants and what they can teach you about your garden[39:38] Maria and Melody’s plants this growing season[42:35] Maria shares the wonderful things she’s learned from Melody about plants and about lifeThank you to our episode sponsors:Espoma OrganicEspoma Organic is dedicated to making safe indoor and outdoor gardening products for people, pets, and the planet. They have an amazing variety of high-quality, organic potting mixes, garden soil, fertilizers, and pest control products that are organic and eco-friendly. To learn more about their pet safe indoor and outdoor gardening products, visit espoma.com to find your local dealer or check out my Amazon storefront of my favorite Espoma products here.DeerBustersIf you’ve got wildlife looking at your veggie garden, DeerBusters is here to help! DeerBusters strives to protect the gardens of companies and individuals through high-quality, easy-to-install, wildlife fencing kits that come in several different materials and sizes. No fancy hardware needed. Visit deerbusters.com today to protect your plants tomorrow and use code BLOOM at checkout for 10% off.Check out Melody's garden on my Youtube channel! https://youtu.be/25vb5uGC0r4Follow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio:Take the Bloom and Grow 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 and Facebook: @BloomandGrowRadioTiktok: @bloomandgrowradioSubscribe to the Bloom and Grow Youtube Show! /BloomandgrowradioWebsite: www.bloomandgrowradio.comJoin the (free) Garden Club: www.bloomandgrowradio.com/garden-club Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

When I look at a large gorgeous palm, outside or indoors, I immediately get tropical vibes from their huge leaves, the way they sway in the wind, and the way the leaves cascade over their delicate stems. They just have a certain something that creates an instant jungle vibe. However, palms are also notoriously tricky plants to successfully care for! Lucky for us, Chris of NYC Plant Doctor comes to the rescue with expert advice and knowledge on how to properly care for our palms, and how not to kill them as I did with my fan palm. Enjoy!Get on the waitlist for the Bloom and Grow Garden Party LaunchBe the first to gain access and founding member discounts through joining our waitlistSnag your spot on the waitlist hereDon't forget to subscribe to the podcast,so you don't miss the amazing episodes we have coming up!In this episode we learn:[00:04:16] Chris shares his insane window setup in his new New York apartment![00:06:38] Some interesting trivia about the Arecaceae family[00:08:04] The most common palms that you probably didn’t even know you know: coconut palm, carnauba palm, date palm, and more![00:11:15] Where the Arecaceae family got its name[00:11:33] Three morphological groups of palm: rhizomatous, lianas, and arborescent[00:14:53] Where palms grow in nature, their history, and their uses over time[00:17:23] Why you won’t see rings in your palms[00:19:53] Examples of cold-hardy palms and where to find them[00:22:47] Chris gets real about palms: they are hard for beginners![00:23:16] Watering and humidity needs of your palm plants[00:25:07] How to differentiate salt damage vs humidity issues in your palms[00:26:39] Should you use distilled water or rainwater for your palms?[00:28:44] The right soil for the palm you have[00:30:38] Signs that your palm is happy, and signs that it’s not[00:31:19] How much light do palms need? Chris shares a big myth-buster about palms and light[00:32:41] Chris explains why palms can be difficult to grow: they are temperature-sensitive[00:33:48] Did you know you can extend your garden harvest through fall and even over winter?[00:35:12] The biggest threat to your garden[00:36:42] How to fertilize your palm tree - and why they don’t need much![00:40:59] Chris expert advice on repotting your palms[00:41:54] Why you should not plant your palms in terracotta pots[00:43:44] The most common pests of palms, and why Chris doesn’t have palms in his home[00:45:17] Maria talks about the one important aspect of plant parenthood: knowing what works for you and what doesn’t[00:49:33] How to propagate your palms[00:50:13] Can you really grow coconut indoors, and if yes, how?[00:51:41] How can you control a palm’s growth?[00:53:17] What to do when your palm gets pests[00:55:57] Some fast palm facts from Chris![00:58:36] The best palm to get for beginners[01:02:39] Maria’s reflections on palms and caring for themMentioned in our conversation:Bloom and Grow Radio episodesHow to Water Your Plants with Chris SatchVariegation 101 with Chris SatchPlant Latin 101 with Chris SatchPest Control With Summer Rayne OakesThank you to our episode sponsors:Territorial Seed CompanyTerritorial Seed Co provides high-quality seeds and plants (over 2000 varieties) that are tried and tested on their 75-acre farm and have a ton of fall varieties for us to try! Most of us think of the gardening season as spring and summer, but with the right timing and varieties for your location, you can grow year-round! Territorial Seed Company carries lots of varieties to start in summer and harvest in late fall, winter, and even over winter. For seeds, plants, online garden planner, how-to videos and more, visit TerritorialSeed.com and use code BLOOM10 for 10% off on your first order.DeerBustersIf you’ve got wildlife looking at your veggie garden, DeerBusters is here to help! DeerBusters strives to protect the gardens of companies and individuals through high-quality, easy-to-install, wildlife fencing kits that come in several different materials and sizes. No fancy hardware needed. Visit https://www.deerbusters.com/ today to protect your plants tomorrow and use code BLOOM at checkout for 10% off.Follow Chris:Instagram: @botanictonic | @nycplantdoctorWebsiteParlor Palm Care articleFollow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio:Take the Bloom and Grow 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 and Facebook: @BloomandGrowRadioTiktok: @bloomandgrowradioSubscribe to the Bloom and Grow Youtube Show! /BloomandgrowradioWebsite: www.bloomandgrowradio.comJoin the (free) Garden Club: www.bloomandgrowradio.com/garden-club Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Plant friends, I’ve been fortunate enough to take a lot of deeper dives in the science of plant care since quarantine happened and my outlook on plant care and the hobby of keeping plants has dramatically shifted in the last year and a half. I find myself turning away from blogs and towards textbooks and have a new deep appreciation for the horticulturalists on this show who can truly dive deeper with us and explain the why behind the how of all the practices we are told to do on care cards and social media posts. The combination of over 120 episode interviews, and now all these hours in the courses, has been enlightening and I wanted to come clean about these shifts I’m making in my personal collection and plant care practices. Thank you for learning alongside me and I hope this episode helps you keep blooming and keep growing through your plant parenthood journey!Get on the waitlist for the Bloom and Grow Garden Party LaunchBe the first to gain access and founding member discounts through joining our waitlistSnag your spot on the waitlist hereCheck out 3 Planty Date Night Ideas with Billy on Youtube!Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast,so you don't miss the amazing episodes we have coming up!In this episode we learn:[05:07] Why Maria is sharing her plant hacks (past and current), shifts in her plant parenthood, and ‘aha!’ moments[06:57] Been There Done That Plant Hack #1: Being obsessed with humidity (and some humidity tips from experts to help you with your humidity problems)[12:00] Two humidity hacks that Maria is not doing anymore: misting and pebble trays[12:43] The truth and risks behind misting your plants[14:51] Been There Done That Plant Hack #2: Living by your plant care cards[17:12] Maria shares an exciting feature of the Bloom and Grow Garden Party[18:24] Been There Done That Plant Hack #3: Understanding light based on plant diagrams and not based on your specific light situation[19:29] Maria’s experience dealing with a low light situation for her plants and how she became a super sleuth for sunbeams[23:34] Been There Done That Plant Hack #4: Planting in pots without drainage holes![25:22] Maria’s two easy hacks for pots without drainage holes[27:42] Plant Parenthood Shift #1: Converting plants from semi hydro to soil[28:38] Maria’s bonus hack: use leca to root your plants[29:28] The best companion after a planty day[31:16] Growing season is not just for spring and summer, you can now have fall and winter harvest![33:16] An update on Limey, Maria’s lime tree[34:42] Plant Parenthood Shift #2: Addressing plant FOMO and focusing on current plants[37:07] What our plants teach us about life and how our plant collections should make us feel[38:24] Learnings to bring into this new growing season!Mentioned in our conversation:Bloom and Grow Radio episodesHumidity Deep Dive And Winter Plant Care With The Plant Daddy Podcast DaddiesUnderstanding Natural Light: General Rules with Leslie HalleckBloom and Grow Youtube videos3 Planty Date Night Ideas with BillyHow Drainage Works in Pots, The Perched Water Table & a "Drainage Hack" that Doesn't work!Thank you to our episode sponsors:Allagash Brewing CompanyAllagash Brewing Company is an amazing brewery and b corporation out of Portland, Maine that has just come out with Fine Acre: an organic beer that’s the perfect accompaniment to your indoor and outdoor gardening practices this spring and summer! We are celebrating this launch with the Beer Gardening with Allagash Sweepstakes! The prize is insanely planty with $300 to Bloomscape, $100 Allagash merch gift card, a consultation with Maria, and the chance to direct $2,500 to a community garden nonprofit of your choosing! Head over to allagash.com for mechanics on how to join the giveaway! Fine Acre and other Allagash beers are for drinkers 21+. Please drink responsibly.Allagash also sponsored a fantastic Youtube Video on the channel this week 3 Planty Date Night Ideas with Billy! Click here to check it out!Territorial Seed CompanyTerritorial Seed Co provides high-quality seeds and plants (over 2000 varieties) that are tried and tested on their 75-acre farm and have a ton of fall varieties for us to try! Most of us think of the gardening season as spring and summer, but with the right timing and varieties for your location, you can grow year-round! Territorial Seed Company carries lots of varieties to start in summer and harvest in late fall, winter, and even over winter. For seeds, plants, online garden planner, how-to videos and more, visit TerritorialSeed.com and use code BLOOM10 for 10% off on your first order.Follow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio:Take the Bloom and Grow 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 and Facebook: @BloomandGrowRadioTiktok: @bloomandgrowradioSubscribe to the Bloom and Grow Youtube Show! /BloomandgrowradioWebsite: www.bloomandgrowradio.

When I polled our listener community about your top requests for outdoor garden-related episodes, the number one request surprised me: it wasn’t managing fertilizer, succession planting, or garden design. It was how to manage pesky animals getting into your gardens! Today, I have the answer to your prayers: Brie from briegrows.com walks us through such a comprehensive list of practices and solutions for managing pests and other critters in the garden. This conversation really helps us rethink the way we approach animals in the garden and I’m excited for you to learn from Brie as I did!Get on the waitlist for the Bloom and Grow Garden Party LaunchBe the first to gain access and founding member discounts through joining our waitlistSnag your spot on the waitlist hereDon't forget to subscribe to the podcast,so you don't miss the amazing episodes we have coming up!In this episode we learn:[00:06:05] How Brie became Brie The Plant Lady[00:08:59] Brie shares her greatest achievement in plant propagation[00:11:29] Maria’s experience with squirrels and deer in the garden[00:14:15] Do we call them ‘pests’ or ‘animals’? Brie shares an important reminder about animals in nature[00:18:29] Maria shares a totally honest story about critters #nofilter[00:19:02] How to identify chipmunks from squirrels, and what their usual behaviors are in the garden[00:21:03] How to use hot peppers as animal repellent[00:24:18] Different and easy ways to use peppermint oil as animal repellent (hint: seashells!)[00:26:49] How to prevent squirrels and chipmunks from digging holes in your garden beds[00:29:07] Using vole king bags to protect your bulbs from animals[00:30:20] Vole king bags vs chicken wire planters[00:31:11] Shrews vs voles vs moles[00:32:47] How to deal with moles in the garden[00:33:21] Why you should use less mulch in the garden[00:35:12] Where and how to plant garlic as vole repellent (and hit two birds with one stone!)[00:39:16] Do you need to worry about burrowing animals if you have raised beds?[00:40:40] What are groundhogs and how to keep them away from the garden[00:43:14] Squirrel damage vs groundhog damage[00:45:29] Setting up a wildlife camera for better animal surveillance in the garden[00:47:02] Where to get the best eco planters (with gorgeous color selections!)[00:49:24] The best and easiest deer fence kits for your garden[00:51:16] The idea behind trap crops and how to apply them in the garden[00:54:25] The different plants that help repel rabbits [00:57:26] How often should you apply repellents to your plants?[00:58:54] Using animal scats to identify pests in the garden[01:00:00] Why deer is a serious gardening problem and how understanding their behavior can help you keep them away[01:01:50] How to install hedges and streamers that keep deer away[01:06:29] Deer-proof plants, are there such things?[01:09:05] When to use deer sprays and how to best use mammal-specific repellents[01:11:35] Brie shares her own recipe of animal repellent using common household items![01:13:33] The rookie mistakes gardeners make when trying to keep animals from the garden[01:15:56] Brie reminds us how to be mindful gardeners and have respect for the animals that we don’t want in our gardens[01:17:11] What Brie’s garden looks like! It is envy-worthy!Mentioned in our conversation:The Foodscape Revolution by Brie ArthurGardening with Grains by Brie ArthurThe Humane Gardener: Nurturing a Backyard Habitat for Wildlife by Nancy LawsonDeer‑Resistant Design: Fence‑free Gardens that Thrive Despite the Deer by Karen ChapmanThank you to our episode sponsors:WallyGroWallygro has just launched new Spring Colors in both their Eco and Loop planters! The Eco planter model makes installing your own greenwall a breeze and their Loop planter model is the answer to drip-free tabletop or hanging plants, and they are made from recycled plastic! WallyGro is offering a limited-time 15% discount to our community from May 11 to May 18th. Snag them while they are available at wallygro.com and use code BAGR15 for 15% off at checkout.DeerBustersIf you’ve got wildlife looking at your veggie garden, DeerBusters is here to help! DeerBusters strives to protect the gardens of companies and individuals through high-quality, easy-to-install, wildlife fencing kits that come in several different materials and sizes. No fancy hardware needed. Visit deerbusters.com today to protect your plants tomorrow and use code BLOOM at checkout for 10% off.Follow Brie:Brie GrowsBooksInstagramFacebookFollow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio:Take the Bloom and Grow 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 and Facebook: @BloomandGrowRadioTiktok: @bloomandgrowradioSubscribe to the Bloom and Grow Youtube Show! /BloomandgrowradioWebsite: www.bloomandgrowradio.comJoin the (free) Garden Club: www.bloomandgrowradio.com/garden-club Hosted by Simplec

Did you know that some of our favorite houseplants are actually toxic to pets? I was able to interview Anastasia from Leaf & Paw about Pets and Plants and how to be both a pet parent and a plant parent. Anastasia has a blog dedicated to her passion for collecting plants while caring for her two cats and a hedgehog. In this episode, she walks us through what we need to know about toxicity, how to style with pets in mind, and the top 10 best and worst plants for our pets. Let's dive in!Get on the waitlist for the Bloom and Grow Garden Party LaunchBe the first to gain access and founding member discounts through joining our waitlistSnag your spot on the waitlist hereDon't forget to subscribe to the podcast,so you don't miss the amazing episodes we have coming up!In this episode we learn:[03:41] What this episode has in store for you, plant friend![05:13] How Anastasia became both a plant parent and a pet parent, and how Leaf and Paw came to be[07:19] Why it’s important to know how to have plants and pets together[08:37] What is toxicity in plants? How do you approach toxicity when it comes to your pets?[12:11] Are there levels of toxicity in plants? What should you do when your pet eats a toxic plant?[13:38] How to prevent your pets from eating your plant collection: utilize your home architecture[15:08] Why understanding your pet can help you keep them away from your plants[16:02] How to style with floor plants while keeping them safe from your pets[17:21] Do river stones and vinegar spray work for pet-prone plants?[18:56] The best company after a day of gardening and propagating plants![20:57] Where to get organic and pet-safe potting mixes and gardening products[22:45] What symptoms should you look out for if your pet has ingested a plant? What should you do if your pet has ingested a toxic plant?[25:14] How to use substances like fertilizer and insecticide in your plant care while being mindful of your pets[28:05] The best and most informative resources for pet care and plants[30:06] The top 10 most toxic plants for your pets: pothos, monsteras, ficus, and more[36:50] The top 10 best non-toxic plants for your pets: pepperomias, calatheas, hoyas, and more[42:20] Bonus special AND non-toxic plant: banana trees![43:47] Maria and Billy’s puppy fever and their future fur baby plansMentioned in our conversation:American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA)Pet Poison HotlineThank you to our episode sponsors:Espoma OrganicFor responsibly made, fabulous indoor and outdoor organic soils, fertilizers, pest control sprays, and more, visit espoma.com to find your local dealer or check out my Amazon storefront of my favorite Espoma products here.Allagash Brewing CompanyAllagash Brewing Company is an amazing brewery and b corporation out of Portland, Maine that has just come out with Fine Acre: an organic beer that’s the perfect accompaniment to your indoor and outdoor gardening practices this spring and summer! Fine Acre’s launch supports organic gardening and farming, so we are celebrating with the Beer Gardening with Allagash Sweepstakes! The prize is insanely planty with over $3000 of gardening goodies. Head over to allagash.com for mechanics on how to join the giveaway! Fine Acre and other Allagash beers are for drinkers 21+. Please drink responsibly.Follow Anastasia:Leaf and Paw BlogInstagramFacebookFollow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio:Take the Bloom and Grow 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 and Facebook: @BloomandGrowRadioTiktok: @bloomandgrowradioSubscribe to the Bloom and Grow Youtube Show! /BloomandgrowradioWebsite: www.bloomandgrowradio.comJoin the (free) Garden Club: www.bloomandgrowradio.com/garden-club Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

New Trend Alert! Tiny Plants are the curious collector's dream, and an awesome option for plant parents who are working with limited space OR are obsessed with teensy tiny adorable things like me. Leslie Halleck, one of the favorite recurring guests for Bloom and Grow Radio, joins us again to talk about her obsession with Tiny Plants, tips for caring for them, and a matchmaking session where she pairs the perfect tiny plant for each plant parent personality. Get ready to learn about teensy, tiny adorableness!Pre-Order Leslie's new book: Tiny PlantsGet on the waitlist for the Bloom and Grow Garden Party LaunchBe the first to gain access and founding member discounts through joining our waitlistSnag your spot on the waitlist here Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast,so you don't miss the amazing episodes we have coming up!In this episode we learn:[05:29] Leslie shares how she spots plant trends and what the trend of small plants has changed in people’s lives[08:25] How Leslie got into the tiny plants hobby, her internship in the Puerto Rican rainforest, and her history with ferns[14:37] Do micro species have different DNA from regular plants? Why do they stay tiny forever?[18:22] The different tiny plant species featured in Leslie’s book and why you should get into the world of tiny plants[19:11] Why lithops are not beginner-friendly tiny plants and Leslie’s advice for taking care of them[20:47] Caring for tiny plants vs caring for regular plants, is there a difference?[23:18] How taking care of tiny plants serves as a wellness ritual for Leslie[25:25] Hunting for rare species is fun, according to Leslie[26:26] Tiny Plants bonus: know about the best plant vendors for your next tiny plants![28:10] Where to get the best planty gifts for mother’s day[30:14] Maria’s favorite companion at the end of the day (aside from Billy)[32:11] Maria and Leslie’s current tiny plant favorites[34:51] How to style with tiny plants and why you have more options with them![38:32] Why Maria is excited to take a deeper dive into the tiny plants world[39:50] How tiny plants make it easier to incorporate nature into your home[41:08] Maria shares one of the reasons she loves and appreciates plant parenthood[42:56] The best tiny plants for mindful plant parents[44:30] Are you a low-key plant parent? Here are the perfect tiny plants for you[45:26] Aesthetic and urban jungle tiny plants for the design-based plant parent[47:25] Edible tiny plants for the urban farmer plant parent[50:15] The tiny plants genus to check out if you’re a curious collector type of plant parent[56:55] Maria sends positivity and love to the Bloom and Grow communityMentioned in our conversation: Tiny Plants by Leslie HalleckPlant Parenting by Leslie HalleckGardening Under Lights by Leslie HalleckLeslie’s previous Bloom and Grow episodesGrow Lights 101Propagation 101Root-ologyThank you to our episode sponsors:Modern SproutModern Sprout is connecting people and plants with their fabulous lines of grow lights, seed starter kits, and all sorts of planty products that empower people to cultivate their own indoor oasis, whether you live in a studio apartment or a sprawling farmhouse, with simple, stylish and sustainable green-thumb solutions for every home. They just launched new products like their seed starter kits and gift sets so head to modernsprout.com to check all their products out and use code 15bloom at checkout.Allagash Brewing CompanyAllagash Brewing Company is an amazing brewery and b corporation out of Portland, Maine that has just come out with Fine Acre: an organic beer that’s the perfect accompaniment to your indoor and outdoor gardening practices this spring and summer! Fine Acre’s launch supports organic gardening and farming, so we are celebrating with the Beer Gardening with Allagash Sweepstakes! The prize is insanely planty with over $3000 of gardening goodies. Head over to allagash.com for mechanics on how to join the giveaway! Fine Acre and other Allagash beers are for drinkers 21+. Please drink responsibly.Follow Leslie:WebsiteInstagramBooksFollow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio:Take the Bloom and Grow 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 and Facebook: @BloomandGrowRadioTiktok: @bloomandgrowradioSubscribe to the Bloom and Grow Youtube Show! /BloomandgrowradioWebsite: www.bloomandgrowradio.comJoin the (free) Garden Club: www.bloomandgrowradio.com/garden-club Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

I think we all know that there are a lot of lessons to be learned in the garden and that's twofold: literally how to garden and how to grow food, reconnect with our food chain, and deepen our relationship with nature. I am so excited to deepen my gardening knowledge this summer with My First Garden Series, where I troubleshoot and try my first shot at outdoor gardening outside of the tiny balcony garden that I have had since I've launched the show. In this episode, I invite Nicole from Gardenary for an in-depth garden coaching, sprinkled with wonderful insights about self-love, reconnecting with nature, and just life in general. Let’s dive in!Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast,so you don't miss the amazing episodes we have coming up!In this episode we learn:[00:04:40] The exciting news for the Bloom and Grow community![00:08:23] Who is Nicole Burke of Gardenary, how she turned into a gardener, and how gardening has helped her regain her sense of self[00:11:37] How the idea behind Gardenary came to be and Nicole’s ultimate dream for the company[00:15:10] Maria shares her first garden experience, her gardening education, and what she hopes to accomplish this gardening season[00:16:47] The advantages of raised bed gardening vs row gardening and in-ground gardening[00:18:03] The minimum space, cost, and time requirements for beginner gardeners[00:22:07] Nicole’s raised bed suggestion for long and rectangular plots of land and how to work with constraints in your garden[00:25:20] What is the maximum width for a garden bed? How much space should you put in between your garden beds?[00:30:43] How to address garden planning overwhelm and why Nicole believes gardening shouldn’t take time[00:32:45] Why setting up your garden properly is doing 90% of the work[00:34:37] Maria shares her favorite stroll and gardening companion[00:36:25] Where to get the best grow lights for all plant needs and the best seed starter packages for this season![00:39:06] The best gardening advice Maria has gotten from her mom[00:39:54] Nicole shares the meaning behind her saying “think about nature” and how to reshape our thinking when it comes to plants and their growing abilities[00:43:47] Which plants should you mix in in your bed? How understanding plant families and the best seasons to grow them can give you the best yield[00:47:04] Should you be mindful of shading when combining large plants with smaller ones? Nicole shares the better factors that you should consider: temperature and timing[00:49:39] Where should you face your beds?[00:50:53] Should you start flowers from seeds or from seedlings? What are the best flowers to grow for beginners?[00:54:06] The best smaller sunflowers to grow and where to place them in your garden bed[00:55:25] Since most trellises are expensive, can you make a trellis on your own?[00:57:20] How many cherry tomato plants do you need to achieve Nicole’s amazing tomato arch?[00:59:27] Can you grow more than one plant on one trellis? Nicole shares some garden style tips when growing vines[01:00:46] The magic of gardening and what this hobby teaches us about life and growth[01:01:27] Why everyone should try kitchen gardening[01:05:02] Maria’s current garden situation and what she is looking forward to!Mentioned in our conversation:Brooke Castillo’s Podcast The Life Coach SchoolNicole Burke’s book Kitchen Garden RevivalGardenary’s YouTube video How Many Blooms Come from One ZinniaGardenary’s YouTube video How to Grow Tomatoes Up an Arch TrellisThank you to our episode sponsors:Allagash Brewing CompanyAllagash Brewing Company is an amazing brewery and b corporation out of Portland, Maine that has just come out with Fine Acre: an organic beer that’s the perfect accompaniment to your indoor and outdoor gardening practices this spring and summer! Fine Acre’s launch supports organic gardening and farming, so we are celebrating with the Beer Gardening with Allagash Sweepstakes! The prize is insanely planty with over $3000 of gardening goodies. Head over to allagash.com for mechanics on how to join the giveaway! Fine Acre and other Allagash beers are for drinkers 21+. Please drink responsibly.Modern SproutModern Sprout is connecting people and plants with their fabulous lines of grow lights, seed starter kits, and all sorts of planty products that empower people to cultivate their own indoor oasis, whether you live in a studio apartment or a sprawling farmhouse, with simple, stylish and sustainable green-thumb solutions for every home. They just launched new products like their seed starter kits and gift sets so head to modernsprout.com to check all their products out and use code 15bloom at checkout.Follow Nicole:Gardenary | Rooted Garden PodcastInstagramTiktokFollow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio:Take the Bloom and Grow 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 and F

Do any of you remember that store in the mall that sold mini bonsai trees and meditative water features? I was pretty obsessed with them as a kid and was so taken with these tiny trees, all the miniaturization of these beautiful, serene scenes. I definitely had and killed several of those trees in my teenage years, and I’m put at ease to hear I’m not the only one after speaking to many of you on Instagram about bonsai and our guest today, Bjorn from Eisei-en Bonsai. We cover a lot about this niche hobby of bonsai within an already niche of plant care, so let's get to it!Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast,so you don't miss the amazing episodes we have coming up!In this episode we learn:[00:04:44] How Bjorn became the bonsai expert he is today[00:05:35] How long does a bonsai apprenticeship take? What are typical duties for a bonsai apprentice?[00:07:31] Bjorn shares his experience in Japan and being an apprentice[00:09:16] How to properly pronounce ‘bonsai’ and what it means[00:09:40] What is a bonsai? How do you classify a tree as a bonsai tree?[00:10:56] Can you turn any tree into a bonsai?[00:11:54] Apical dominance vs lateral dominance[00:14:14] How to measure bonsais and the different bonsai size classifications: shohin and chuhin[00:16:03] Where did bonsais originate from?[00:17:43] How do you differentiate between indoor bonsais and outdoor bonsais? What are great plants for both types?[00:19:29] How much light do bonsais need?[00:20:25] The basic bonsai potting mix: pumice, lava rock, and akadama (yes, it’s Japanese!)[00:22:01] How much fertilizer does your bonsai need? What kind of fertilizer should you apply to your bonsai?[00:23:26] Bonsai and teabags: how to ‘tea’ your bonsai when adding fertilizer[00:24:19] Why growing bonsais is about practicing control[00:25:00] How to take care of sick bonsai trees and what the long-term goal is for growing bonsais[00:26:02] What bonsais can teach us about patience[00:26:20] Where to get the best soil mixes for all plant needs[00:27:36] How to keep deer and wildlife from your garden[00:29:27] Do you want your bonsais to bloom?[00:30:51] How often should you water bonsais? Bjorn gives us the how-to and why’s on watering bonsais[00:34:32] Bonsai and shade cloths: where should you place your bonsai? What is a bonsai’s ideal light situation?[00:36:20] Bonsai pruning 101[00:37:32] Plant nerd facts: what are the growth hormones auxin and cytokine and what do they do?[00:40:05] Why are bonsai trees in small and shallow pots?[00:41:20] How much of a bonsai tree’s roots should you prune?[00:42:48] Why spring is the best time to prune your bonsai[00:43:41] Root galls and how to properly remove them00:45:58] How do you prune bonsai shoots? When and how do you use copper or aluminum wires to shape your bonsai?[00:49:32] The concept of mochikomi[00:50:28] The biggest mistakes people make when it comes to bonsais[00:52:08] Bjorn’s recommendations for beginner bonsai growers[00:55:39] Where to get the best bonsais online[00:56:43] Winterizing your bonsai tree[00:58:27] What is the best bonsai tree pest treatment?[01:00:10] Why everyone should try bonsai!Mentioned in our conversation:Knoxville Bonsai SocietyBrussels BonsaiEisei-en Bonsai's YouTube video Sekka Hinoki from Simple MaterialThank you to our episode sponsors:Espoma OrganicFor responsibly made, fabulous indoor and outdoor organic soils, fertilizers, pest control sprays, and more, visit espoma.com to find your local dealer or check out my Amazon storefront of my favorite Espoma products here.DeerBustersDeerBusters strives to protect the gardens of companies and individuals through high-quality wildlife fencing. Deer and wildlife can be the bane of any gardener's existence and Deer Busters makes installing deer fences, simple with their easy to install fencing kits that come in several different materials and sizes. No fancy hardware needed. Visit deerbusters.com today to protect your plants tomorrow and use code BLOOM at checkout for 10% off.Follow Bjorn:Website Instagram YouTubeFollow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio:Take the Bloom and Grow 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 and Facebook: @BloomandGrowRadioTiktok: @bloomandgrowradioSubscribe to the Bloom and Grow Youtube Show! /BloomandgrowradioWebsite: www.bloomandgrowradio.comJoin the (free) Garden Club: www.bloomandgrowradio.com/garden-club Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

I’ve always known that Hardiness Zones and Frost Dates are important to planning your outdoor garden… but plant friend, I’ve never quite understood what they were or why they were so important. I’ve gotten as far as typing my zip code into the hardiness zone website, getting my “number” and then pretty much not doing anything with it. As I look to plan my first grown up garden this summer, I knew I needed help, so I asked Rochelle Greayer, of the renowned garden design website Pith & Vigor, who has years of garden design under her belt to help break all of these important concepts down for us, to better understand our outdoor environments. So many lightbulb moments in this episode let's dive right in. Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast,so you don't miss the amazing episodes we have coming up!In this episode we learn:[04:46] What Maria has in store for fellow novice gardeners like her this summer![05:40] How Rochelle went from flying aircraft and satellites to a full-time garden designer[08:34] What Rochelle loves about garden design—and Maria’s luxury spa biophilic experience[10:00] The many careers you can get into if you want to pursue a plant profession[11:26] Do plants really clean the air in your apartment? Maria discusses this hot topic circulating in the plant community[13:10] The topics that Maria wants to understand about outdoor gardens[13:49] What are hardiness zones? What are the pros and cons of the USDA Hardiness Zones?[17:23] The difference between the USDA hardiness zones and the American Horticultural Society (AHS) Heat Zones[18:39] What does a plant’s hardiness mean?[19:20] Once you know your hardiness zone, how do you apply that information to your outdoor garden?[21:11] Does hardiness matter for annual plants?[21:58] How do frost dates differ from hardiness zones? What are frost dates actually for?[23:10] Why it is important to know frost dates—beware of last frost![25:54] What’s more important between hardiness zone and frost dates?[26:25] The best seeds, soil, and fertilizers for your indoor and outdoor garden this season![29:48] How to plan your garden with your hardiness zone and frost dates information[31:02] Frost date hack: you can extend your growing season inside![32:31] Understanding how a plant supports itself during growing season[35:06] What are the Sunset climate zones?[36:58] Listener question #1: How much does microclimate affect your predicted garden zones? What is a microclimate?[39:31] How do you know if you have a microclimate in the garden?[41:06] Listener question #2: What methods can be used to push gardening zones, if a plant is hardy just outside your gardening zone?[41:43] Why it’s important to pay attention to the environments in your garden[44:44] Listener question #3: Have the zones changed because of climate change?[46:49] Rochelle’s favorite piece of advice for those who want to try out garden design[48:57] Rochelle’s gardening course for homeowners looking into improving their gardens[50:26] The cool history behind Pith + Vigor’s name[53:23] Maria’s plans for this seed season and how she’s applied this conversation to her garden planning Mentioned in our conversation:USDA Hardiness Zone MapFrost Dates CalculatorThe Old Farmer’s AlmanacThank you to our episode sponsor:Territorial Seed CompanyThank you Territorial Seed Co for sponsoring today's episode! Territorial Seed Co provides high quality seeds and plants (over 2000 varieties) that are tried and tested on their 75 acre farm and have a ton of fall varieties for us to try! It's already time to start planning your 2021 garden! For seeds, plants, online garden planner, how to videos and more visit TerritorialSeed.com and use code BLOOM10 for 10% off.Espoma OrganicEspoma Organics: for responsibly made, fabulous indoor and outdoor organic soils, fertilizers, pest control sprays and more visit espoma.com to find your local dealer or check out my amazon storefront of my favorite Espoma products here.Follow RochellePith + Vigor: Website Instagram Classes (Affiliate link)Follow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio:Take the Bloom and Grow 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 and Facebook: @BloomandGrowRadioTiktok: @bloomandgrowradioSubscribe to the Bloom and Grow Youtube Show! /BloomandgrowradioWebsite: www.bloomandgrowradio.comJoin the (free) Garden Club: www.bloomandgrowradio.com/garden-club Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Of all the plants I’m feeling drawn to these days, Alocasia are at the top of my list. I feel like their weird, semi heart shaped, semi ovular shaped leaves look like little alien heads looking at me, popping out from my collection to say hello. They are oddly friendly but also strange looking plants that I’m obsessed with. There are so many reasons to love Alocasia, from the unique leaf shape, to their gorgeous vein patterns and the incredible variety of colors you see, I’m particularly entranced by Alocasia cuprea. Today we are joined by Enid from NSE Tropicals againt o dive deep into Alocasia care and best plants for different types of plant parents. I dare you to not try this amazing genus of plants after listening, sweet plant friend. Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast,so you don't miss the amazing episodes we have coming up! In this episode we learn:[04:13] Reintroducing Enid, why Maria is OBSESSED with alocasia, and what this episode has in store[05:19] Where can you find alocasias in nature?[06:00] With their similar beautiful features, how can you tell alocasias and anthurium apart?[07:44] What Maria loves about alocasias[08:17] Do alocasias love humidity? What kind of potting mix is ideal for them?[10:35] How often should you water your alocasias?[10:53] Is there a particular light situation that alocasias like?[12:41] What you should always remember when taking care of alocasias (or anthuriums!)[13:27] Enid shares how often she uses fertilizer and what fertilizer she uses on her alocasias[14:20] The experience behind why Maria is intimidated by alocasias[14:42] What happens to alocasias during their dormant period? What are things you can do when they are dormant?[17:42] Where to best get your garden planting needs this season![19:37] Is there a perfect starter plant for everyone? Maria compiled the best ones suited for YOU[20:55] What is a corm and how does it function for alocasias?[21:25] How do you propagate alocasias? Can you propagate from their leaves?[22:06] Enid shares the most common mistake you might be making with your alocasias![22:41] How do you save an alocasia from root rot? Can you STILL save it?[24:06] On the ground or in a pot, what’s the best way to keep alocasias upright and prevent them from tipping over?[25:13] What potting situation do alocasias prefer?[26:03] The possible explanation on why your alocasia is growing more flowers than leaves[27:21] Is preventing your alocasias’ dormancy harmful for them in the long-term?[28:53] You alocasias are actually pretty smart![29:35] Enid’s alocasia recommendations for all stages of plant parents![30:18] Maria and Enid share their stories with the hardy alocasia Polly[33:48] Maria talks about the alocasias she currently owns and her future plans for this genus! Mentioned in our conversation:BAGR Episode Aroids 101 Part 1BAGR Episode Aroids 101 Part 2BAGR Episode Anthurium CareThe Common Cult Podcast with Heather and ErynNSE Tropicals Thank you to our episode sponsor:Territorial Seed CompanyThank you Territorial Seed Co for sponsoring today's episode! Territorial Seed Co provides high quality seeds and plants (over 2000 varieties) that are tried and tested on their 75 acre farm and have a ton of fall varieties for us to try! It's already time to start planning your 2021 garden! For seeds, plants, online garden planner, how to videos and more visit TerritorialSeed.com and use code BLOOM10 for 10% off.Take the Plant Parent Personality Test!Take the Plant Parent Personality quiz to unlock your Plant Parent Potential and get a curated list of plants, DIY planty projects and podcasts tailored specifically for your lifestyle.Follow EnidInstagram and Facebook: @NSETropicals https://www.nsetropicals.com/index.html Follow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio:Take the Bloom and Grow 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 and Facebook: @BloomandGrowRadioTiktok: @bloomandgrowradioSubscribe to the Bloom and Grow Youtube Show! /BloomandgrowradioWebsite: www.bloomandgrowradio.comJoin the (free) Garden Club: www.bloomandgrowradio.com/garden-club Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

So we’ve all been in a garden center and picked up a plant, or had a friend give us a cutting and look at the plant in our hands and think “ummm what is this thing?” Today’s episode is all about learning some basic skills for identifying houseplants and how to observe our plants in order to get to know them better. We are joined by Derek of The Crazy Botanist for a higher level conversation about basic houseplant identification, and how to change our thinking around plants to see them for their leaf shapes, flowers and other identifying factors instead of just a name. This episode is a nice palate cleanser that encourages us to zoom out in our relationship to plants, in addition to the intense nerdy specifics we always like to deep dive on. I hope you enjoy it. In this episode we learn:[02:05] Introducing Derek and episode key ideas[04:17] How Derek got into the plant parent life, where his obsession with plants started, and how he uses his degree in Botany![06:23] How are plants classified? What is binomial nomenclature and how is it used to classify any living organism?[09:32] Derek breaks down the hierarchy of binomial nomenclature and the questions related to each denomination[12:54] What should we be looking for when identifying houseplants? What should we keep in mind when describing plants for identification?[15:33] What is the best—and easiest!—way to identify leaves?[17:39] Derek emphasizes the importance of proper communication in plant identification[18:26] Why Maria recommends having screen-free time with your plants[19:06] Derek shares his method of identification when going plant shopping—which you can also do![21:07] A short history of plant identification methods and how the internet has made plant identification easier today[23:24] Where to get the most amazing indoor and outdoor gardening products and the best potting mixes[24:24] The best resource for your seed starting this season[26:30] How do you identify the flowers in your houseplants? Derek enumerates some factors that will help you with flower identification.[33:10] What identifying factors should you look for in stems? Do snake plants even have stems?[35:06] What are some houseplants that don’t look alike but are actually closely related?[37:03] Are there plants that look alike but are not related? Of course![38:52] How do you tell maranta, calathea, ctenanthe, and stromanthe apart?[42:59] Where does The Crazy Botanist go for plant identification resources?[46:26] Derek reiterates the importance of accessible and understandable scientific communication[48:00] A little begonia identification lesson with help from the American Begonia Society![51:20] Maria reflects on plant identification and how it helps us become better plant parents and better members of the plant communityMentioned in our conversation:American Begonia SocietyLeaf types and flower identification document Derek providedSleep Whispers PodcastThank you to our episode sponsors:Territorial Seed CompanyThank you Territorial Seed Co for sponsoring today's episode! Territorial Seed Co provides high quality seeds and plants (over 2000 varieties) that are tried and tested on their 75 acre farm and have a ton of fall varieties for us to try! It's already time to start planning your 2021 garden! For seeds, plants, online garden planner, how to videos and more visit TerritorialSeed.com and use code BLOOM10 for 10% off.Espoma OrganicEspoma Organics: for responsibly made, fabulous indoor and outdoor organic soils, fertilizers, pest control sprays and more visit espoma.com to find your local dealer or check out my amazon storefront of my favorite Espoma products here.Follow DerekInstagram @thechocolatebotanistFacebook thecrazybotanistThe Crazy Botanist Youtube Follow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio:Take the Bloom and Grow 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 and Facebook: @BloomandGrowRadioTiktok: @bloomandgrowradioSubscribe to the Bloom and Grow Youtube Show! /BloomandgrowradioWebsite: www.bloomandgrowradio.comJoin the (free) Garden Club: www.bloomandgrowradio.com/garden-club Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

When I think Jungle Vibes, anthuriums always come to mind. Their large leaves, mesmerizing vein patterns in the leaves, long slim stems and gorgeous flowers have such a prehistoric look to them. There is so much more to the world of Anthuriums besides the one you can always pick up in the grocery store, so today we welcome back the queen of the aroids, Enid from NSE tropicals to do a deep dive on Anthurium care. NSE Tropicals is one of the most sought after rare plant provider in the US. Restocks routinely sell out in minutes and we are lucky that the mastermind behind it, Enid joins us today for an in depth discussion.Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast,because Enid will be back next month, to discuss Alocasia care!In this episode we learn:How Maria’s wishlist plants have changed since she first started collecting [02:15]How you can help grow the Bloom and Grow Radio community! [04:00]Enid shares the wonderful story behind the NSE Tropicals, and its 21 year-old plant collecting history! [05:11]Why anthuriums are starting to be a big trend within the plant community [06:22]The interesting environment and origins of anthuriums [06:56]Basic care tips for indoor anthuriums on soil mix and humidity [11:05]Enid’s quick plant hack on increasing humidity [13:19]How to properly water your anthuriums [14:32]What’s the optimal humidity level for indoor anthuriums? [16:37]Do different varieties of anthuriums need different types of light? [18:08]Enid shares her own observations between anthuriums in a greenhouse versus anthuriums in open-air setups [19:19]Why plant parents should always consider the natural environment of their plants [20:06]Where to best get your garden planting needs this season! [21:08]Enid explains why your leaves shouldn’t feel hot to the touch [23:27]How to REALLY know your plants according to Enid [24:11]Are anthurium leaves drooping normal? How do you differentiate between an unhappy plant and normal plant behavior? [25:31]The nasty pests you should be looking out for when taking care of anthuriums and how to get rid of them the right way [27:10]General fertilizer tips for anthuriums and Enid’s recommended brands [29:08]What is pollination for? What are inflorescences? [30:19]Enid’s top 3 anthurium recommendations for beginner plant parents [34:24]Enid’s top 3 anthurium recommendations for advanced plant parents [35:12]Maria shares her future anthurium plans and what to expect from the next episode with Enid [37:03]Mentioned in our conversation:BAGR Episode Aroids 101 Part 1BAGR Episode Aroids 101 Part 2NSE TropicalsThank you to our episode sponsor:Territorial Seed CompanyThank you Territorial Seed Co for sponsoring today's episode! Territorial Seed Co provides high quality seeds and plants (over 2000 varieties) that are tried and tested on their 75 acre farm and have a ton of fall varieties for us to try! It's already time to start planning your 2021 garden! For seeds, plants, online garden planner, how to videos and more visit TerritorialSeed.com and use code BLOOM10 for 10% off.Follow EnidInstagram and Facebook: @NSETropicals https://www.nsetropicals.com/index.htmlFollow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio:Take the Bloom and Grow 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 and Facebook: @BloomandGrowRadioTiktok: @bloomandgrowradioSubscribe to the Bloom and Grow Youtube Show! /BloomandgrowradioWebsite: www.bloomandgrowradio.comJoin the (free) Garden Club: www.bloomandgrowradio.com/garden-club Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

So many of us got bitten by the outdoor gardening bug last year and learned there is no better way to connect with the food we eat.. then by growing it. My passion for growing edible plants has grown, like my space has. My first garden was a tiny box full of herbs and one tomato plant on our tiny balcony three years ago, and since then, the balcony containers grew, and now I’m excited to be in our first home with acres to farm this summer. Starting these edible plants from seed has been a bit intimidating, but in my efforts to continue growing as a plant parent, I’m ready to take the plunge and dive in. Starting from seed offers us the ability to be in control of the varieties we grow, plan in advance and save lots of money in the long run. My dear friend and mentor Joe Lamp’l- the "joe behind joe gardener" is the king of organic gardening and has an amazing seed starting course launching this week and was kind enough to stop by and give us the inside scoop on seed starting basics, and inspire us to deepen our curiosity about where food comes from and empower us to grow it ourselves.If this episode or topic inspires you...join me in Joe's 2021 Master Seed Starting Course!Enrollment is only a week long and closes February 2nd, 2021! Use my affiliate link here and get access to the private zoom call with Joe and Myself specifically for our Bloom and Grow Community! We will have the call in March, after we have all binged the course, and troubleshoot our specific questions with Joe and grow as a community together!In this episode we learn:[00:00:10] Maria shares her favorite experiences and benefits of seed starting[00:02:11] Where to get the best seeds for your spring and summer gardens this year[00:06:20] Joe demystifies seed starting and why you shouldn’t be nervous about starting your own garden![00:07:24] What Joe does for a living and where you can check out for more of his gardening tips[00:09:39] Why Joe emphasizes understanding the why’s of gardening and plant parenthood[00:10:17] Maria shares her own experience with growing seeds and why she didn’t give it a ‘real shot’ prior[00:11:12] Joe talks about the rewarding feeling of starting from a seed versus seedling[00:12:43] The sense of ownership that seed starting instills in us[00:13:31] How growing your own garden expands your food choices[00:14:26] What Maria learned about seed starting versus seedlings when she grew her own tomatoes[00:16:47] Joe answers the question we’re all thinking about: how much do we need for a successful seed starting setup?[00:16:56] Breaking down the materials, the costs, the alternatives, and the conditions you need for seed starting[00:22:14] What kind of soil is ideal for seed starting?[00:24:10] Joe’s recommendations for seed tray sizes, compartment depth, and seed tray materials[00:28:06] When is the best time to start on your seeds? What is the most important date you need to know when growing your own seeds?[00:30:20] Where Maria is sourcing her seeds from for this gardening season[00:33:55] Do seeds have an expiration date? Joe emphasizes the importance of buying seeds from a good and established company[00:35:40] Do we need to be looking out for non-GMO seeds?[00:36:19] Is it possible to grow the seed of a fruit that you just ate? Joe discusses the difference between hybrid and open pollinated non-hybrid[00:38:17] Now that you’ve got your seed starting setup, how do you put your seeds in the soil?[00:39:01] What is the ideal light situation for seed starting?[00:39:38] The step-by-step process of seed starting, what you should expect when you’ve planted your seeds, and the most intensive part of the process according to Joe[00:43:10] The process of thinning and why Maria finds it SO frustrating[00:45:38] Is there a right and only way to germinate your seeds? For Maria’s mom, a damp towel in a Ziploc bag is the way to go[00:46:30] How to check if your seeds are still good[00:47:50] How does cold stratification work and why do some plants need it? Joe explains the what’s, the why’s, and the how’s of this process[00:49:46] What you can learn from Joe’s Master Seed Starting class[00:50:38] The importance of building an engaged and active community of seed starters[00:54:57] An exciting offer from Joe and Maria on how to be a better seed starter![00:57:41] What Maria is excited about with her seed starting this season! Mentioned in our conversation:Take the Master Seed Starting Course with me!Enrollment is only a week long and closes February 2nd, 2021! Use my affiliate link here and get access to the private zoom call with Joe and Myself specifically for our Bloom and Grow Community! We will have the call in March, after we have all binged the course, and troubleshoot our specific questions with Joe and grow as a community together!BAGR Episode Living, Potted Christmas Trees with Joe Lamp’lBAGR Episode Fall Garden Plants and Projects with Joe Lamp’lBAGR Episode Talking Tomatoes with Craig LeHoullier and My MOMCultiv

So we have said goodbye to 2020 and all of the insanity that came with it, but there is something we haven’t said goodbye to: working from home. Many companies have pledged to work from home well into 2021, leaving us sitting in our sweatpants, computer monitors and weird makeshift home offices with reluctant acceptance. People are spending more time than EVER indoors and at their screens, and that’s why it’s never been MORE important to have plants not only in our homes, but in our work from home office set ups.Since WFH isn't going anywhere, in 2021, I'm choosing to reframe it from a frustration to an opportunity.An opportunity to have complete control over our WFH environment and create our desk space oasis to look exactly like we want it.Today’s episode is all about the why and how behind bringing plants into our workspaces, whether you are still working from home or are back in your office. Cobbling together a work from home set up was STRESSFUL in 2020, in our old apartment I had a desk that folded up into the wall, so I couldn’t even decorate and settle in the way I wanted. But now, as we turn the page to 2021, let’s shake things up create some stress free and joyful moments in our lives! For me the solution here has been plants and something that blew me away recently is how many people in our community are going HAM on their workspaces with plants. I posted my planty wfh set up on IG in December, asking if anyone else created a jungle oasis at their desk the way I did in 2020, and SO many of you sent pictures of your amazing planty home office set ups, and asked for help and ideas for how to set up your own. So this episode is for you plant friends, inspired by you and members of our community, and I hope everyone walks away from this episode with one idea to incorporate a little more green into their daily workflow. I’ve broken this episode into two sections: the WHY where we dive into the reasons why having plants are so important in our space and talk a little about biophilic design and then part two the HOW. I share ideas inspired from the WHY section, break down the ways I incorporated plants and biophilic design into my home office and then review some photos listeners sent in and hope their setups might inspire you as well. Get the free download with 9 Tips for Greening Up Your Work From Home Office SpaceIn the episode we learn:[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

One of the biggest questions I’ve gotten from our community is how to understand humidity and watering better. As we are in the depths of winter, humidity is a big topic and focus in our plant care routines, and you are going to hear a LOT about it today in a nerdy deep dive with two other plant podcasters, the daddies of the Plant Daddy Podcast Stephen and Matthew. I knew there couldn’t be a better guests than these two guys who are total nerds and maybe the only two other people who get as jazzed as doing weird deep dives into plant care as I am. This conversation was supposed to be 40 minutes and ended up being 90 because we just couldn’t stop talking about plants and winter and humidity and problem solving andI hope your inner plant nerd sees the inner plant nerd in us and just smiles and feels seen.So kick back, cozy up with your plants and enjoy episode 112 of the Bloom and Grow Radio Podcast!Just wanted to let you plant friends know during the time of this interview I got REAL curious and polled you guys about which brands of hygrometers you use (those are the humidity meters we talked about in the episode) and I’ve become a bit obsessed at putting them all over my house and comparing and contrasting the humidity levels in different rooms- from the bedroom to the bathroom to the living room. Check out this youtube video on my hygrometer and moisture meter review. In this episode we learn:[00:05:32] Matthew and Stephen share their personal histories with plants, and Matthew’s previous plant number (it was A LOT)[00:09:31] Matthew and Stephen’s gateway plants and how the difference in their plant interests pave way to a more diverse discussion in their podcast[00:11:03] How the Plant Daddy Podcast came to be[00:14:18] Maria shares the idea behind doing a deep dive episode on humidity and winter plant care[00:15:20] What happens to your plants during winter, the changes you might see in them as it grows colder, and figuring out the light your plants need[00:18:48] Are you making sure that the heat and cold in your home are optimal for your plants?[00:21:10] Should you really just water your plants less come winter time? Matthew has a different and smart answer![00:22:19] A glimpse into Maria’s opera days: a wet rag on top of the radiator for more humidity[00:24:03] Should you leave your plants touching or close together?[00:25:29] Let’s talk about dormancy! Yes, your plants also take some time to sleep[00:26:29] Matthew’s insightful perspective on plant dormancy and seasonal changes[00:28:36] Stephen’s easy and practical tip to understand plant dormancy[00:32:23] Are your plants required to go through dormancy? Maria, Matthew, and Stephen share their own experiences with controlled environments[00:35:15] Why it is important to know the genus of your plants and where they originate from[00:37:10] Matthew elaborates on bulbs and how different plants with bulbs behave during different seasons[00:40:45] One of the biggest secret plant killers during winter: pests![00:41:42] How seasonal affective disorder (SAD) can also affect your plants[00:42:16] How to ‘double-down’ on pest control management during the winter according to Stephen[00:43:28] Matthew’s personal hacks on getting rid of mealybugs[00:46:30] One of the most important things to know when you have plants according to Matthew: there is no one answer to everything[00:47:01] Where to source the BEST seeds for your garden (It’s planning time!)[00:49:37] Maria’s curated starter plans for all the different types of plant parents out there[00:50:58] Understanding the humidity and the environment that we, our plants, and even our homes need during colder months[00:56:24] What are Stephen and Matthew’s approaches to maintaining the right humidity for each of their plants?[01:00:00] Maria shares why she wants to learn more about humidity despite not needing to really focus on it before (yes, it’s true)[01:01:50] The horrifying experience with a humidifier that taught Maria a lesson the hard way[01:02:56] Matthew and Stephen’s hot takes on humidifiers and misting[01:06:55] Interesting hack on avoiding molds on dry walls when using a humidifier[01:09:11] Why you should check how your humidifier is working in the environment or room that it is in[01:14:01] Humidity concerns matter, but are you watering and taking care of your plants’ soil properly?[01:16:11] How to keep tabs on your plants’ humidity with tools[01:17:41] Maria’s future plans and experiments on humidity[01:19:32] Appreciating the unique perspectives and representations that Plant Daddy Podcast brings to plant parenthood Mentioned in our conversation: Plant Parent Personality TestTerritorial Seed Company (Bloom10 gets ya 10% off)BAGR Episode Hoya Care 101 with Doug ChamberlainOn The Ledge Podcast by Jane PerroneBAGR YouTube video Moisture Meter and Hygrometer Review / Humidity Products for Houseplants HaulPull It Together Podcast by Alex MateoThank you to our episode sponsor:Territorial Seed Co

Learn to care for plants successfully and cultivate more joy in your life with episodes of the Bloom and Grow Radio Podcast.Ever killed a houseplant before? Host Maria Failla can relate. That’s why she interviews planty experts to get answers to the plant care questions we all have, but might be nervous to ask: like what the heck IS bright indirect light? What is soil and potting mix made up of? Or What IS the best way to water my plants?Tune in to stop killing your plants, learn how to get them to thrive and most importantly, how plants can help us grow a little more joy in our lives while we “Keep Blooming and Keep Growing”!Subscribe to the show on iTunes or your preferred podcast player so you never miss an episodeNot sure where to start? Check out the Bloom and Grow Radio Episode Catalogue where all the episodes are broken down by genre: Individual Plant Care, General Plant Care, Nerdy Plant Science, Plants & Wellness, Gardening & more!Want more Bloom and Grow Content?Check out the Bloom and Grow Youtube Show for companion videos and tours of Maria's collections and Planty ProjectsFollow @bloomandgrowradio on IG for daily planty inspiration.Take the Bloom and Grow Plant Parent Personality Test to unlock your inner plant parent potential with recommended plants, planty projects and podcast episodes tailored specifically for your personalityBecome a Patreon Plant Friend and support Bloom and Grow Radio for less than a fancy coffee a month! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What a year it’s been. I’m thankful 2020 is coming to a close and excited for 2021, I think a silver lining 2020 has given us is truly understanding the power of plants and how they can help us relieve stress and cultivate more joy in our lives. My goal for Bloom and Grow is to help everyone successfully care for plants for that exact reason, to make the world a kinder and greener place. Now… there is also a dark side to this hobby of plant care. There is a moment in all of our lives where our hobby teeters the thin line between joyful and stressful. Where we fall so deeply in love with plants, maybe we bring too many home at once, or go through a season of life where we can’t care for our collection and then feel disappointed in ourselves. I initially thought my struggles with plant parent overwhelm have been unique, an outlier in our community, but after hearing from you in the listener survey, or in dms and emails, I know this moment of Plant Parent Overwhelm is something we all struggle with. On this episode of BAGR, we revisit highlights of Episode 43: Your Brain On Plants, in which I interviewed Dr Caitlin Vander Weele, a neuroscientist about what chemically happens in our brain when we get addicted for plants. The conversation was eye opening, and on this topic, feel like the things Caitlin shares shed so much light on a problem so many plant parents struggle with at one point through out their plant parenthood. After snippets of that episode with Caitlin, I then share experiences, strategies and suggestions on how to deal with Plant Parent Overwhelm and how to go on a plant pause. In this episode we learn: [03:09] Why Maria wanted to tackle plant parent overwhelm in this special episode [07:17] How this AMAZING liquid fertilizer lessened my stress about plant care [08:56] Maria narrates her personal experience with plant pause and Billy’s intervention when she peaked her plant obsession [10:11] What is dopamine? How does taking care of plants, or successfully growing an herb garden in Maria’s case, release dopamine and fuel our plant craze? [13:16] Dr Caitlin explains how the dopamine in our brains can cause compulsive behaviors a.k.a. buy more plants than we intend [14:41] What is a neurotransmitter? Dr Caitlin describes the molecules, synapses, and receptors in layman’s terms, for better understanding of that new plant high! [17:16] How are plants different from our other ‘material obsessions’? What is oxytocin and why does taking care of plants (and babies) release this hormone? [19:12] The four major stages of compulsive buying behavior: anticipation, preparation, shopping, and regret [21:31] Dr Caitlin explains different research and hypotheses exploring why plants are good for our mental health [23:36] Why being in nature unlocks our creativity and brings us a more positive emotional state [24:09] Maria shares how checking her plants regularly in the morning makes her feel settled and less stressed [25:13] How does plant care affect our brain and how we process our thoughts? [26:33] What are some of the things you can look out for to avoid an unhealthy relationship with plants? Maria gives her personal experiences when she went through an unhealthy obsession with plants [28:27] How to Manage Plant Parent Overwhelm Tip #1: Understand your plant number [30:00] How to Manage Plant Parent Overwhelm Tip #2: Accept that you’re overwhelmed and forgive yourself! [30:42] How to Manage Plant Parent Overwhelm Tip #3: Assess where you are [31:16] How to Manage Plant Parent Overwhelm Tip #4: Set a budget and STICK. TO. IT. [31:47] How to Manage Plant Parent Overwhelm Tip #5: Find your focus [32:16] How to Manage Plant Parent Overwhelm Tip #6: Work with what you got! [33:38] Maria shares her plant pause experience, her realizations during her plant pause, and how it benefited her plants and her home [35:33] Plant Pause Tip #1: Define your rules — YOU know what YOU can do [36:51] Plant Pause Tip #2: Involve your community (and get closer with them) [38:16] Plant Pause Tip #3: Set a timeframe [38:50] Plant Pause Tip #4: Be kind to yourself [39:25] Plant Pause Tip #5: Remember it’s quality over quantity [40:15] If you decide to take a plant pause, don’t worry! Maria shares some fun things you can do while on your plant pause [40:27] Streamline your design and collection, learn your plants’ Latin names, propagate, fertilize, and learn learn learn while doing your plant pause [41:24] Plant parenthood can be seasonal and you can have times when you aren’t being the best plant parent to your plants, and that’s okay! [42:11] Maria shares her musings about the year that’s passed and about the new year to come [43:38] Maria’s exciting news! What’s in store for Bloom and Grow Radio in 2021 Mentioned in this episode: Check out the companion youtube video about plant parent overwhelm Blog where all tips and tricks discussed in this episode live BAGR Episode Root-Ology with Leslie Halleck BAGR Episode Your Brain on Plant

One of the major things that plants do is help connect us with nature. I think as plant parents, once we use plants to reconnect with ourselves and make our homes look beautiful, they also get us thinking more about nature and the earth and how important it’s preservation is. So today’s episode is exploring just that: plant parenthood and low waste living, and what it means to make intentional decisions about preserving our planet while taking care of ourselves and our plants. I think we are all anxiously looking at 2021 and getting excited about the changes that will come. This is the time to set new years resolutions and just think about how we want to show up in 2021 for ourselves and I think more importantly, there are global conversations happening about how we can show up for those around us and the environment. As I continue to fall deeper in love with plants, I’m finding that I’m falling deeper in love with nature itself and feeling a stronger sense of responsibility to take care of our planet. I’m so excited to welcome Nick Cutsumpas of @farmernicknyc to the podcast and share this conversation with you and to inform and encourage our community to think about how we can apply these concepts of low waste living to not only our lives, but to our hobby of plant care. Nicks been a plant friend of mine for a while and I’ve loved learning more about sustainability from him, and figured he is the perfect intersection of plant parent and environmental activist to have for this chat about how to lead more sustainable lives as humans and plant parents. In this episode we learn: [00:02:26] Introducing Nick Cutsumpas and episode key ideas [00:07:18] What Nick does, what started his plant journey (mothers DO know best!), and how plants served as his ‘saving grace’ when he moved into the city [00:10:38] Check out Nick in Netflix’s new show The Big Flower Fight! [00:11:14] What is regenerative environmental action? Nick explains sustainability vs regenerative [00:13:22] Are houseplant people practicing regenerative methods with their plants? According to Nick, to see is to believe when it comes to taking care of our environment [00:15:01] How Maria realized she could be doing more sustainable practices [00:15:22] Maria’s current idea obsession: plant blindness — Nature Not Furniture! [00:16:32] What Maria thinks of ‘zero waste’ and her reservations with the movement [00:17:17] Nick shares why he thinks plant blindness is similar to waste blindness [00:17:37] Why Nick strives for low waste consumption vs zero waste, how we as consumers can apply low waste consumption to the products we buy [00:19:45] Why the time to be more conscious is NOW more than ever and how taking care of plants reminds us that we can take action [00:20:47] Why Bloom and Grow Radio is doing an episode on low waste [00:21:45] Low Waste Beginner Tip #1: Reuse everything [00:22:46] Do you have tons of bubble wrap from your online orders? Save them for your next plant cutting gift! [00:23:50] What is ‘waste’? For Nick, it’s everything that ends up in a landfill [00:24:38] Maria’s lightbulb moment on her waste consumption: New York’s composting system [00:25:11] The negative effects of plastics in our environment and how we can be smart and responsible with our plastic consumption [00:26:54] Why we should be cautious about greenwashing, waste segregation, and biodegradable vs compostable materials [00:28:24] Nick’s sustainability influences [00:29:13] Low Waste Tip #2: Buy quality over quantity (Yes, you save more money this way!) [00:30:12] Nick’s sustainability progress: he hasn’t bought anything new in more than a year! The secret? Thrifting! [00:31:52] The eco-friendly furniture and mattress stores that Nick recommends [00:33:56] How the pandemic enabled more waste production [00:34:48] Why the most impact can be achieved through collective action; ‘10% is better’ [00:35:14] The BEST recycled and sustainable wall planters and the BEST plant kits to give this Holiday season! [00:38:56] Nick reveals the most common mistakes we all do when it comes to composting [00:39:54] How to REALLY begin your low waste journey [00:40:39] Why you need to wash your recyclables [00:41:22] Low Waste Tip #3: Find bulk stores and bring your own jars [00:41:50] How Nick manages to do zero-waste grocery shopping [00:42:25] What is ‘produce paralysis’? What is Nick’s proposed solution to packaging waste? [00:44:04] Low Waste Tip #4: Avoid single-use plastic in the produce section [00:45:24] Nick’s low waste hack: Put the jar in warm water for 10 minutes to remove the adhesive label, and reuse the jar for drinking or plant propagation! [00:46:47] Low Waste Tip #5: Don’t be shy to ask if you can use your own containers for your consumables! [00:47:39] Maria weighs in on the different straws from her own experiences (make sure you clean them!) [00:49:28] What do we do with our plastic nursery pots? a. bring them to a nursery, b. cache, c. make a tent for your drainage h

I’m so excited to welcome back Kay from @inrootedlove for a next level conversation on the soil free Semi Hydroponic or Passive Hydroponic Lifestyle. You might remember Kay from episode 77 an Intro to Semi or Passive Hydroponics- so now that year has passed and our community has been experimenting with this style of growing- she’s joining me again discuss what a year of passive- hydro has looked like, dive deeper into the concepts and answer listener questions. For those of you who don't know: Passive Hydroponics is a method for keeping plants not in soil, but in LECA or PON Lechuza (inorganic substrates) and managing their nutrients yourself, instead of using potting mix. It’s a plant parent lifestyle many people swear by. I initially was NOT sold on the complexities of preparing LECA, measuring nutrients and more, but after a year of experimenting with passive-hydro I definitely see the value in this practice! So if you haven’t listened to that first episode- I highly recommend starting there before listening in on this one. Two other ways to learn about Passive Hydro this week! Giveaway: Head over to @bloomandgrowradio on IG to enter our Passive Hydro Starter Kit Giveaway! We are giving away two rooted cuttings of Kay's marble pothos and two net pots with enough LECA and Lechuza to plant up each cutting in the substrates and conduct your OWN experiments! Youtube: Kay and I also made a companion video for the BAG Youtube Show where Kay gives us a mini LECA vs Lechuza tutorial and actually shows us how to pot up a plant types of substrate. If you’re curious on her techniques, click the link in the show notes to check the video out after you listen to this episode! FYI The Bloom and Grow Website got a pretty epic makeover and I’d love for you to head on over and check it out- you can learn a little more about me, snag all of the freebies I’ve created for ya over the years, shop the Bloom and Grow Merch and Plant Friends Apparel line AND we’ve got a shop now that houses all the sponsor discount codes, my favorite books and courses and more. Thanks to Digital Grace Design for doing such an amazing job. In this episode we learn: What Kay's Plant Number is How Kay manages to keep 200+ plants in her home happy and healthy with NO grow lights The home characteristics Kay looked for when buying a home so her plants could thrive [9:00] What Maria secretly dreams of for the next home (it's not what you think) [10:00] What is Semi or Passive Hydro [10:55] Reasons for why you should try Semi or Passive Hydroponics [12:52] Kay's experience having small children and a large plant collection [12:37] Maria's main takeaways from a year of experimenting with semi-hydro: what she is doing great and where she still needs help [13:50] How do net pots work when roots start to grow out of the pot [15:43] How to handle orchid roots in LECA [17:0] How to handle aroid roots in LECA [17:20] Root pruning [17:50] The story behind Kay's gorgeous Albo Monstera [19:30] Is it bad for plants roots to touch the water in a Semi Hydro or Passive Hydro set up? [20:00] When to repot your plant in semi hydro [21:00] What happened when Maria forgot about her plants in LECA for 2 months [22:40] How can you avoid root rot when using semi hydroponics or passive hydroponics? [24:25] Nutrient troubleshooting deep dive [27:25] Kay elaborates on how she uses Azomax to manage pests in her large collection [31:19] What are the signs of a healthy plant in semi hydro [34:30] What does a healthy root look like in LECA How dry can you let your reservoir get before you kill your plant [37:16] How to gage water levels with opaque pots [37:50] What's an appropriate transition time for a plant to go through transplant shock? [41:26] Kays product she uses to help plants transition more efficiently [42:15] LECA VS PON: their differences, pros and cons [43:58] What PON lechuza is made up of [44:20] What plants Kay chooses to put PON in over LECA [45:00] Why Kay doesn't put all her plants in PON [45:01] What plants Kay plants in PON [45:20] Why Kay grows anthurium in PON [46:48] Does a PON set up look different than a LECA set up? [47:26] Why fertilizing with PON will look very different than fertilizing in LECA Are there any plant your shouldn't put in passive hydro? [49:10] How Kay uses PON completely different on her arid plants to help better replicate their natural environments [49:37] My Raphidophora tetrasperma propagation experiment Mentioned in our conversation: Episode 77 Semi or Passive Hydro 101 with Kay! (Maria and Kay's first episode together) Take the Bloom and Grow Plant Parent Personality Quiz (Get the perfect plants, projects and educational resources for YOUR Lifestyle) Heating Mats for plants (Kays Amazon Affiliate Links to the ones she uses) Large Option and Small Option Maria's youtube video on her first passive hydro set up Maria's youtube video on her 8 month passive hydro update Kay and Maria's youtube video potting up in LECA VS PON tutorial

I recently took Intro to Horticultural Therapy at NYBG and Anne Meore, my teacher, joins me today to discuss the biggest lessons learned in class, review some studies we learned about on the science behind the plant/people connection and to discuss the concept and use of restorative spaces. As I “bloom and grow” as a plant parent and a business I am becoming more curious about the science behind the plant/person connection. The more I learn and read about plants as restorative instruments for human body and spirit, I’m realizing plants not only make people happy, but can help us heal faster and restore our brains to their natural state. We have never needed these tools MORE, especially after this year which has kept us all inside and glued to screens. Everyone can create a restorative environment in their own home, so Anne walks us through the components of a restorative space and then we brainstorm some awesome ways to create a restorative space even in our limited indoor environments.I wanted to thank NYBG for letting me take Intro to Hort Therapy with Anne, our guest today. If you are NY based, NYBG is open and magical during the winter. Discover the peaceful winter beauty across NYBG’s 250 acre landscape, from the winding trails of their old-growth forest to their arboretum collections of historic trees and ornamental conifers and get cozy in their conservatory with every tropical plant you could imagine. It’s a really spirit lifter and restorative space for me, especially in the winter. Plus, the Holiday Train Show returns this year for Members only and is on view through January 31. In this episode we learn:Why Anne became a Horticultural TherapistHow 2020 has caused Maria and Anne to re-evaluate their priorities and plants have been instrumentalUsing plants to cope with the trauma of CovidDirected vs Involuntary attentionDirected attention and mental fatigueWhat is mental fatigue and how does it negatively impact us4 Key Components of a restorative space: Being Away, Fascination, Extent and Compatibility, and what they meanHow simple views of nature can help: Views from a Window and Views to Nature: Effects on AttentionAttention Restoration TheoryHow to create a restorative environment indoors Mentioned in our conversation:BooksBiophiliaThe Nature FixForest Bathing StudiesThe Restorative Benefits of Nature: Toward an Integrative Framework, KaplanRestorative Effects of Natural Environment Experiences: Hartig, Man, EvansA Walk in the Woods, Anna Lena PhillipsView from a Window, UlrichHealthy nature healthy people: 'contact with nature' as an upstream health promotion intervention for populations, Maller, Townsend, Pryor, Brown, LegerViews to Nature: Effects on Attention, Tennessen and Cimprich14 Patterns of Biophilic Design Thank you to our episode sponsor:Modern Sprout: Modern Sprout is connecting people and plants with their fabulous lines of grow lights, hydroponic planters and all sorts of plant accessories that empower people to cultivate their own indoor oasis, whether you live in a studio apartment or a sprawling farmhouse, with simple, stylish and sustainable green-thumb solutions for every home. For 15% off your order, visit modernsprout.com and use code 15bloom at checkout!quotes: 12:35 - rhythm covid can't changeFollow Anne and NYBGAnne's company: PlanthropyNYBG Main WebsiteNYBG Course WebsiteNYBG Horticultural Therapy Program Follow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio:Take the Bloom and Grow 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 and Facebook: @BloomandGrowRadioTiktok: @bloomandgrowradioSubscribe to the Bloom and Grow Youtube Show! /BloomandgrowradioWebsite: www.bloomandgrowradio.comJoin the (free) Garden Club: www.bloomandgrowradio.com/garden-club Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Boy of boy am I excited about this EPICly planty conversation. This episode is inspired largely by the responses in the BAGR 2020 Listener Survey I’ve been combing through. Many of us in the community are loving collecting plants, but have struggled with the overwhelm of learning how to manage your ever growing collections- so I decided to ask three plantstagrammers who have collections I’ve admired for a while, to pick their brains for their top tips for organizing, managing and designing with their plant collections of 75+ plants. BONUS- we’ve put together a giveaway with cuttings of our personal collections (including a cutting of Raffi my Raphidophora) on IG, so after you’re done listening, head over to IG to make sure you enter! Giveaway runs Tuesday November 10th, 2020 @ Noon through Friday November 13th @ Noon. I’m going to be honest with you plant friends, I wrestled with the idea for this episode, because I in no way want this episode to make anyone feel pressured to increase their collections. I want to stress this: the right number of plants is completely different for each person, for some people it’s 3 and no more, for others, like our fab guests, it’s more! I want to encourage everyone to go for quality, not quantity and stick with the amount of plants that brings you joy and not stress. I’ll be sharing more of my thoughts on this and my personal collection at the end of this episode after the conversation comes to a close, so listen to the end! THAT being said, for those of you WITH larger collections who might be struggling or curious about how other plant parents do it- this episode is jammed packed with amazing ideas that i hope leave you inspired! You can also check out some clips of this episode on the youtube channel, where you can see their planty set ups and beautiful faces if you want more after this listen! Take the Bloom and Grow Plant Parent Personality Quiz (Get the perfect plants, projects and educational resources for YOUR Lifestyle) In this episode we learn: Meet Lucrecer from @soulsistaplants [9:00] Meet Phoebe from @welcometothejunglehome [11:00] Meet Cyril from @cyrilcybernated What is their Plant Number (How Many Plants they have in their homes) [22:26] Phoebe's top 3 tips for caring for a large plant collection [28:12] Lucrecer's top 3 tips for caring for a large plant [31:00] Cyril's top 3 tips for caring for a large plant collection [41:30] Each guests' best designing tip for plant styling [48:20] Maria's journey of dealing with the overwhelm that came with growing her personal collection[1:02:50] How to deal with Plant Parent Overwhelm Giveaway on Instagram with cuttings of Cyril, Lucrecer, Phoebe and Maria's collections! The youtube video that accompanies this episode! Click here to watch Bloom and Grow Plant Parent Personality Quiz (Get the perfect plants, projects and educational resources for YOUR Lifestyle) "Plant Number" = how many plants you have in your collection Episode 43: Your Brain on Plants Maria interviews a neuroscientist about the experience of become a "crazy" plant lady and going crazy growing her plant collection when she got started. Thanks to our sponsors: Modern Sprout: Modern Sprout is connecting people and plants with their fabulous lines of grow lights, hydroponic planters and all sorts of plant accessories that empower people to cultivate their own indoor oasis, whether you live in a studio apartment or a sprawling farmhouse, with simple, stylish and sustainable green-thumb solutions for every home. For 15% off your order, visit modernsprout.com and use code 15bloom at checkout! Espoma Organics: for responsibly made, fabulous indoor and outdoor organic soils, fertilizers, pest control sprays and more visit espoma.com to find your local dealer or check out my amazon storefront of my favorite Espoma products here. Follow Lucrecer IG: @soulsistaplants Linktree: @soulsistaplants Newsletter: SoulSistaPlants Follow Phoebe IG @welcometothejunglehome Facebook /welcometothejunglehome Shop The Jungle Home Plant Tarp here! Follow Cyril IG: @cyrilcybernated Youtube: /cyrilcybernated Facebook: @cyrilcybernated2018 Follow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio: Take the Bloom and Grow 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 and Facebook: @BloomandGrowRadio Tiktok: @bloomandgrowradio Subscribe to the Bloom and Grow Youtube Show! /Bloomandgrowradio Website: www.bloomandgrowradio.com Join the (free) Garden Club: www.bloomandgrowradio.com/garden-club Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.