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

Today we invite Dr Elle Barnes back to the show after our very successful conversation after I took Intro to Plant Science with her at NYBG. Elle is a scientist and teacher for NYBG and in addition to Intro to Plant Science, I recently took The Science of Tree Communication class with as well. It was WILD to learn about the underground “wood wide web” that the forest runs on, and how trees communicate with one another through VOCs. I frequently go for morning walks in nearby woods, and since I took that class, I truly look at forest environment differently, and have such a deeper appreciation for it. Plant friends, there is a network of mycorrhizae negotiating transport of vital compounds for trees under every step we take outside! How cool is that?! In addition to the “Wood Wide Web,” a big part of our conversation in The Science of Tree Communication class was HOW trees and plants communicate with each other through VOCs or Volatile Organic Compounds. Since VOCs are a hot topic in the plant community regarding how “plants clean air”, we took a deep dive to understanding this concept. Get ready to learn all about VOCs, what they are, how they are used and the great “Wood Wide Web”. Thanks to the NYBG for continuing to create enriching courses that have helped further my Plant Parent Knowledge. Check their offerings out here If you are in the NY area, the NYBG is back open, including the Palm Conservatory and is an absolutely DREAM! Consider becoming a member! Have you taken the 2020 Bloom and Grow Radio Listener Survey ?! Please take 5 minutes to take this survey and be a part of the future of Bloom and Grow Radio and Media! I did this survey 2 years ago and it was INSTRUMENTAL in planning episode topics and community resources. I can't wait to hear from you! What's your Plant Parent Personality? Take the FREE Bloom and Grow Plant Parent Personality Quiz to get the perfect plants, projects and educational resources for YOUR Lifestyle In this episode we learn: How and why plants communicate with each other The "fake news" that VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) are all bad for us How plants use VOCs to communicate with each other and themselves The above ground plant communication system If plants ACTUALLY clean the air, and how and why we might have been mislead with this notion If VOCS are all bad The difference between a VOC that comes off of a plant and one that comes off of a carpet The truth about the scent of fresh cut grass (and why it smells that way) What the scent of a rose actually is (it's a VOC!) How plants use VOCs to attract pollinators Maria's OBSESSION with The Overstory How plants and animals have evolved together "The enemy of my enemy" theory when it comes to how plants attract certain pollinators The "Wood Wide Web" and the underground plant communication system How fungi help trees and plants communicate with each other Dr Barnes' most "mind blowing" fact about trees and VOC Why Monstera are conditioned to look for darkness and not light VOCs and the Ozone Mentioned in Today's Episode: Dr's Barnes first episode on BAGR: Mind Blowing Facts from Intro to Plant Science Online courses offered at NYBG (This was based off of The Science of Tree Communication) The Overstory (Maria's absolute favorite book) * Bookstore.com Affiliate Link Thank you to today's sponsors! Soltech Solutions Luxury Grow Lights: Whether its simply getting through the lower light winter- or if you’re like me and you’ve just got too many plants and too few windows and need to bring more light indoors so your collection can keep growing- Soltech Solutions has the luxury lighting option for you! Soltech is offering BAGR listeners 20% off with code 20BLOOM at soltechsolutions.com once again thats soltechsolutions.com and code 20BLOOM at checkout for 20%off. 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 Dr Elle Barnes Twitter:@ecoevoelle Follow The New York Botanical Garden: IG: www.instagram.com/nybg Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NYBotanicalGarden/ www.nybg.org 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 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

"You can't reach the brain till you go through the heart" - Joe Dombrowski I'm thrilled to welcome back Joe Dombrowski (@mrDtimes3) to the show after our wonderful episode on Plants in the Classroom a couple of years ago. Since then a lot has changed, Joe and I have become IRL friends (I was able to visit him in 2019 and we took an amazing trip to the Amazon Spheres together which you'll hear about in the episode), Joe has become a full time comedian AND... classrooms are looking very different these days. Since many kids are home with the pandemic, Joe and I thought we'd put together a list of fun planty experiments and projects to do with kids while we spend this time at home together. There is a project for every type of kid and every age. We hope this episode helps with ideas to get children (or adult children like us!) off of their phones and into the dirt and getting curious about plants. Please share your projects with us on instagram! @mrdtimes3 & @bloomandgrowradio Have you taken the 2020 Bloom and Grow Radio Listener Survey - Please take 5 minutes to take this survey and be a part of the future of Bloom and Grow Radio and Media! I did this survey 2 years ago and it was INSTRUMENTAL in planning episode topics and community resources. I can't wait to hear from you! In this episode we learn: Joe and Maria remember their trip to the Amazon Spheres together Joe's opinion on kids going back to school [12:25] Project 1: Seed Germination in a Bag [19:50] Project 2: Sweet Potato Experiment and understanding the scientific process Project 3: Pothos Propagation 3 Ways Project 4: Fairy Gardens and Terrariums Project 5: List of Interactive Plants for Kids Joe's list of his personal favorite plants in his collection Joe's most recent plant parent win For photos and instructions for these projects, check the blog for today's podcast https://bloomandgrowradio.com/kids/ Mentioned in this episode: Episode 23: Plants in the Classroom with @mrdtimes3 Maria's new tiktok account Bloom and Grow Youtube Channel Here is a link to the book A Family Guide to Terrariums Mushroom Grow Kits! This is my favorite one from Back to the Roots! Back to the Roots Fishtank Water/Microgreen Garden Maria's episode on JOE's podcast, Social Studies Thank you to our episode sponsors: Soltech Solutions Luxury Grow Lights: Whether its simply getting through the lower light winter- or if you’re like me and you’ve just got too many plants and too few windows and need to bring more light indoors so your collection can keep growing- Soltech Solutions has the luxury lighting option for you! Soltech is offering BAGR listeners 20% off with code 20BLOOM at soltechsolutions.com once again thats soltechsolutions.com and code 20BLOOM at checkout for 20%off. Thank 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! For seeds, their online garden planner, how to videos and more visit TerritorialSeed.com and use code BLOOM20 for 20% off. Follow Joe Website: https://www.mrdtimes3.com/ Podcast: https://studyhall.libsyn.com/ Instagram: @mrdtimes3 Tiktok: @mrdtimes3 Merch Shop: https://www.shopmrdtimes3.com/ 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.

So thrilled to welcome Chris Satch back to the show for an UNBELIEVABLE, comprehensive conversation on all things WATERING! We cover everything from top watering, bottom watering, troubleshooting, how to identify root rot and many listener questions. This is not an episode to miss if you have any questions around watering your plants! Have you taken the 2020 Bloom and Grow Radio Listener Survey - Please take 5 minutes to take this survey and be a part of the future of Bloom and Grow Radio and Media! I did this survey 2 years ago and it was INSTRUMENTAL in planning episode topics and community resources. I can't wait to hear from you! Check out my youtube video on how I water my plants In this episode we learn: [5:00]What Chris is loving in his collection lately A quick overview on how to propagate fern spores How to grow mosses [12:30] What BAGR listeners are struggling with when it comes to how to water your plants [13:00] Why is watering so important to our plants? [14:20] What are xylem and phloem and how do the affect watering? [15:40] What is transpiration? [16:20] The connection between soil moisture and light [18:18] How humidity affects transpiration and our plants watering schedules [21:15] What are microclimates and how do they affect humidity [23:30] Watering Hack #1: Group Plants with Similar Needs Together [24:50] Chris's opinion on Top Watering Vs Bottom Watering [26:20 ] Best Top Watering Practices [29:00] Maria's (STRONG) opinion about care cards and watering instructions [30:50] What does "water when dry" mean- how many inches of soil should the top of the soil dry out [32:42] Watering Hack #2: Use the pot weight to understand how heavy soil saturation feels and get to know how a dry pot feels like as well [36:20] What is the ideal temperature for watering your plants [36:50] How to leave water in the catch tray of your pot with drainage [ 40:20] Best Bottom Watering Practices [42:10] Chris's issues with Bottom Watering [46:34] Root Rot: what it is, how do we fix it, how can we avoid it [48:30] Signs that you've under watered your plant [48:40] Signs that you've over watered your plant [49:50] Maria's honest experience about overwatering her plants this year [55:30] How Chris saves his plants from root rot [55:50] Chris's (STRONG) opinion about self watering pots [1:01:22] The truth about spritzing (you might not like this) [1:01:53] How brown tips can actually be a sign on fungal infection and not humidity or underwatering [1:06] How to use fungicide to treat brown edges on a plant [1:07] Why using warm water is important for watering [1:07:30] Where the ice cube watering myth started, why it's bogus and why you shouldn't use this method [1:08] Tap water vs distilled water vs rain water = does the type of water you water your plants with actually matter? [1:10:00]What white spots on leaves are and how to remove them [1:10:10] Hack # 3: use lemon juice to remove white spots on leaves [1:11:43] When during the day should you water? [1:11:55] Do you water your plant before you repot? or leave it with dry soil? Mentioned in our conversation: Episode 97: How to Care for Ferns with Lisa from Houseplant Guru Maria's Youtube Video on How I Water My Plants Maria's Youtube video on The Perched Water Table and Drainage How Maria saved her variegated Watermelon Peperomia from Root Rot Thanks to our episode sponsors! 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. Soltech Solutions Luxury Grow Lights: Whether its simply getting through the lower light winter- or if you’re like me and you’ve just got too many plants and too few windows and need to bring more light indoors so your collection can keep growing- Soltech Solutions has the luxury lighting option for you! Soltech is offering BAGR listeners 20% off with code 20BLOOM at soltechsolutions.com once again thats soltechsolutions.com and code 20BLOOM at checkout for 20%off. Follow Chris Instagram: @botanictonic Website: christophersatch.com 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 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.

The 2020 Bloom and Grow Radio Listener Survey is live!- Please take 5 minutes to take this survey and be a part of the future of Bloom and Grow Radio and Media! I did this survey 2 years ago and it was INSTRUMENTAL in planning episode topics and community resources. We had 1000 people complete the survey last time, so my goal for this survey is 3000 planty listeners! I can't wait to hear from you! At this point in the growing season, I'm sure we all have some beautifully bushy herb plants... and maybe no ideas of what to make with them. Today's episode is focused on getting these homegrown herbs into our bellies! (If you want help learning how to grow herbs, check out Episode 22: Windowsill Herb Gardening). I’ve connected with some brilliant female chefs who share their favorite herb inspired recipes! Each chef chose an herb, they share why they love it in recipes so much and then educates us on how to cook their favorite dish inspired by their herb! The first chunk of this episode is three powerhouse professional chefs who guide us through a LOT of helpful cooking and herb pairing info with mouth watering recipes. Then stay tuned to the end, where Billy shares his famous pesto recipe and my Italian Mom, Mama Failla, shares two sauces you can make with a bounty from the garden. Cooking food that I’ve grown myself has been one of the most rewarding parts of my plant parenthood journey, I hope this episodes not only gets you growing but gets you cooking too! Make sure to report back to me and these chefs on IG about what you make! In this episode we learn: [6:50] Getting to know Chef Serena Wolf and her thoughts on using Mint in recipes [16:50] MINT (and BASIL)Watermelon Salad with Tomato, Feta and Herb Vinaigrette Recipe breakdown and tips [30:30] Getting to know Chef Priyanka and learn about Coriander/Cilantro and how she uses it in recipe [36:55] Coriander Vs Cilantro and how to cook with it's 3 components: Seed, Stem and Leaf [40:00] Chef Priyanka's balance of Sweet, Salty, Spicy, Bitter and Umami and how Coriander plays a strong role in that [43:19] CORIANDER Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Turmeric, Fennel Seed and Dates [50:20] Getting to know Pastry Chef (and high school friend) Becca Newman [58:00] Becca breaks down the flavor profile of Lemon Verbena [1:01:26] Becca's philosophy of "what grows together, goes together" [1:01] LEMON VERBENA Cherry Chocolate and Lemon Verbena Ice Box Cake Recipe [1:17:40] Other herb options to substitute into the Ice Box Cake recipe if you don't have lemon verbena [1:21:33] BASIL with BILLY! And his famous walnut pesto recipe (we also reveal who we have a couples crush on) [1:24:10] Why Billy uses walnuts instead of pine nuts in his pesto [1:31:22] ROSEMARY Mama Failla's Rosemary Bolognese [1:38:35] SAGE Mama Failla's Butter and Sage Boiled Potatoes [1:41] PARSLEY AND THYME Mama Failla's Famous Polpetti! (Meat balls!) Recipes Mentioned in Today's Episode: Serena's recipe for Watermelon Salad with Tomato, Feta and Herb Vinaigrette Chef Priyanka's recipe for Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Turmeric Fennel Seed Dates Chef Priyanka's BONUS recipe for Vegan Indian Stuffed French Toast Becca's Cherry Chocolate and Lemon Verbena Ice Box Cake Mama Failla and Billy's Recipes for Rosemary Bolognese, Sage and Butter Sauce, Mama Failla's Meatballs and Billy's Famous Walnut Pesto! Check out the Bloom and Grow Youtube Show with Videos of Mama Failla and Billy making their recipes! Mama Failla makes Rosemary Bolognese Billy makes Walnut Pesto Territorial Seed Fast Fall Gardening Fact: After you make your own pesto or Sauce from Billy and mom’s recipes with freshly harvested garlic- enjoy that flavor all year by freezing the sauce. We suggest filling a sealable freezer bag with the fresh pesto and smoothing it flat so you have about a ½” to ¾” layer. Then seal the bag and freeze. When you need a little pesto flavor, just break off a chunk and toss it into your recipe! I can’t wait to make pesto and bolognese next season with the territorial seed company garlic we are starting this fall! Thank 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! For seeds, their online garden planner, how to videos and more visit TerritorialSeed.com and use code BLOOM20 for 20% off. Follow Serena https://domesticate-me.com/ Instagram Serena's Recipe for Watermelon Salad with Tomato, Feta and Herb Vinaigrette Follow Priyanka www.chefpriyanka.com Instagram LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Follow Becca Instagram Follow Billy Instagram Follow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio: Support Bloom and Grow Radio by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon! Instagram and Facebook: @BloomandGrowRadio Subscribe to the Bloom and Grow Youtube Show! /Bloomandgrowradio Website: www.bloomandgrowradio.com Join the (free) Garden Club: www.bloomandgrowradio.com/gar

Take the Bloom and Grow Radio 2020 Listener Survey! It’s always a pleasure to have my #plantfriendIRL Danae from Folia Collective back on the show. Danae is a beloved guest of BAGR from her episode on How to Start a Plant Shop. The Folia Collective shops are in Los Angeles and she has created an epic planty brand for herself and her shops that filled with the most gorgeous, varied plants and beautiful plant accessories. Danae has always had an unbelievable eye for design and style and so it makes complete sense that she was tapped to write her new book which just came out:Houseplants for All: How to Fill Any Home with Happy Plants This is a really unique book at the intersection of Plant Care and Plant Styling. I’m so excited about and Danae was nice enough to join me for a conversation around Plant Styling. I… am not so gifted with an eye for design, so this conversation was super informative and left me with lots of great ideas for projects and guidelines for our future home. In this episode we learn: How and why Danae started Folia Collective Why she decided to create a book focused on plant styling and plant care Danae's personal plant style How to manage "trends" and the pressure to constantly buy new stuff Why style and care need to go to together What Danae's approach to plant style and plant consulting is Maria outs her most embarrassing plant killer story How to take the best instagram shot of your plants... and still have they stay healthy How to match your lifestyle with your plants Why Maria is the greatest planty Marie Kondo Student Danae's plant styling tips Danae's Tips for Styling Large Plant Collection to look Curated and not Cluttered Choose a unifying theme for your planters (Maria's theme is white and terracotta) Think about how you arrange your plants: varying height, texture and shapes Group plants together (trays are a great way to bring groups together) Stack pots on top of each other to create height. You can flip a pot upside down and put another pot on top Mentioned in today's episode: Buy Danae's New Book! Houseplants for All: How to Fill Any Home with Happy Plants * *BAGR Amazon Affiliate code* Thank you to today's episode sponsors! Territorial seed 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! For seeds, their online garden planner, how to videos and more visit TerritorialSeed.com and use code BLOOM20 for 20% off. 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 Danae and Folia Collective Buy Danae's New Book! Houseplants for All: How to Fill Any Home with Happy Plants * http://danaerolynhorst.com/ https://www.instagram.com/danaerolynhorst/ https://foliacollective.com/ https://www.instagram.com/foliacollective/ Follow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio: Support Bloom and Grow Radio by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon! Instagram and Facebook: @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.

Plant Friends WELCOME to the 100th episode of Bloom and Grow Radio. Wow, I can’t believe we are here. 100 episodes over 3 years, when I really thought we might not get past episode 10. I’m humbled, proud and incredibly honored to have been through this journey alongside you. If you’ve been listening, you’ll know that this podcast was such an insane surprise for me. I’m a professional musical theater performer with a degree is in opera, I’ve spent my life as a plant killer, and now here I am, publishing this episode in celebration of 100 times we as a community have shown up to learn and grow together and nerd out about plants and plant care. What?! I’m so thankful to this community for supporting the show with your listens, shares, contributions and engagement. Beyond thankful. So today is going to be a celebration of just that- this beautiful community. Speaking of community here are some resources I've made for our community to use! The 2020 Bloom and Grow Radio Listener Survey - Please take 5 minutes to take this survey and let me get to know you! I did this survey 2 years ago and it was INSTRUMENTAL in planning episode topics and community resources. We had 1000 people complete the survey last time, so my goal for this survey is 3000 planty listeners! I can't wait to hear from you! The Bloom and Grow Radio Episode Directory! I realize 100 episodes can be overwhelming for any new listeners here, so I went through our 100 episode bank and categorized each episode based on its category: Plant Care, Nerdy Science Breakdowns, Wellness, Planty Business, Seasonal, DIY projects, Edible Gardening, Lifestyle, People and Food. That way, if you are a newbie to the show and feel overwhelmed at the feed, or even if your and OG listener, you can review whatever genre interests you and make sure you haven’t missed any episodes! I will continue updating the directory every 20 episodes or so so it’s always up to date, and I hope that it helps you continue your plant care and wellness education :) Lastly: there’s an epic party happening on IG this week: I'm going live at 1130 EST everyday with one of our favorite guests: yesterday was Leslie Halleck, today Chris Satch, Wednesday Colah from Black in the Garden, Thursday is Summer Rayne Oakes and Friday is Alessia from Apartmentbotanist. We are doing lives where we will have fun plant show and tells and chat and the week is ending in an EPIC giveaway with current and past sponsors of BAGR. Definetly head to @bloomandgrowradio to partake in that giveaway because it is CRAZY! Top 10 Lessons Learned from 100 Episodes Plants are an instrument for connection Plants make people happy, but they can also make people overwhelmed and anxious. Understanding Light is the Key to Not Killing Plants Using grow lights is an amazing planty home hack Understanding how to water AKA Drainage and capillary action is the OTHER key to not killing plants Plants are a window to wellness With plants, there is always something new to try, no matter how advanced of a plant parent you are! Moss poles are a great addition to your plant fam Anyone can grow their own food Plants are a great way to help children and those in need Bloom and Grow Radio Goals for the next 100 episodes! Continue to connect with our community on a deeper level and get to know you better through the new listener survey Spending more time in the private BAGR facebook group Designing new ways to get our community involved, virtually for 2020/2021 and IRL in the future! Learn more about horticultural therapy and food insecurity and figure out how BAGR can contribute meaningfully Grow the brand and business - i feel called to do this full time on a large scale: TV, Book, helping people bloom and grow What’s clear to me is my role in this plant space is to be a community advocate, to learn alongside you, ask the questions you need answered, and foster relationships virtually or in real life with each other so that we can all grow. I believe caring for plants help develop empathy and kindness, and learning those skills will help us make the world a kinder and greener place, and it’s my calling to help as many people successfully care for plants in order to do that. Thank you for being alongside me for this beautiful ride. Life looks nothing like what I thought it would when I started this podcast 3 years ago. I’m so thankful for that. My plant friends, I adore you, I wish you the plantiest lives full of growth and happiness and that you, of course, keep blooming and keep growing. Follow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio: Support Bloom and Grow Radio by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon! Instagram and Facebook: @BloomandGrowRadio Subscribe to the Bloom and Grow Youtube Show! /Bloomandgrowradio Website: www.bloomandgrowradio.com Join the (free) Garden Club: www.bloomandgrowradio.com/garden-club Music used is entitled "Fresh Fallen Snow" composed by - Chris Haugen and is the property of Youtube Music Library. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWi

So thrilled to welcome back Lisa from the Houseplant Guru for an EXTENSIVE chat about the wonderful world of ferns. We discuss why and how they are finicky and how to successfully care for them. We also discuss a fun variety of ferns to try for different personalities and answer a whole bunch of listener questions! Lisa has just published her FOURTH book Houseplant Party, filled with fun planty DIY projects for every type of person! In this episode we learn: Why Ferns are considered finicky Where ferns live in nature and how that affects their ability to thrive indoors How to best replicate their environment indoors Lisas humidity hacks to help ferns thrive Basic fern care: light, water, humidity How to fertilize ferns How to deal with mealybugs and scale with Ferns How "systemic pest control" actually works (I had not idea!) What are SPORES How to identify common fern pests Best ferns for different personalities Lisas favorite ferns to try Staghorn ferns Best watering cans to use Mentioned in this episode: Lisa's new book Houseplant Party! (BAGR Amazon Affiliate Link) https://thehouseplantguru.com/2019/09/17/how-to-care-for-a-birds-nest-fern/ https://thehouseplantguru.com/2011/09/15/great-grandmas-fern/ https://thehouseplantguru.com/2019/03/08/a-fern-for-the-fern-challenged/ Thank you Territorial Seed Company for Sponsoring today's episode! Territorial seed 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! For seeds, their online garden planner, how to videos and more visit TerritorialSeed.com and use code BLOOM20 for 20% off. Instructions for being featured in the 100th episode of Bloom and Grow Radio Follow Lisa, The Houseplant Guru Website: thehouseplantguru.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/houseplantguru/ Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/HouseplantGuru/ Follow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio: Support Bloom and Grow Radio by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon! Instagram and Facebook: @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.

Hi Plant Friends! I cant believe the 100th episode of Bloom and Grow Radio is around the corner! Many of you have been around since episode 1, and I'm so honored to have learned alongside you in this three year journey! The 100th episode will be my top 10 lessons learned from 100 episodes! I want this episode to be all about our community and these 100 episodes of learning, so I'd like to feature YOU and hear what YOU have learned from the 100 episode catalogue! I'd love you to call in and answer the following question to get featured in the 100th episode! What has been your favorite episode of BAGR and how did it help you and/or what is the top thing you've learned from listening to an episode BAGR? How fun will it be for our community to share their most important lessons with each other? The episode itself will turn into a community sourced, education tribute to all of our amazing guests. Here are the instructions for calling in! INSTRUCTIONS: 1) Call (203) 998-0394 2) Say and Spell your name and email at the beginning of the message so I can contact you! 3) Share your favorite episode and lesson learned from BAGR in the voicemail! TIPS: - Wear headphones with a microphone (way better sound!) - The google voice only allows for a 3 minute message, so you might want to write out your story, or jot some thoughts down on paper to allow for you to effectively tell your story without getting cut off. - If your story requires more than 3 minutes, you can call back and leave back to back messages. Deadline to call is Wednesday August 5th, that's only a 5 days window to call your lessons in, so please do so ASAP. I can't wait to hear from our community and feature your lessons. Thanks for being part of this beautiful journey and I'm honored to learn alongside and grow with you through every episode. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Plant friends: big announcement, WE’VE MOVED. I’ve been returning to the concept of pruning as I go through many unforeseen changes in life these days, the biggest being that Billy and I have moved out of our tiny NYC apartment in search of adventure and more space. Today I share the science behind pruning, and how it’s been helping me stay present and trust these sudden changes will all work out. I hope it helps you in your transitions and changes of 2020 as well! My NYC Apartment Tour! 100+ Plants in less than 500 square feet! https://youtu.be/-ahLE_zusrI FOLLOW MARIA AND BLOOM AND GROW RADIO: Take the Plant Parent Personality Test!: Unlock your Plant Parent Potential by taking the test below and get curated recommendations for plants, projects and resources inspired by your lifestyle. Support Bloom and Grow Radio by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon! Instagram and Facebook: @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.

I am SO very excited to welcome Dr Elle Barnes, my teacher for my Intro to Plant Science with NYBG. HOLY MOLY this episode was so fun to record. I took the Intro to Plant Science Course with the NYBG virtually via Zoom during this period of social distancing and what I learned throughout the course blew my mind. Intro to Plant Science might be my most favorite class I’ve taken at NYBG yet. We dive into the basics of all of the processes that make our plant babies thrive and there is just so much to learn. Dr Barnes did such a good job at breaking down difficult plant science topics so even I could understand them that I was having major “aha! moments” every class. I started a running list at the bottom of my notes document titled “aha moments” so I could always refer back to them. That list has now turned into this episode! In today’s chat, I go through the “aha moment” list with Dr Barnes and ask her to help me explain all of these fundamental principals that have helped me understand plant care on such a deeper level. I hope this episode brings you some "aha moments" of your own and helps you and your plant collection to continue to bloom and grow! Please share them with me on Instagram so I can celebrate you! If you are interested in virtual learning opportunities in this period of social distancing check out NYBG at home which is their virtual hub with tons of free resources like videos, plant guides and virtual events and tours of the garden in addition to ALL of their courses that they have moved online. From botanical art classes, to plant science, there is something for everyone. https://www.nybg.org/nybg-at-home/ NYBG is also opening it's doors back up in July to their members only. After all this isolation I am so excited to get back to the garden. Members will be the first to be able to access the park after reopening, in addition to free admission year round, special discounts and more- so if you are in the NY area, consider becoming a member this year! In this episode we learn: How Dr Barnes became the Plant Lady scientist she is today What is the difference between Monocots and Dicots How seeds germinate Overview of cellular respiration and photosynthesis Can plants emit too much carbon dioxide that it can harm humans? What is a VOC How plants both emit and absorb VOCs Do plants really clean the air? How dormancy works Modified leaves and what we didn't know about Cacti and Onions Roses don't have thorns, they have prickles! Spines vs thorns vs prickles Flower petals vs sepal The concept of apical dominance and how it affects pruning What an apical bud is What the hormone auxin is and how important it is for our plants growth Why Maple trees in colder climates make sweeter syrup That a tomato is actually not a fruit or a vegetable What is an inflorescence Thank you to this week's episode sponsor Wallygro! Wallygro, the company behind my beloved Eco Planter Greenwall, has released a new product: Loop! Loop is Wallygro's clever solution to a hanging planter that looks gorgeous and is designed with your plant's health in mind with it's 2 shell system. The inner shell provides 360 degrees of aeration for drainage and airflow and the outer shell insures no leakage. PLUS Loop is made of recycled water bottles! Wallygro is giving listeners a limited time discount of 15% off with code BLOOMANDGROW15 at wallygro.com.Offer expires August 4th, 2020. Follow Dr Elle Barnes Twitter:@ecoevoelle Follow The New York Botanical Garden: IG: www.instagram.com/nybg Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NYBotanicalGarden/ www.nybg.org Follow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio: Take the Plant Parent Personality Test!: Unlock your Plant Parent Potential by taking the test below and get curated recommendations for plants, projects and resources inspired by your lifestyle. Support Bloom and Grow Radio by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon! Instagram and Facebook: @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.

I’m thrilled to welcome Nadia of Urban Farm Sista to the show today to discuss garden pests and her mission with the Agricademy. Nadia is the plant lady behind several amazing businesses and planty projects including the Urban Farm Sista Educational Social Media Platforms, Quiwi Produce and Agricademy. She graduated from Ohio State in 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in Agriculture where she majored in Animal Sciences/minored in Entomology. Entomology is bugs, plant friends and today we do a DEEP DIVE into the common garden pests and insects that we struggle with and learn how to identify and treat them. I appreciate this conversation with Nadia because she helps us zoom out and understand our gardens as a full ecosystem. In gardening, it's always important to "zoom out" and see the larger picture, this conversation very much illustrates that! Check out the Bloom and Grow Youtube Show! What we learn: How Nadia became the founder of Quiwi Produce, the Agricademy and Urban Farm Sista Why Nadia chose to get a degree in Entomology (studying insects!) How to differentiate a "good" vs a "bad" insect Zooming out and understanding the garden as an ecosystem and why insects are important Why Hemp is important (beyond CBD and Cannabis) Most common garden pests: how to identify and treat them Aphids and Ants (Minute 36:00) Caterpillars (Minute 48:25) Leaf Beetles (discussed throughout the episode) Leaf Miners (Minute 1:00) Wasps (1:03) Recipe for pest control spray Why and how does Neem oil work What is BT Bacteria What is Diatomaceous Earth Why and how to use Insect Nets Does releasing predatory bugs outdoors work? Nadias non profit: Agricademy Its mission the Food is Essential project Resources Mentioned in this Episode: Aphid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsTTC7CKO2c&feature=youtu.be Recipe for Nadias Neem Spray: Found in her amazing Insect Investigator PDF Bacillus thuringiensis - Information on BT Bacteria Diatamaceous Earth / Flea Beetles - https://youtu.be/PQ222Sa6XXI Insect Net- She discusses insect nets in her video on Catepillars Peterson Field Guide to Insects*: Nadia's recommended insect anthology *Bloom and Grow Amazon Affiliate Code* Thank you to this weeks episode sponsors: Makespace makes storage simple, seamless and affordable without you EVER having to leave your apartment. They pick up, store and return your stuff and provide the packing materials! To learn more, visit makespace.com and use code SPACEPLZ for $100 off! 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 Nadia IG: Urbanfarmsista Youtube: Urbanfarmsista Agricademyinc.org Amazon Storefront -https://www.amazon.com/shop/urbanfarmsista Donate to Farming is Essential Project Website: http://www.agricademyinc.org/farming Gofundme: gf.me/u/xz6muf Facebook Campaign :https://www.facebook.com/donate/885370131959752/?fundraiser_source=external_url Cash App: $agricademyinc Mail Donations to: Agricademy Inc. 8711 Reading Road Cincinnati, OH 45215 (checks payable to Agricademy Inc.) Follow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio: Take the Plant Parent Personality Test!: Unlock your Plant Parent Potential by taking the test below and get curated recommendations for plants, projects and resources inspired by your lifestyle. Support Bloom and Grow Radio by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon! Instagram and Facebook: @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.

I’m so thrilled to invite my Soil Science teacher Dr. Anna Paltseva to join us today for a nerdy conversation about soil science and drainage. I took her Soil Science 101 class virtually with the NYBG this year and learned so much. I look at soil and the earth differently after this course. What we learned is way too much to cover in one episode, so today Dr Paltseva and I hone in on drainage for houseplants: why it’s important, the science behind it and how we can achieve it for our houseplants. I think one of my top 5 proudest moments over the 95 episode span of BAGR is the "lightbulb moment" we have in this conversation while discussing capillary action. But I’ll let you hear it in your own time in the midst of the episode. If you want more: I made a super nerdy youtube video companion to this episode. I show you some visuals to further explain what we discussed in our interview and show you the experiments I did for my presentation on drainage. Speaking of the NYBG, they have created an incredible virtual resource for you in this moment of social distancing: the NYBG At Home center. Since the Garden’s gates are temporarily closed, they’ve opened their virtual gates to you! They’ve compiled videos, plant guides, virtual events for your free entertainment and education and my favorite aspect of the NYBG at Home is their online courses! Plant Friends… these courses aren’t free, but they are so worth it. I got so much out of my soil science class, I will never pot a plant the same again, and this intro to plant science class is transforming the way I look at my balcony garden and plants. Check everything they have to offer at https://www.nybg.org/nybg-at-home/ In this episode we learn: Anna's childhood that inspired her to become a Soil Scientist Why fresh produce literally tastes better in Italy (hint... it has to do with the soil) What is the difference between soil and dirt Differences between outdoor and indoor soil Why indoor houseplant soil needs to be aerated The purpose of aeration Ways to help your soil that has become "hydrophobic" The "recipe" for soil How Sand, Silt and Clay drain at different rates and how that affects your soil What is "capillary action" and why bottom watering is best What is adhesion and cohesion in relation to capillary action Can you overwater a plant using the bottom watering method? What is the Perched Water Table How Maria has changed her plant care practices after learning about the Perched Water Table How do plants absorb minerals through roots and soil What are macro and micro nutrients What nutrients are important for our plants Mentioned in the episode: Bloom and Grow Youtube Show on Drainage Thank you to this week's episode sponsor: 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 Dr Anya Paltseva Instagram: @soil_expert Website: https://www.annapaltseva.com/publications Youtube: Anna Paltseva Follow The New York Botanical Garden: IG: www.instagram.com/nybg Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NYBotanicalGarden/ www.nybg.org Follow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio: Take the Plant Parent Personality Test!: Unlock your Plant Parent Potential by taking the test below and get curated recommendations for plants, projects and resources inspired by your lifestyle. Support Bloom and Grow Radio by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon! Instagram and Facebook: @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.

On the heels of the #amplifymelanatedvoices initiative, we take pause to reflect on the national and international conversation happening around the Black Lives Matter movement. We hear excerpts from two episodes with two beautiful Black Plant People, Christopher from PlantKween and Colah from Black in the Garden, share inspiring stories about how the Plant Community rallied to raise money and support the Black Lives Matters Movement, hear what Maria and Bloom and Grow's commitments are and end with a special poem and time for reflection. Featured Voices, Resources and Inspirational Stories of the Plant Community Stepping Up to Support Black Lives Matter Follow Christopher AKA PlantKween on Instagram: @plantkween Follow Colah and Black in the Garden: on Instagram @blackinthegarden and subscribe on iTunes: Black in the Garden Podcast Ross Gay: A Small Needful Fact https://www.rossgay.net/about Summer Rayne Oakes #PlantOneForward resource for Black Owned Plant Shops - this can be added to, so many sure your or your favorite black owned plant shops are on this list! Betsy Begonia's US Black Owned Plant Related Businesses List - you can also email her to add others onto the list Permacrafters created a list of 50 Black Voices in the Green Space to follow under the following categories: Herbalism, Environmental Justice, Climate Activism, Outdoors, Ecology, Vegan, Sustainable Living, Farming and Food Justice, Sustainable Fashion, Filmmaking and more #plantingforprogress was an initiative launched Agatha Isabel or @plant.ma on IG, to support BLM, and has been extended to also focus on the local NYC community of Black, Latinx, POC, LGBTQ+ including @theforesightproject @audrelordeproject @innocenceproject. It started when Agatha auctioned off a Philodendron Pink Princess she had for Black Lives Matter and ACLU Nationwide on her personal account. Upon hearing this, local plant shop Nelly's Flowers and Plants (@nellysflowershop) donated 12 plants to her cause, which she then rallied some of her plant friends to auction off on their accounts (@plantblerd @thehoodbotanist @siloliage @plantmepaul @welcometothejunglehome @felinejungle @thejungleupstairs @plant.ma ). This auctioning went throughout the week and has now raised over SIX times the original amount of her PPP and that number is still growing! This seed of an idea that Agatha had to raise money on her personal account turned into an incredible cross account, cross plant community supported movement that has raised an amazing amount of money for 3 national organizations and 3 local NYC community organizations. And it's not stopping here, follow @plantingforprogress on instagram to follow more auctions, as new people are donating plants to be auctioned everyday. They are planning on having monthly auctions of rare collector plants for good causes, so give them a follow if you're interested. Rachel Cargle and her free 30 day #dothework course What is Bloom and Grow Doing: - Doing the work: continuing to learn about the system injustice against black people in the country and using our privilege to help this cause. - Donated to Black Lives Matter, Color of Change, The New Georgia Project, Showing Up for Racial Justice and Teens for Food Justice and continuing to seek out organizations that support ending racial injustice and food insecurity - Finding diverse voices to interview for the podcast - Vote This is a movement not a moment. Follow Christopher AKA PlantKween Instagram: @plantkween Follow Colah and Black in the Garden: iTunes: Black in the Garden Podcast IG: @blackinthegarden Follow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio: Support Bloom and Grow Radio by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon! Instagram and Facebook: @BloomandGrowRadio Subscribe to the Bloom and Grow Youtube Show! /Bloomandgrowradio Website: www.bloomandgrowradio.com Join the (free) Garden Club: www.bloomandgrowradio.com/garden-club Music used is entitled "Fresh Fallen Snow" - composed by Chris Haugen and is the property of Youtube Music Library Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

So thrilled to be welcoming Becca de la Plants and SO MANY of our favorite plant-tubers to the show today on an epic cross media collaboration! I have become very curious about the Plant-tube, the Planty corner of Youtube, and decided to do a deep dive by reaching out to YOUR favorite plant-tubers to get answers to my questions! This is a two part episode hosted on the Bloom and Grow Radio Podcast and Youtube Show. Todays podcast episode has special guest Becca de la Plants for a conversation on all things youtube: history, the differences in the plant-tube sect of the youtube space, maintaining a channel, growing one, monetization and etiquette. THEN we have a beautiful montage of 11 plant-tubers sharing why they love their channels and the plant-tube community and why (you'll be surprised at how varied their answers are!). THEN on the Bloom and Grow Youtube Channel, we have a video with all 13 of us sharing How to Sow, Grow and Nourish a Plant-tube Channel with tips for creating your OWN channel if you are curious. These plant-tubers are sweet, passionate people and I feel lucky to have gotten to know them over the course of this collaboration. Make sure to head to their channels and subscribe and give them some love! In this Episode We Learn: Becca's journey to becoming Becca De Le Plants Youtube Vs Planttube Why Plant-tube might have the most haters How Plant-tube fits into the world of Youtube Etiquette for watching and engaging with plant-tube videos How plant-tubers make money (if they do) How to connect with local plant people in your community #indoorjungledirectory A compilation of our favorite Plant-tubers sharing their favorite part about having a Plant-tube channel (dont forget to listen to this part, it will give you all the feels!) Make sure to check out the video companion to this episode: How to Sow, Grow and Nourish a Plant-tube Channel! Follow Our Plant-tube Collaborators! Becca from De Le Plants Planty Youtube Lifestyle Youtube and Instagram Betsy from Betsy Begonia - Youtube and Instagram Harli G from Harli G Youtube and Instagram Gerard from Gerard's Horticulture Culture Youtube and Instagram Rachel from Heart Shaped Leaves Youtube and Instagram and PODCAST! Adam from Knot Dude Youtube and Instagram Sharina Tallada Youtube and Instagram Nick Pileggi Youtube and Instagram Nicole from My Clean Leaves Youtube and Instagram Pam from Pam's Pretty Plants Youtube and Instagram Christian from Crazy Plant Guy Youtube and Instagram and TikTok! Darryl from House Plant Journal Youtube and Instagram Follow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio: Take the Plant Parent Personality Test!: Unlock your Plant Parent Potential by taking the test below and get curated recommendations for plants, projects and resources inspired by your lifestyle. Support Bloom and Grow Radio by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon! Instagram and Facebook: @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.

Today we welcome back Marc Hachadourian from the New York Botanical Garden to the show! You might remember Marc from Episode 50: Maranta, Calathea and Stromanthe 101 where he gave so many amazing tips and tricks for caring for this finicky but beautiful group of plants. Now he is back for an in depth review of the world of Begonias! He gives us the history of these plants and tips and guidelines to keep these gorgeous creatures thriving in our homes. As you’ll learn in the episode, I’ve always been a bit scared of Begonias, but after this episode, I’ve found myself cruising online plant shops for an Angel Wing Begonia… I found a Red Ruby Begonia which I’ve ordered off of amazon and will do an unboxing of when it arrives, but if you have the inside scoop on where I can get an Angel Wing Begonia… let me know on the post for the podcast episode on IG! Marc Hachadourian is the Director of Glasshouse Horticulture and Senior Curator of Orchids at the New York Botanical Garden. His amazing plant brain, friendly personality and passion for plants is kind of legendary in the plant space and I’m so excited to bring him back for another show. I could seriously talk to Marc all day. And I’m so thankful to the New York Botanical Garden for lending him to us for this episode. Speaking of the NYBG, they have created an incredible virtual resource for you in this moment of social distancing: the NYBG At Home center. Since the Garden’s gates are temporarily closed, they’ve opened their virtual gates to you! They’ve compiled videos, plant guides, virtual events- like you can take a virtual tour of the Orchid Show or the Magnolias in Bloom and my favorite aspect of the NYBG at Home is their online courses! I just finished Soil Science 101 with them and I’m currently taking Intro to Plant Science with them. Plant Friends… these courses aren’t free, but they are so worth it. I got so much out of my soil science class, I will never pot a plant the same again, and this intro to plant science class is transforming the way I look at my balcony garden and plants. I’m like trying to lecture Billy about monocots vs dicots and plant adaptions and he is looking at me like a crazy person. But if you aren’t interested in getting science-y they also have Botanical Watercolor, Botanical Embroidery and currently have a series called “All About Containers” if you are interested in growing edibles in containers this season. Check everything they have to offer at https://www.nybg.org/nybg-at-home/ In this episode we learn: Marc's love of Begonias The Begonia's (and other plant) that was featured in American Gothic The wide variety of Begonias available to plant parents Marc's famous Houseplant Hospital and Humidity Hacks General care guidelines for light, soil and watering of Begonias Where Begonias grow in the natural world Mentioned in today's episode: Maria's favorite soil company, Espoma Organics Leslie Hallecks book on Propagation: Plant Parenting Thank you to this week's episode sponsors: Modern Sprout: for more information on Modern Sprout's amazing *NEW* line of indoor grow lights and adorable and innovative hydroponic grow kits, seed starter kits, seed pops, planty accessories and more visit www.modernsprout.com and use code "15BLOOM" at checkout for 15% off. 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 The New York Botanical Garden: IG: www.instagram.com/nybg Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NYBotanicalGarden/ www.nybg.org Follow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio: Take the Plant Parent Personality Test!: Unlock your Plant Parent Potential by taking the test below and get curated recommendations for plants, projects and resources inspired by your lifestyle. Support Bloom and Grow Radio by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon! Instagram and Facebook: @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.

So excited to welcome my MOM back to Bloom and Grow Radio today! It feels very fitting to have her joining us so close to Mother's Day! You might remember her from Episode 20: Talking Tomatoes when she gave us her Italian secrets to tomato gardening, and now she's back to talk about what she's learned with 5 years of edible landscaping under her belt (and a lifetime of general gardening experience). She shares her top 10 tips for Edible Landscaping and Gardening with our audience today and has a LOT to share. In this episode we learn: My Mom's history as a plant lady Her garden growing up with my Italian Grandparents Her tip for how to memorize your houseplant names Her process for evaluating her new house and figuring out how to start a garden on new land How she chooses plants for her garden How she grew the "Failla Farm" section by section over 5 years Mom's top 10 tips for edible landscaping and beginning gardeners! Read the top 10 tips on the blog! https://bloomandgrowradio.com/momtips/ Check out the Youtube Tour of my Moms Garden! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

I’m so excited to finally welcome Jane Perrone of On the Ledge Podcast to the show. Jane and I have both been podcasting for almost three years now and, if we do say so ourselves, are the OG houseplant centered podcast on the airwaves. It’s only taken three years and a pandemic to make our schedules clear enough to pull our heads out of the production of our own shows to finally visit each other shows, so we thought it would be fun to interview each other on our shows in the same week. So if you are interested in hearing Jane interview me you can check out her channel, and if you are a new listener of Jane’s coming here to hear her interview, welcome! In this episode we learn: If Jane Perrone and I view each other as competition How we feel about being the OG houseplant podcasters How Jane's family has reacted to her plant collection One particular topic that Jane wants to set the record straight about How both Jane and Maria have developed their knowledge of plant care Jane's favorite houseplant of the moment What Jane's house plant set up is in her home How many plants and grow lights Jane currently has in her home What the rarest plant Jane has is Why the term "plant parent" can be tricky for some people Check out my Modern Sprout Growbar and Growhouse installation on this weeks Youtube Show video Thank you to this week's episode sponsor: Modern Sprout! For more information on Modern Sprout's amazing *NEW* line of smart indoor grow lights and adorable and innovative hydroponic grow kits, seed starter kits, seed pops, planty accessories and more visit www.modernsprout.com and use code "15BLOOM" at checkout for 15% off. *discount code not available for Mother's Day Bundles* Have you taken the Bloom and Grow Plant Parent Personality Test yet? Take the 2 minute test to learn your Plant Parent Personality and what plants, projects and podcast episodes are perfectly suited to your lifestyle! Follow Jane: Instagram @j.l.perrone Twitter @janeperrone Main podcast link janeperrone.com Facebook group Houseplant Fans of On The Ledge https://www.facebook.com/groups/houseplantfans/ Follow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio: Take the Plant Parent Personality Test!: Unlock your Plant Parent Potential by taking the test below and get curated recommendations for plants, projects and resources inspired by your lifestyle. Support Bloom and Grow Radio by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon! Instagram and Facebook: @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.

So excited to welcome Toby Adams, the Director of the Edible Academy for the New York Botanical Garden onto the show to talk all things vegetable gardening! The NYBG Edible Academy is a state-of-the-art educational facility featuring hands-on activities and innovative programs that help children, families, teachers, and the general public learn about growing and preparing vegetables, fruit, and herbs while encouraging a lifelong interest in gardening, nutrition awareness, and environmental stewardship. Toby has worked at the NYBG for almost 20 years, and has a passion for helping people understand how to grow food- as you’ll see in our interview. We don't talk a lot of about herbs because I've already done an Herb Garden 101 episode with a horticulturalist from NYBG on another episode! If you are interested in growing herbs check out Episode 22: Windowsill Herb Gardening 101 I’ve been taking a lot of online courses in this time of isolation and spending a lot of time focusing on what I will grow on my tiny balcony garden this spring and summer. The New York Botanical Garden has an unbelievable array of online courses and even have a Horticulture Certificate degree you can complete! I've taken several NYBG courses and am totally hooked! The first course I took was Fundamentals of Gardening and I’m currently enrolled in the virtual Soil Science 101 class. Plant friends… I am loving these classes so much, as I’m finding they are teaching me the underlying reasons behind so many basic plant care techniques I know. Learn with me! I’ll be taking Intro to Plant Science with the NYBG starting April 23rd and I’d love for you to join me! I cannot WAIT to dive into the scientific processes our plants go through that I don’t quite understand and would love to have you in class with me! In case this episode gets you excited and you want to learn more about vegetable gardening, they also have four virtual courses focusing on vegetable gardening coming up! Rooftop Gardening (Starts April 22) Mastering the Art of Tomato Gardening (April 23) Vegetable Gardening Saturday (April 25) Super Small Space Veggie Gardening (Starts April 28) In this episode we learn: Maria's overview of the main takeaways she took from her Fundamentals of Gardening Class Annual vs Perennial Compost vs Mulch Basic Garden Design Strategies What is the Edible Academy at NYBG and how is it reconnect kids with food What are the Fundamentals of Vegetable Gardening Understanding what you want to grow Understanding what you CAN grow Understanding your growing conditions The pluses and minuses to container gardening vs bed gardening Best soil to use for vegetables and herbs How to assess your garden sunlight General fertilizing guidelines Easy to grow Spring edibles: Lettuce, Radishes, Sugar Snap Peas Easy to grow Summer edibles: tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, cucumbers, beans What not to grow (and why) Why everyone should try vegetable gardening this year Mentioned in the episode: Take the Plant Parent Personality Test!: Unlock your Plant Parent Potential by taking the test below and get curated recommendations for plants, projects and resources inspired by your lifestyle. NYBG Online Courses Intro to Plant Science (Starts April 23 and I'll be taking it!) Rooftop Gardening (Starts April 22) Mastering the Art of Tomato Gardening (April 23) Vegetable Gardening Saturday (April 25) Super Small Space Veggie Gardening (Starts April 28) All of NYBG's virtual content, including a link to online classes, can be accessed through NYBG at Home USDA Hardiness Zones: enter your zip code in the map here to find yours! Soil Testing: find your local cooperative agent for testing guidelines Thank you to this week's episode sponsors! For more information on Modern Sprout's amazing *NEW* line of indoor grow lights and adorable and innovative hydroponic grow kits, seed starter kits, seed pops, planty accessories and more visit www.modernsprout.com and use code "15BLOOM" at checkout for 15% off. 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 The New York Botanical Garden: IG: www.instagram.com/nybg Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NYBotanicalGarden/ www.nybg.org Follow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio: Take the Plant Parent Personality Test!: Unlock your Plant Parent Potential by taking the test below and get curated recommendations for plants, projects and resources inspired by your lifestyle. Support Bloom and Grow Radio by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon! Instagram and Facebook: @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 advertisi

Today's episode is simply me sharing things that are inspiring me in this weird time for our country. There is so much to be scared of, but so much to be thankful for and inspired by. A lot of people are feeling helpless and alone, and this is a list of ways that you can help those in need and yourself in the Age of Corona! Resources Mentioned in Today's Episode: #PlantOneForward Initiative Summer Rayne Oakes' #plantoneforward initiative: Summer Rayne is encouraging everyone in our community to support local growers and plant shops by sending one plants to one person who could use cheering up in this moment: a loved one, a plant friend, or maybe even someone you've lost touch with. If you can afford to, this is a great way to help our beloved plant shops (and the growers that supply them) stay in business. I sent a thank you plant from @plantsbypost From Summer Raynes' Blog post: "If even 100 of us do so, we’ll positively affect the lives of 300 people (you, the person who owns the shop, and the person you give the plant to); 300 becomes 900; 900 becomes 2,700; 2,700 becomes 8,100; 8,100 becomes 24,300; and so on and so forth. It’s simple acts such as these that not only help our communities—but also help us stay connected to one another. " Click here for SRO's blog with all of the plant shops mentioned To buy something for yourself AND sending a plant to your friend visit Steves Leaves to take advantage of their #plantoneforwardbonus. Purchase a plant (or more) and then add the item Promo to their cart (it can be found by searching promo on the site). Use promo code #PLANTONEFORWARD to send an airplant to a friend at a separate address when you place your order. You will need to put the name and address of who you are sending the air plant to into the comments section of the order so we can mail it to the other person. Victory Garden Movement or Cooperative Gardens Commission Click here to read the NY Times article about it! The Victory Garden movement was a result of World War 1, when people were encouraged to grow as much food at home as possible to become self- sufficient. It was so successful that it was predicted that up to 40 % of the countries vegetables were grown in community, home and school gardens. In 2020 as a response to the Covid Pandemic, the Experimental Farm Network is swiftly pulling together the Cooperative Gardens Commission (renamed after they decided to move away from the Corona Victory Garden Network). The commission is pledging to helping connect experienced gardeners with supplies to help their communities grow their own food. You can visit www.coogardens.org to pledge supplies or volunteer time to help the movement. In their own words: "In response to this crisis, Experimental Farm Network (EFN) is urging all people who can to establish "Cooperative Gardens" to grow as much food this year as they possibly can. We hope this effort will help people across the country (and potentially in other countries as well) to provide themselves and their communities with healthy fresh food, reduce our reliance on the faltering industrial food system (which is terrible for the environment and human health even when fully functioning), and make it easier for folks to stay in their communities and avoid further transmission of the virus. We hope people in cities will take over defunct community gardens and vacant lots and fill them with life once more. We hope people in towns and suburbs who normally work hard to keep their lawns green will instead rip up grass and plant vegetable gardens. And we hope rural farmers who normally grow big fields of commodity crops — folks who know how to farm and have a great capacity to produce lots of food — will set aside at least a portion of their land and labor to grow fruits and vegetables for their neighbors and for those in need in nearby communities (especially in cities, where people are likely to suffer greatly in the event of major supply chain disruptions). This is a time for social solidarity on a scale not seen since wartime — though such solidarity would inarguably be welcome in peacetime too, given how many people already lack food sovereignty, particularly in historically oppressed communities. During World War I, a National War Garden Commission was established by concerned individuals outside of government before the US even entered the war. Girl Scouts tended a quarter-acre garden in Boston Common. The Army's Camp Dix here in New Jersey hosted a 400-acre "war garden" tended by soldiers (with 140 acres of potatoes alone). Schools and Universities grew food on their campuses. And people of all ages came to consider gardening to be their civic duty. We must do the same today. Please fill out this survey if you have food production resources to share (seeds, tools, land, volunteer labor, soil/compost, tillage equipment, knowledge, etc), or are interested in starting a farm or garden in your community, particularly if you don't have access to all o

My Fiance, Billy, joins me today to give you the inside scoop on what the last year has looked like for us. As most of you know I left home for an entire year to travel with Cats the Musical, and Billy was left to care for all of our 150 plants all by himself. This was a HUGE undertaking for him, as I was the "primary caretaker" for our plants when we lived together, so we break down exactly how both of us went into this new phase of life and lessons learned along the way. Thank you to Billy, my partner in plants and partner in life, who greets every challenge with an open heart and open mind. I'm so thankful to have you to grow through life with. In this episode we learn: Billy's reaction to me leaving him with our 150 plants for tour for a year Billy's journey warming to my passion for plants when it began An overview of our "plant pause" How Billy managed caring for our 150 plants on his own while I toured the country with Cats Maria's strategies for helping Billy learn how to care for their plants Mentioned in the episode: Billy's first episode on BAGR: Tips for Living with a Crazy Plant Person Thank you Plants by Post for sponsoring today's episode! Plants by Post is a family-owned nursery located in Northern California cutting out the middleman and delivering beautiful and healthy indoor and outdoor annuals and perennials directly to your doorstep, nationwide. I have used them several times and have been blown away by the quality of their plants, intention behind their shipping and love how environmentally friendly they are! Spring is here, Plant Friends! Time to stock up! Head to plantsbypost.com and use code BLOOM20 for 20% off your order! Follow Billy Instagram: @atadashbilly Follow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio: Support Bloom and Grow Radio by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon! Instagram and Facebook: @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.

Brittany Gowan, the plant lady behind @ihavethisthingwithurbanjungles on IG and the Pause with Plants Podcast has been a #plantfriendIRL for a while now and a lovely lady. She has been practicing and teaching her Pause with Plants Method and we thought today would be the perfect time to discuss how to use plants to reduce stress. There has never been a better time than to have houseplants and practice houseplant care than now, when many of us are confined to our homes in the midst of this pandemic! It's important to understand tools and techniques for us to use our houseplants to reduce our stress. I've never been more thankful for my houseplants than the last 8 days of quarantine! This talk with Brittany inspired my to do a planty workout you can find on my IGTV. I hope it inspires you to bring a little calm into your "work from home" days! In this episode we learn: How Brittany became the plant lady she is now and why she started Pause with Plants How to incorporate plants into your mental wellness routine How to use plants in your morning routine The importance of breath while practicing mindful awareness How to use plants in your meditation The importance of routine while working from home Techniques to incorporate more calm and recenter yourself The "Pause with Plants" Method: connect, move and meditate with plants Mentioned in this episode: Brittany's comprehensive guide to how to Pause with Plants If you've got time to spare and want to boost your plant care education try these episodes of the Bloom and Grow Radio Podcast: Episode 03: How NOT to kill your succulents! Episode 02: Top 5 Houseplants for Beginners Episode 18: Prepping your Plants for Spring Episode 19: Terrarium 101 Episode 20: Talking Tomatoes Episodes 46/47: Understanding Natural Light Episode 71: Low Light Plants Episode 74: Grow Lights 101 Also scroll the podcast feed to find 101 episodes on: orchids, airplants, fiddle leaf figs, monstera, peperomia, african violets, prayer plants, windowsill herb gardening, container gardening and more! Thank you Plants by Post for sponsoring today's episode! Plants by Post is a family-owned nursery located in Northern California cutting out the middleman and delivering beautiful and healthy indoor and outdoor annuals and perennials directly to your doorstep, nationwide. I have used them several times and have been blown away by the quality of their plants, intention behind their shipping and love how environmentally friendly they are! Spring is here, Plant Friends! Time to stock up! Head to plantsbypost.com and use code BLOOM20 for 20% off your order! Follow Brittany and Pause with Plants: Pause with Plants Podcast PausewithPlants.com @PausewithPlants @ihavethisthingwithurbanjungles [email protected] Follow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio: Support Bloom and Grow Radio by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon! Instagram and Facebook: @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.

I’m excited to have another podcaster join me today on the podcast! Today we welcome Colah B Tawkin of the Black in the Garden Podcast who created the podcast to bring more of a voice and presence for the stories and voices of Black Gardeners and Plant People. Today, in a belated Black History Month episode (since I didn’t air the podcast last month) Colah shares amazing stories about some historic black gardeners and plant people, we discuss her top 5 favorite houseplants that originate in Africa and Colah highlights some beautifully diverse gardeners doing amazing things in the plant space who we need to know about! This conversation was eye opening, enlightening and inspiring and I’m thankful to Colah for sharing all of this amazing information! I hope you find this information as interesting as I did and that maybe you find a new person on IG to follow or make your #plantfriendIRL! In this episode we learn: About Colah and her plant lady journey and why she created the Black in the Garden Podcast About Harriet Tubman's knowledge of plants and how it served her as she lead people to freedom on the Underground Railroad About how George Washington Carver, who was born a slave, revolutionized agriculture in the South Colah's top 5 favorite houseplants that originate in Africa Colah shares companies and people who are striving for inclusivity and representation in the plant space (tagged and linked below) Mentioned in the Episode: Colah and the Black in the Garden Podcast @SoulfireFarm(IG), Farm committed to ending racism and injustice in the food system. Leah Penniman author of Farming While Black @GreenHeffaFarm (IG) - NC hemp farmer, hemp herbal tea purveyor, Farmer Cee on Youtube @cocoandseed (IG) nature inspired home and garden products: personalized enamel camping mugs (monstera mugs!), indoor garden kits(desktop microgreens planters), rose gold propagation tube stands, cute journal stickers + more! Products are carefully crafted, sourced, and packaged with eco-friendly and sustainable materials. https://cocoandseed.com/?ref=blackinthegarden 10% off with *Black in the Garden affiliate link* @seedmailseedco (IG) Black purveyor of adorably packaged $0.99 seeds (microgreens +garlic +potatoes) with a mission is to deliver affordable garden adventures right to your doorstep. Offering in depth online grow guides to empower new gardeners! Code: BLACKINTHEGARDEN for buy 5 get 1 free *Black in the Garden affiliate code* @urbanfarmsista (IG) 'The Bug Lady' Nadia Ruffin: Entomologist and Science enthusiast founder of the Agricademy: Teaching youth about the agriculture industry through agriscience and career exploration. https://quiwiproduce.farm/school/ Youtube: Urban Farm Sista @botanical.highlander (IG) Derek Haynes 'The Crazy Botanist' Botanist, author, and kombucha maker, spreading the love of plant and fungi to all! @Lillithplantshop (IG), Washington DC plant shop offering plant styling, installation, pop-ups and workshops. Fostering connectivity to plants in all spaces! Podcast: Edible Activist Podcast : Hosted by Melissa L. Jones; dynamic people of color in the food and agriculture space share personal food journeys, stories and perspectives that stem from the land. Youtube: @NYCplantnerd (IG) : plant vlogger and sneaker head offering straightforward indoor gardening and plant care tips. Urban logic https://www.youtube.com/user/SuperSonicPunk @gerards_horticulture_culture : Exotic plant collector and enthusiast. Gerard offers his quirky brand of plant care tips with jazzy beats! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFzGD3RJqK4L3YkRhSb4Yug Thank you Plants by Post for sponsoring today's episode! Plants by Post is a family-owned nursery located in Northern California cutting out the middleman and delivering beautiful and healthy indoor and outdoor annuals and perennials directly to your doorstep, nationwide. I have used them several times and have been blown away by the quality of their plants, intention behind their shipping and love how environmentally friendly they are! Spring is here, Plant Friends! Time to stock up! Head to plantsbypost.com and use code BLOOM20 for 20% off your order! Follow Colah and Black in the Garden: iTunes: Black in the Garden Podcast IG: @blackinthegarden Follow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio: Support Bloom and Grow Radio by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon! Instagram and Facebook: @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.

African Violets are having a comeback, plant friends! You heard it here first. I know a lot of people feel like African Violets are their "grandma's houseplants", but this flowering gesneriad brings cute fuzzy leaves and bright, multi-colored blooms to the tropical landscape of our urban jungles. What's not to love! They can sometimes be thought of as finicky, so Lisa the "Houseplant Guru" joins me to walk me through every step to African Violet success! Lisa is the author of Grow in the Dark: How to Choose and Care for Low Light Houseplants and Houseplants: The Complete Guide. I love her books (and the episode we did previously on Low Light Plants) and I love her! Have you checked out the new Bloom and Grow Radio Youtube Channel? If you like this content, you’ll love the fun videos I’m making- this week I released a moss pole tutorial video that pairs with episode 42 of the podcast with Tylor from Arium Botanicals. You can also find planty home makeovers, behind the scenes tours of cannabis growers, Airplant 101, my hacks for traveling with plants and more. Click here to watch and subscribe! In this episode we learn: Where African Violets Originate How they grow outdoors What is a gesneriad Care: watering, light, soil Best watering practices for African Violets When to repot How to Fertilize Bloom Cycles- how to have your violet stay in bloom Troubleshooting listeners from our Patreon Supporters! Links mentioned in the episode: AVSA or African Violet Society of America. http://www.avsa.org/ The national convention is in Little Rock, Arkansas this year, Sunday May 24-Sunday May 31. It moves every year so if it isn’t close to you this year, next year, it may be. It is a huge event including a judged show (where you will see African violets like you’ve never seen) as well as a marketplace to buy all things violets, and educational presentations, too. Self-watering pots: Oyama pots- the wicking material is perlite. Here is an article about how to use them. There were only sites I’m not sure about to order them from. On the AVSA website there is a supplies button and it takes you to all the vendors for plants and supplies. That includes the Oyama and Dandy pot. https://www.oyamaplanters.net/how-to-use-oyama-planters Plants: Two very reputable companies. https://www.violetbarn.com/ http://lyndonlyon.com/ Thank you Plants by Post for sponsoring today's episode! Plants by Post is a family-owned nursery located in Northern California cutting out the middleman and delivering beautiful and healthy indoor and outdoor annuals and perennials directly to your doorstep, nationwide. I have used them several times and have been blown away by the quality of their plants, intention behind their shipping and love how environmentally friendly they are! Spring is here, Plant Friends! Time to stock up! Head to plantsbypost.com and use code BLOOM20 for 20% off your order! Follow Lisa, The Houseplant Guru Website: thehouseplantguru.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/houseplantguru/ Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/HouseplantGuru/ Recent Blog Posts: Acclimating Plants to Your Enviornment: https://thehouseplantguru.com/2019/07/10/help-your-houseplant-adapt-to-the-light-it-is-receiving/ What to Do with Burned Leaves: https://thehouseplantguru.com/2018/11/06/tuesdaytidbits-too-much-sun/ Cleaning your leaves: https://thehouseplantguru.com/2018/11/06/tuesdaytidbits-too-much-sun/ Follow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio: Support Bloom and Grow Radio by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon! Instagram and Facebook: @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.

Thrilled to be bringing you the audio from the Live Taping on Herbal Mixology done in 2019 in Dallas at the Gardenuity HQ! The entire evening was built around my two favorite things: herbs and drinks! We had an amazing panel of female founders talking about how liquor and spirits are made (spoiler alert, they come from plants!), how to incorporate herbs and veggies into our cocktails and how to grow and select those plants! It's an amazing conversation with amazing women I'm thrilled to introduce you to! Meet the panelists Donna, Claudia and Chris! Donna is the co-founder of Gardenuity: a company that ships container gardens right to your door. They take the stress and hustle out of growing your own food. Whether you are looking for a kitchen herb garden, peppers, tomatoes, carrots or a variety of seasonal herbs and vegetables, Gardenuity will make growing them to harvest super simple. They have a cocktail herb garden which Billy and I have had for a couple of years that would be a fun purchase if you get inspired after this episode! You can mention the code "Spring2020" will save $10 off of any order at Gardenuity.com - this will be valid until the end of June 2020. Claudia is the cofounder of Katy Trail Vodka which is crafted by Silver Nickel Distillery, one of the first distilleries in the city of Dallas, TX since prohibition. All of their products are crafted, distilled and bottled in Dallas and are gluten free. They also use no artificial coloring or flavoring in their product which is a topic of our discussion on the panel. Chris from HD Liquid Catering and Betty Cocktail is a master mixologist who moonlights are all of the hottest Dallas bars and consults for the new speakeasy being set up in the Texas Rangers Globe Life Park and her own company Betty Cocktail- her motto is “if you can dream it (with alcohol)… we can do it! She works with service industry workers and home enthusiasts to curate cocktails, craft cocktail menus, elevate home bars, bartender training and more. She joined us today representing HD Liquid Catering which is Dallas’s premier full service bar catering company, and co-founders Heather and Don have over 30 years of experience in the event industry. They are highly respected across Texas, and you can see their amazing work on their IG page @hdliquidcater. Chris has her hands in allllllll the mixology pots in the Dallas scene, but she is just the coolest gal, an empowerer of women and an all around lady boss. ** just to be clear, when we refer to "edibles" in this podcast, it refers to edible vegetables and herbs... nothing regarding Cannabis. Edible plants and veggies are what we are talking about adding to our drinks! ** In this episode we learn: How liquors are made (from plants!) How vodka is made and what distilling is Strategies for shopping for liquor at the store Importance of natural flavorings Best starter cocktail herbs Basic herb care History of mixology Tips for a beginner to make a great cocktail Suggestions for herb/liquor pairings How to incorporate herbs into cocktails: infused syrups and alcohols, garnishes and salt rims Mocktail ideas Follow Gardenuity: ** Spring gardens are shipping nationally! You can mention the code "Spring2020" will save $10 off of any order at Gardenuity.com - this will be valid until the end of June 2020 ** Website: gardenuity.com IG: @gardenuity Follow Katy Trail Vodka: Website: katytrailvodka.com IG: @katytrailvodka Follow Chris and HQ Liquid Catering Website: hdliquidcatering.com IG: @hdliquidcater Betty Cocktail (Chris's personal business): bettycocktail.com IG: @bettycocktail Follow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio: Support Bloom and Grow Radio by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon! Instagram and Facebook: @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.

I’m in Canada and connected some my favorite Canadian plant friends for a fun discussion on the winter months (while we are in the midst of a cold Toronto December). Today I have Darryl from @houseplantjournal and Jaz from @gardenstead to not only discuss how to care for our plants the winter months, but to more importantly, how to “zoom out” to think about what is actually happening to light and our surroundings in the winter to better understand WHY we alter our care routines. We might push you to think and go a little deeper in your plant care approach and routine- it’s lots of food (or should I say “fertilizer”) for thought with these fun plant parents! In this episode we learn: Why and how light changes in the winter How winter’s change in light affects our indoor plants Signs to look for in our plants to see if they are transitioning well Why dormancy is important Tips for caring for houseplants in the winter Fun plant projects to do in the winter Mentioned in the episode: Maria's Favorite Things // Holiday Gift Guide and Discounts: http://bit.ly/BAGRgiftguideyoutube Youtube tour of my indoor grow lights: http://bit.ly/BAGRgrowlighttour Website for measuring light Darryl Uses: Thank you to today's episode sponsors! Wallygro offers sustainable and ridiculously simple vertical gardening solutions for any plant parent to have the greenwall of their dreams! (Check mine out on the youtube channel this week!) To learn more about their Eco Planters (that come in 12 gorgeous colors!) head to wallygro.com and use code BLOOM20 for 20% off! Plants by Post is a family-owned nursery located in Northern California cutting out the middleman and delivering beautiful and healthy indoor and outdoor annuals and perennials directly to your doorstep, nationwide. I have used them several times and have been blown away by the quality of their plants, intention behind their shipping and love how environmentally friendly they are! Give the gift of PLANTS this season! Head to plantsbypost.com and use code BLOOM19 for 20% off your order! Follow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio: Support Bloom and Grow Radio by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon! Instagram and Facebook: @BloomandGrowRadio Subscribe to the Bloom and Grow Youtube Show! /Bloomandgrowradio Website: www.bloomandgrowradio.com Join the (free) Garden Club: www.bloomandgrowradio.com/garden-club Follow Darryl and Houseplant Journal: Preorder Darryl's New Bool! The New Plant Parent: Develop Your Green Thumb and Care for Your House-Plant Family Instagram and Facebook: @houseplantjournal Twitter: @houseplantjrnl Website: www.houseplantjournal.com Patreon: www.patreon.com/houseplantjournal Follow Jaz and Gardenstead YouTube: www.youtube.com/gardenstead Facebook: www.facebook.com/gardensteadcommunity Instagram: www.instagram.com/gardenstead Tik Tok: www.tiktok.com/@gardenstead Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/gardenstead Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Today Leslie Halleck ("Her Highness of Horticulture") joins me again to talk about the topic I was most excited to cover this season: ROOTS (or as we call it "root-ology". We spend so much time thinking about the “above soil” section of the plant, and often times, disregard the unbelievable root structure underneath the soil that is responsible for keeping the plant alive! So today Leslie walks us through what roots are, why they are important, how they vary, and lots of troubleshooting questions from our Patreon supporters. Make sure to subscribe to the Bloom and Grow Youtube Show- this week I released a Wallygro grow wall update and this month we will have other videos like a tour of my grow lights and more! Make sure you subscribe so you don't miss anything. In this episode we learn: What roots do for the plant Roots relationship with the “above ground” portion of the plant Water vs soil roots What growing medium does for root development Different types of roots: fibrous, tap, tuberous, adventitious What an aerial root is Is a rhizome a root? Best practices with roots when repotting Listener questions! Mentioned in this episode: Bloom and Grow Youtube Show! Wallygro Greenwall Update and Install Leslie's Books: Plant Parenting (for propagation) and Gardening Under Lights Thank you to today's episode sponsors! Wallygro offers sustainable and ridiculously simple vertical gardening solutions for any plant parent to have the greenwall of their dreams! (Check mine out on the youtube channel this week!) To learn more about their Eco Planters (that come in 12 gorgeous colors!) head to wallygro.com and use code BLOOM20 for 20% off! Plants by Post is a family-owned nursery located in Northern California cutting out the middleman and delivering beautiful and healthy indoor and outdoor annuals and perennials directly to your doorstep, nationwide. I have used them several times and have been blown away by the quality of their plants, intention behind their shipping and love how environmentally friendly they are! Give the gift of PLANTS this season! Head to plantsbypost.com and use code BLOOM19 for 20% off your order! Follow Leslie Halleck: Books: Plant Parenting and Gardening Under Lights Instagram Twitter Pinterest Facebook Website: https://lesliehalleck.com/ Follow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio: Support Bloom and Grow Radio by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon! Instagram and Facebook: @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.

Today I speak with several people about various aspects of laws around plants- whether it’s importing plants from abroad or seeking to patent plants in the states. First we hear a tale from a friend of the show, Alessia from @apartmentbotanist, about how the USDA seized a plant that was illegally shipped to her. Then I speak to Lydia Colon, Head of the Plant for Planting Policy Unit at the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service or APHIS. We discuss why it’s important to acquire proper paperwork when ordering plants from overseas. Next we talk to Angela Treadwell who is the founder of Plants Nouveau, a company referred to as a “breeders agent” that helps breeders license and develop new plants to be introduced to market. Angela shares why and how plant patents are obtained. Last we hear a word to the wise from our favorite recurring plant lady on BAGR, Leslie Halleck. The overall objective of this episode is to begin to bring awareness to our community of the "back end" of horticulture. Rules and regulations we might not understand when just purchasing plants. This might become a series as we continue to learn about how plants come to market, and how and why they are regulated around the world, as we've barely scratched the surface. In this episode we learn: How and why the USDA regulates plant imports State vs country laws What is APHIS? What do we need to know about ordering plants internationally? What is a phytosanitary certificate? Why are there domestic laws that differ from state to state when it comes to plants? Plant Patents- what are the!? What is Plants Nouveau? Why do people get plants patented What is does it take to get a plant patent? Can you propagate a patented plant? Where to learn more about plant patents Thank you to this weeks episode sponsors! For more information on Modern Sprout's amazing line of indoor grow lights and adorable and innovative hydroponic grow kits, visit www.modernsprout.com and use code "BLOOM15" at checkout for 15% off. For responsibly made, unbelievable 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. Mentioned in the interview with Lydia Colon APHIS Web Page: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/home/ USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is an Agency that regulates the import of agricultural products—such as plants—to facilitate safe trade. Rules for traveler with plants: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/resources/traveler/intl-travel/plants-seeds/plants-seeds This site is a resource for travelers coming from abroad that would like to bring a plant back home. Plants and plant products import permits: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/planthealth/import-information/permits/plants-and-plant-products-permits This website lists all of the import permits that cover regulated plant and plant products. Plant Permit Help Desk: Telephone (301) 851-2046 or (877) 770-5990 (Toll-Free Automated System); Fax (301) 734-5786; Email: [email protected] The plant permit help desk can help you navigate the permitting process by helping identify the requirements and what you need to do to meet them. Lacey Act information (rare or endangered species): https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/planthealth/import-information/SA_Lacey_Act The Lacey Act regulates trade in threatened or endangered species. If you are importing a threatened or endangered species there may be additional requirements you need to meet. National Plant Board – State Regulatory Official https://nationalplantboard.org/membership/ This lists the State Plant Regulatory Official for each state with contact information. These contacts will help you determine what requirements are necessary from moving plants across state lines. Contact the official in the destination state to learn the requirements. Follow Alessia from @Apartmentbotanist Instagram @apartmentbotanist Linktree https://linktr.ee/apartmentbotanist Follow Angela and Plants Nouveau Twitter: @plantweenie Facebook: /plantsnouveau Instagram: @plants_nouveau Website: http://plantsnouveau.com/about/ Follow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio: Support Bloom and Grow Radio by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon! Instagram and Facebook: @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.

Thrilled to have the OG Botanical Bro of Bloom and Grow Radio, Chris Satch back today to discuss a very hot topic- Variegation. What the heck is it, why does it occur and how can we foster and encourage it in our plants. I love when Chris comes on the show because we always get nerdy, and this episode explains so much. I’m not going to say anything more about it- because the conversation speaks for itself. Before we dive into the conversation, Chris has asked me to share some info about an upcoming event he is involved with and very passionate about. He is deeply involved with the Manhattan Orchid Society and they are putting on their annual orchid show in January. The link to the event is in the show notes- they are looking for donations and volunteers to help with the event. Bloom and Grow Radio has donated! In this episode we learn: What is variegation? Why does it occur in nature? Three different types of variegation: tissue, coloration and pathological What mosaic virus is How variegation occurs in the genes of a plant Variegation vs Variation Can you encourage variegation? How does your plant care routine change for a variegated plant Patreon Plant Friend and Listener questions! Thank you to this weeks episode sponsors! For more information on Modern Sprout's amazing line of indoor grow lights and adorable and innovative hydroponic grow kits, visit www.modernsprout.com and use code "BLOOM15" at checkout for 15% off. For responsibly made, unbelievable 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 Chris Satch Instagram: @botanictonic Website: https://christophersatch.com/ Manhattan Orchid Society January Show! (volunteer and/or donate!) Follow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio: Support Bloom and Grow Radio by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon! Instagram and Facebook: @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.

Plant Side Chats are shorter episodes with just Maria as she shares life lessons learned in the garden. Today's topic is: What to do when your orchid or plant doesn't bloom when you want it to. THANK YOU TO TODAY’S EPISODE SPONSORS! SOLTECH SOLUTIONS MAKES LUXURY GROW LIGHTS THAT LOOK LIKE HIGH END MODERN LIGHT FIXTURES WITH CUTTING EDGE GROW SPECTRUM FOR HOUSEPLANTS AND DWARF FRUITING TREES. I HAVE THREE OF THEIR ASPECT PENDANT LIGHTS IN MY APARTMENT AND LOVE THE LAUNCH OF THE NEW HIGHLAND TRACK LIGHT SYSTEM! FOR 15% OFF A LIGHT OF YOUR OWN, VISIT SOLTECHSOLUTIONS.COM AND USE CODE “BLOOM15” AT CHECKOUT. FOLLOW MARIA AND BLOOM AND GROW RADIO: Support Bloom and Grow Radio by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon! Instagram and Facebook: @BloomandGrowRadio Subscribe to the Bloom and Grow Youtube Show! /Bloomandgrowradio Website: www.bloomandgrowradio.com Join the (free) Garden Club: www.bloomandgrowradio.com/garden-club Save Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Today’s episode is exciting for me to share with you because the topic was something I was completely confused and bewildered by: this “semi-hydro” craze. Semi Hydro- (which is not a correct term, it’s actually called “passive hydro” standing for “passive hydroponics”) is the growing practice of using LECA balls, which are puffed clay balls that look like coco-puff cereal, to grow your houseplants. You’ve probably seen photos of this, where the plants look like they are buried in coco puffs or a bowl of olives). Plant Friends, I did NOT get this trend. Or how it worked. But I started seeing more and more photos from trusted plant friends who use them, and kept getting more and more questions from you guys about it. Enter Kay, of the instagram account @inrootedlove, who has kept over a hundred houseplants thriving in this passive hydroponic system for a year and a half. Plant Friends… I’m slowly becoming a believer. After my conversation with Kay, I transferred my orchid and the top of a pilea peperomiodes that I accidentally broke off into LECA and I can’t believe how happy the orchid has been so far, and the pilea rooted in under a week. I documented my experiment with setting them up in LECA on the Youtube channel if you are interested in checking it out. Like last weeks hydroponics episode, this Passive Hydroponic set up could be a really fun way for someone looking for a planty project for the winter, or maybe for the plant parent that just hates potting soil (or maybe has a partner that hates potting soil). Passive Hydro also seems to be a great option for a plant parent that likes to get their inner mad scientist on- because as you’ll learn, you are totally in control of mixing nutrient solutions for the plant. Whatever you plant parent personality is, this was a really interesting conversation and has been a really fun planty experiment for me that I hope inspires you to continue playing around with your indoor jungle! In this episode we learn: What is "semi hydro" aka "passive Hydroponics" How Kay became the LECA Plant Lady she is today How Semi Hydro works What are LECA balls What materials do you need to have a LECA set up How does a beginner make their first LECA set up How expensive is this hobby? How to fertilize What products Kay uses in her home Pest management for a semi hydro set up Mentioned in this episode: Dallas Live Taping: Herbal Mixology with Gardenuity! http://bit.ly/gardenuityBAGR Bloom and Grow “Passive or Semi Hydro” Amazon Store: http://bit.ly/bagrsemihydro Maria sets up her orchid and pilea cutting in LECA on Youtube: http://bit.ly/BAGRSemiHydroYoutube Thank you to today's episode sponsors! Osea Malibu is the original plant-based, non toxic skincare derived from seaweed plant friends- it doesn’t get more planty than that!!! Each product is infused with sustainably-sourced, organic Patagonian seaweed and active botanicals that leave your skin feeling amazing. I LOVE their Ocean Cleanser, Atmosphere Cream and Argan Oil! Visit oseamalibu.com/bloomandgrow and use code "bloomandgrow" for $10 off your purchase of $50 or more! Soltech Solutions makes luxury grow lights that look like high end modern light fixtures with cutting edge grow spectrum for houseplants and dwarf fruiting trees. I have three of their Aspect pendant lights in my apartment and love the launch of the new Highland Track Light System! For 15% off a light of your own, visit soltechsolutions.com and use code Bloom15 at checkout. Follow Kay: Instagram: @inrootedlove Follow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio: Support Bloom and Grow Radio by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon! Instagram and Facebook: @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.

Very excited to welcome Rob from Farm.One to the podcast today for a conversation about beginners Hydroponics. Rob is doing Hydroponic Gardening at an incredibly high level at Farm.One- a hydroponic, vertical farm that grows rare and exotic produce indoors, year-round, pesticide- free in a basement in NYC. I met Rob last year when I was fortunate enough to tour Farm.One and was blown away by the concept of the business and the set up. I think a lot of us are very curious about hydroponic gardening, and experimenting with growing edibles indoors- and as winter is approaching… we might be interested in having an indoor gardening project to ward off the winter blues! In this episode we learn: How and why Rob created Farm.One What is Hydroponic Gardening Hydroponic Vs Aquaponic Vs Semi Hydro Gardening What a basic hydroponic set up looks like for a DIY plant parent Existing systems that one can buy to just plug and grow Materials needed for a basic hydroponic set up Why you need a “bubbler” for your hydro set up Nutrients- what is important and what isn’t Why EC and PH are important for your water supply (and what they are) How to test your water Pre-made Hydroponic Set Ups you can buy Mentioned in today's episode Visit the Bloom and Grow Radio Amazon Storefront for the Hydroponic Materials mentioned in today's episode! http://bit.ly/BAGRhydroponics Thank you to today's episode sponsors! Soltech Solutions makes luxury grow lights that look like high end modern light fixtures with cutting edge grow spectrum for houseplants and dwarf fruiting trees. I have three of their Aspect pendant lights in my apartment and love the launch of the new Highland Track Light System! For 15% off a light of your own, visit soltechsolutions.com and use code "Bloom15" at checkout. Follow Rob and Farm.One Website: https://farm.one Instagram: @farm.one Follow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio: Support Bloom and Grow Radio by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon! Instagram and Facebook: @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.

Plant Friends- I'm so happy to have brought you the wonderful conversation this week on The Science of Soil. It's important for us to understand what makes our soils our plant babies grow so happily (or unhappily) in. I realize in this conversation, I stumbled upon a hot topic that I was unaware of: whether or not peat moss is sustainable. I've had conversations with members of our communities and advisors in the horticultural industry, and I've realized this is an incredibly complex conversation, with many layers, angles and sides. Plant Friends, I’m learning alongside you in this journey, and thought I’d provide you with some resources for you to further educate yourselves to make your own decisions. Jane Perrone’s Episode on the sustainability of Peat on On the Ledge Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-103-houseplants-sustainability-part-one-peat/id1211183700?i=1000444873656 Dr Mark kindly sent over two websites to learn more about how Canada is regulating their bogs. https://peatmoss.com/ (Peat Moss Association in Canada) http://www.sungro.com/about-us/sustainable-peat-moss/ Information from the Canadian Peat Moss Supplier Metrolina works with. Other resources passed along from listeners and that I’ve found: http://www.indefenseofplants.com/blog/2015/5/4/the-truth-about-peat They also have a great podcast, but this is a short blog from 2015 https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090904165253.htm A study from 2009 on research for alternative growing media. https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/home/should-sustainable-gardeners-use-peat-moss/2017/05/09/1fc746f0-3118-11e7-9534-00e4656c22aa_story.html- Britain is outlawing it by 2030, big argument against stores a third of the worlds carbon. https://www.rootsimple.com/2010/12/is-peat-moss-a-sustainable-resource/ Two people with opposing views on Peat Moss that make interesting arguments- there are also lots of comments on the blog you can read. https://peatmoss.com/responsible-production/laws-certifications-and-policies-of-the-industry/ There is a Rules and Regulations Section for Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss Association https://www.gardenmyths.com/peat-peatmoss-true-story/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

So excited about this highly request episode on the science of soil. Finding a “soil expert” was kind of tough, but when I met Dr Mark Yelanich on a recent visit to Metrolina Greenhouse, I knew I had found the answers to my prayers. Dr. Mark has been the Director of Research at Metrolina Greenhouses for the past 14 years. Metrolina Greenhouse is the single-site heated greenhouse in the United States at 162 acres under roof. The Metrolina Research department focuses on working with plant breeding companies to find varieties that will delight home gardeners and help them be more successful. The research department also works on finding improved ways of producing our plants to make Metrolina more sustainable and efficient. Before Metrolina Dr. Mark worked for Scotts Miracle Gro (SMG) where he was the Senior Scientist in charge of research on Miracle Gro branded potting and garden soil (and received three patents on soil products). Dr.Mark received his Ph.D., Masters and bachelors from Michigan State University (The Harvard of Horticulture). He is married to Lisa for 26 years and has two daughters Hannah and Emily (sadly neither are going into Horticulture but he is still very proud!) Today he joins me to break down the different components of soil, and why choosing the right soil is so important for the success of our houseplants! If you are interested in seeing Dr Mark and Metrolina Greenhouse, check out the behind the scenes tour Dr Mark gave me when I was in North Carolina! You see the entire process of what it takes to grow a plant in a commercial greenhouse! In this episode we learn: How Dr Mark became a soil expert Difference between outdoor and indoor soil Why to NEVER use outdoor soil What mixes to use for indoor plants What makes up potting mix: peat moss, perlite, pumice, bark, vermiculite, coco coir, earthworm casings, various “meals”, fertilizer pellets Fertilizing practices (brief overview) Best ratio for indoor potting mixes and what to include (and what not to include) Best way to store soil Is reusing soil ok? What’s up with “baking”soil? How and when to repot your plants When to start fertilizing Pest control Is the white mold on the top of the soil going to kill a plant Mentioned in today's episode! Check out my tour of Metrolina Greenhouse with Dr Mark! http://bit.ly/BAGRMetrolina If you are wondering what soil and fertilizers I use on my plants, here are the links to the Espoma Organic products I use. Thank you to today's episode sponsors! Soltech Solutions makes luxury grow lights that look like high end modern light fixtures with cutting edge grow spectrum for houseplants and dwarf fruiting trees. I have three of their Aspect pendant lights in my apartment and love the launch of the new Highland Track Light System! For 15% off a light of your own, visit soltechsolutions.com and use code Bloom15 at checkout. Osea Malibu is the original plant-based, non toxic skincare derived from seaweed plant friends- it doesn’t get more planty than that!!! Each product is infused with sustainably-sourced, organic Patagonian seaweed and active botanicals that leave your skin feeling amazing. I LOVE their Ocean Cleanser, Atmosphere Cream and Argan Oil! Visit oseamalibu.com/bloomandgrow and use code "bloomandgrow" for $10 off your purchase of $50 or more! Follow Dr Mark and Metrolina Greenhouses: http://www.metrolinagreenhouses.com/ https://www.facebook.com/metrolinagreenhouses/ https://www.instagram.com/metrolinaghs/ https://www.youtube.com/metrolinagreenhouses Follow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio: Support Bloom and Grow Radio by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon! Instagram and Facebook: @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.

Thrilled as always to welcome Leslie Halleck back on the show. You will remember Leslie from our two part series on Understanding Natural Light and Propagation 101. She has two books, Plant Parenting- a guide to plant propagation and Gardening Under Lights. Today Leslie joins me to discuss everything we need to know about grow lights. Winter is coming plant friends, and many of us might need to take the plunge with additional grow lights to make sure our plants are happy and healthy. Personally, as my plant collection grew, I quickly realized I did not have the amount of light needed for the amount of plants I had collected. That's when I started bringing grow lights home to help keep all my plants happy. I also got really into using them as part of the design of our apartments, as my go to grow light companies, Soltech Solutions and Modern Sprout make gorgeous lights that actually enhance your homes aesthetic instead of making you look like you are up to something questionable. This is the second episode we’ve done on grow lights. The first one was Episode 12 with Chris Satch. I wanted to do another one because this science of grow lights, and photosynthesis can be tricky and it’s nice to hear it explained by various people. That’s why we have several episodes on succulents, and other topics. So listen to today’s episode, listen to it again, listen to episode 12, just keep listening and absorbing and learning. In this episode we learn: What Leslie’s personal grow light set up is What photosynthesis is Why light is important for plants What the different colors of light do for plants and why “full spectrum” grow lights are so important Lumens vs PAR vs Kelvin = how to measure light What the best choice of grow lights for indoor houseplants are Defining “bright indirect” for a grow light Patreon Plant Friend and listener Questions ! Mentioned in today's episode! Leslie's books: Gardening Under Lights and Plant Parenting: Easy Ways to Make New Houseplants Soltech Solutions: soltechsolutions.com and use "Bloom20" for 20% Modern Sprout: modernsprout.com use code "Bloom" for 15% off Bloom and Grow Amazon Grow light Storefront: http://bit.ly/growlightep *The mentioned codes and amazon links are Bloom and Grow Affiliate partnerships, meaning Bloom and Grow Radio will receive a portion of the sale at no extra cost to you.* Thank you to our two amazing episode sponsors: Espoma Organics and Floating Bed and Breakfast. For responsibly made, unbelievable 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. For the plantiest airbnb experience of your life in the Norfolk, VA area, visit theloiselaine.com and message Nicole for 20% off by telling her Maria sent you! Follow Leslie Halleck: Book: Plant Parenting and Gardening Under Lights Instagram Twitter Pinterest Facebook Website: https://lesliehalleck.com/ Follow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio: Support Bloom and Grow Radio by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon! Instagram and Facebook: @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.

Plant friends this is an excited episode for two reasons, #1 we hear from you! This is a community episode in response to it being National Indoor Plant Appreication week and I asked you to call in with a story of you and your plants. We have tales of plant wins, plant heirlooms, crazy plant person moments and even some fails. We we learn from every one of you today, and that fills my heart. What I am more excited is that we are taking plant appreciation to the next level, by diving into what is happening in the Amazon rainforest, and how we can help. Plant friends, these plants that we know and love are mostly all tropical plants, growing in the Amazon. The amazon is home to so many species that are all currentlythreatened by the intentional burning of the rainforests. As plant parents, if we are going to love these plants, we need to respect where they come from, and hopefully participate in the protection of their natural habitats. At the end of the episode I give a brief an overview of what is going on, and we share resources provided by our community which we can educate ourselves and learn about organizations that are fighting the deforestation efforts. In this episode we: Hear stories of plant appreciation from various members of our community Learn about the Amazon Rainforest Fires Learn how we can help from resources supplied by our community Thank you to our listeners who called in and shared their stories! Thank you Mara Zobrist, Catherine Taylor (@plantycatt) , Anissa Nicole, Erika Boyd (@stellas.garden), Maria Brusco (@lemontreesbymariuzza), Katherine Dedine, Veronica Saldana, Katherine H., Lat Jones and Gregory (@plantingability)! Click here to read my blog with all of the resources on the Amazon mentioned in today's episode Use #rainforestplantparent to continue the conversation about the Amazon! Thank you to our two amazing episode sponsors: Espoma Organics and Floating Bed and Breakfast. For responsibly made, unbelievable 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. For the plantiest airbnb experience of your life in the Norfolk, VA area, visit theloiselaine.com and message Nicole for 20% off by telling her Maria sent you! Follow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio: Support Bloom and Grow Radio by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon! Instagram and Facebook: @BloomandGrowRadio Subscribe to the Bloom and Grow Youtube Show! /Bloomandgrowradio Website: www.bloomandgrowradio.com Join the (free) Garden Club: www.bloomandgrowradio.com/garden-club Music used is the property of Youtube Music Library Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

I’m so excited to welcome Joe Lamp'l of JoeGardener.com back on the show today! You might remember him from our episode on Living Christmas trees, but he is my outdoor gardening guru who is going to walk us through some fun things for us to do in our outdoor gardens this Fall. Joe Lamp’l is the creator, Executive Producer and Host of the Emmy-award-winning national PBS series, Growing a Greener World®, Founder and “joe” behind joegardener.com, and creator of the new joe gardener Online Gardening Academy™. Have you checked out the Bloom and Grow Youtube Show? Check it out and subscribe for videos on my indoor plant journey, behind the scenes planty tours, and lots of fun home DIY projects! In this episode we learn: How Joe Lamp'l became Joe Gardener Why Organic Gardening is so important If we have to “put our garden to bed” in the fall What to plant in the fall and how Quick results: radishes, lettuce, kale Fun gardening projects for kids: Garlic Onions Grow your own holiday feast! herbs, carrots, brussel sprouts How to organize yourself in the fall to prep for next spring The Apps Joe uses to organize himself and his garden Mentioned in episode: https://joegardener.com/what-to-plant-in-a-fall-vegetable-garden/ https://joegardener.com/podcast/046-garden-organization/ Biggest Little Farm Movie Thank you to our two amazing episode sponsors: Espoma Organics and Floating Bed and Breakfast. For responsibly made, unbelievable 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. For the plantiest airbnb experience of your life in the Norfolk, VA area, visit theloiselaine.com and message Nicole for 20% off by telling her Maria sent you! Follow Joe: Founder: joegardener.com GrowingAGreenerWorld.com joegardener.com Beginning Gardener Fundamentals - my new online course The joe gardener Show Podcast Facebook.com/joegardener facebook.com/GGWTV twitter.com/joegardener twitter.com/GGWTV instagram.com/joegardener Follow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio: Support Bloom and Grow Radio by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon! Instagram and Facebook: @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.

Today I welcome Lisa Eldred Steinkopf, otherwise known as the “Houseplant Guru” to the show for an enlightening conversation about how to care for plants in low light environments, and what the best beginner and advanced and interesting low light tolerant plant choices we can make. We discuss how to truly understand if we have low light, several hacks to capitalize on the light we have and she suggests some really interesting plants besides your normal pothos, dracaena and snake plants we know so well. Lisa is the author of Grow in the Dark: How to Choose and Care for Low Light Houseplants and Houseplants: The Complete Guide. I love her books and I love her! Have you checked out the new Bloom and Grow Radio Youtube Channel? If you like this content, you’ll love the fun videos I’m making- this week I released a moss pole tutorial video that pairs with episode 42 of the podcast with Tylor from Arium Botanicals. You can also find planty home makeovers, behind the scenes tours of cannabis growers, Airplant 101, my hacks for traveling with plants and more. Click here to watch and subscribe! In this episode we learn: How Lisa became “The Houseplant Guru” How to measure low light with no fancy tools How to “hack” your way to capitalizing on all the hacks you have How low light affects your plant care routing Watering for a low light plant Phototropism How Variegated plants are affected by low light Standard low light plants Lisa’s 5 more rare and unknown low light plants for advanced plant parents looking for something new! Patreon Plant Friends and Listener Questions! If you are interested low light plants or purchasing Lisa’s books, they are linked in the show notes, and you can visit my amazon store where I have put together a compilation of my favorite low light plants and grow lights. Buy Grow in the Dark: How to Choose and Care for Low Light Houseplants (Amazon Affiliate Link) Thank you to our two amazing episode sponsors Espoma Organics and Floating Bed and Breakfast. For responsibly made, unbelievable 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. For the plantiest airbnb experience of your life in the Norfolk, VA area, visit theloiselaine.com and message Nicole for 20% off by telling her Maria sent you! Follow Lisa, The Houseplant Guru Website: thehouseplantguru.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/houseplantguru/ Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/HouseplantGuru/ Recent Blog Posts: Acclimating Plants to Your Enviornment: https://thehouseplantguru.com/2019/07/10/help-your-houseplant-adapt-to-the-light-it-is-receiving/ What to Do with Burned Leaves: https://thehouseplantguru.com/2018/11/06/tuesdaytidbits-too-much-sun/ Cleaning your leaves: https://thehouseplantguru.com/2018/11/06/tuesdaytidbits-too-much-sun/ Follow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio: Support Bloom and Grow Radio by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon! Instagram and Facebook: @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.

Thrilled to bring you part two of the Growing Cannabis episode series! In this conversation I’ve sat down with Rooney Bloom, a home grower of cannabis, and Chudy Azuogu, a commercial grower of cannabis, for a “compare and contrast” conversation on growing Cannabis from seed to harvest. Last week, on Episode 69 we discussed set up, seed starting and the vegetative stage, today we discuss flowering, harvesting and curing. This conversation is so much more about growing plants, the unbelievable advances in science that allow indoor growers to replicate outdoor growing, and learning about a very trendy industry! I hope you enjoy! In this episode we learn: How to get the plant to flower in a commercial set up and why growers manipulate grow lights during this process How Cannabis flowers naturally outdoors The process of caring for Cannabis after it flowers day 1, day 7 and day 21 Caring for Cannabis outdoors How to know when to harvest What a trichome is What tool you need to see when it’s time to harvest How to harvest in a commercial grow house How to harvest as a home grower The bud drying process commercially and at home What are terpenes How to “burp” your bud The lifespan of a cannabis plant in a commercial grow house VS outdoors Pest Control How the commercial grower has to comply with the government to grow legally How Chudy feels about being a pioneer in the Cannabis industry Final thoughts on Cannabis from a home grower and a commercial grower Check out the behind the scenes tour of Chudy's commercial grow facility here! Instructions for being on the Indoor Plant Appreciation Episode! 1) Call (267) 478-2521 2) Please spell your name and email at the beginning of the message so I can contact you! 3) Share your story in the voicemail! Share your favorite story regarding an indoor plant: whether its a fail, a win, a humble brag, or a story of #plantfriendsIRL- your choice! **Tip: The google voice only allows for a 3 minute message, so you might want to write out your story, or jot some thoughts down on paper to allow for you to effectively tell your story without getting cut off. If your story requires more than 3 minutes, you can call back and leave back to back messages. Thank you to Highline Wellness for Sponsoring today's episode! Highline Wellness makes premium CBD products at honest and affordable prices. They make CBD gummies, oil and pain cream that has broad spectrum CBD with no THC that have been helping me manage anxiety and sleep in all of the different hotel rooms and beds use as I travel to on tour. For 15% off go to highlinewellness.com and use code BLOOM15 for 15% off your first purchase! Follow Rooney Bloom Instagram:@rooney_bloom Website: www.rooneybloom.com Follow Chudy Instagram: @chew_d Bud Fox Supply Co: @budfoxsupplyco Follow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio: Support Bloom and Grow Radio by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon! Instagram and Facebook: @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.

While I was in Denver, I had the opportunity to tour The Garden, a 7000 square foot commercial Cannabis grower with my plant friend, and cannabis home grower, Rooney Bloom. In that tour, it was incredibly clear to me that I needed to sit down with the founder of The Garden, Chudy Azuogu and Rooney to discuss their different approaches to growing Cannabis, from seed to harvest. Cannabis is obviously a very popular plant these days for indoor growers… for different reasons than our houseplant plant parenthood obsessions, BUT this two part conversation ends up not being about Cannabis, but perspectives from two growers on how they care for a simple plant. What struck me the most is how commercial growers, (of Cannabis or any other plant) use science and technology to manipulate these plants to grow to their best ability and yield. But really, they are trying to mimic what Mother Nature does so easily. I’m so thankful to Rooney and Chudy for being so open to have this conversation and give us so much knowledge! It was an eye opening conversation that I’m so thankful for! Disclaimer: if you plan on growing Cannabis, you absolutely must look up your local laws on growing this plant. This episode is not an endorsement for growing Cannabis, but an exploratory conversation for those who do. Do your own research on the legal side if you intend on growing on your own. Also- you might hear Rooney’s pup walking around and wagging his tail through this conversation, he was a wonderful audience to have in Rooney’s home during this conversation. In this episode we learn: How Rooney Bloom became the professional plant educator he is How Chudy Azuogu became a commercial grower of Cannabis The difference in growing cannabis from a commercial and home grower perspective What do you need to grow Cannabis Commercially What do you need to grow Cannabis as a home grower How to start seeds from home and in a commercial grow house Why it is important to separate Male and Female Cannabis Plants How to tell Male and Female Cannabis Plants apart How and when to feed cannabis commercially and at home The lighting setup in a Commercial grow house How to care for the plants while they are in their vegetative stage Tune in next week for Growing Cannabis Part 2: Flowering to Harvest when Rooney and Chudy lead us through how to watch (or force) a plant to flower, how to care for it in it’s flowering stage, how to harvest and dry the bud and overall thoughts on the Cannabis industry. Thank you to Highline Wellness for Sponsoring today's episode! Highline Wellness makes premium CBD products at honest and affordable prices. They make CBD gummies, oil and pain cream that has broad spectrum CBD with no THC that have been helping me manage anxiety and sleep in all of the different hotel rooms and beds use as I travel to on tour. For 15% off go to highlinewellness.com and use code BLOOM15 for 15% off your first purchase! Follow Rooney Bloom Instagram:@rooney_bloom Website: www.rooneybloom.com Follow Chudy Instagram: @chew_d Bud Fox Supply Co: @budfoxsupplyco Follow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio: Support Bloom and Grow Radio by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon! Instagram and Facebook: @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.

Hi Plant Friends! I'd love to feature you and YOUR plant stories in an upcoming community episode of the Bloom and Grow Radio Podcast. The theme of the episode is "Indoor Plant Appreciation" for National Indoor Plant Week! Call in following the instructions below and share your favorite story about a plant of yours: it could be a plant parent win, a loss, a lesson learned, a new friendship that blossomed, a funny story or a #plantmomfail or #plantdadfail. Whatever you want! I want this episode to inspire our community to keep blooming and keep growing together :) I can't wait to hear from you! Instructions for being on the Indoor Plant Appreciation Episode! 1) Call (267) 478-2521 2) Please spell your name and email at the beginning of the message so I can contact you! 3) Share your story in the voicemail! Share your favorite story regarding an indoor plant: whether its a fail, a win, a humble brag, or a story of #plantfriendsIRL- your choice! **Tip: The google voice only allows for a 3 minute message, so you might want to write out your story, or jot some thoughts down on paper to allow for you to effectively tell your story without getting cut off. If your story requires more than 3 minutes, you can call back and leave back to back messages. Deadline for submissions is September 3rd! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

So glad to have Nick from @phillyfoliage and Nick Pileggi on Youtube join me for a discussion on Peperomia 101. This interview happened during our Live Taping at Urban Jungle Philly this summer. Peperomia are such a wonderful houseplant variety and such a perfect plant for beginners. We are lucky to have Nick walk us through the history, care and fun facts and troubleshooting tips for our peperomia plant babies! In this episode we learn: How Nick Pileggi began his career in plants with no degree in horticulture and became the houseplant curator for Urban Jungle Philly and the epic youtube planty personality we know today How many varieties of Peperomia Nick owns (you’ll be shocked!) and his favorites Peperomia IRL: where we find them in Nature How many different varieties of Peperomia are known and how they differ Best watering practices for Peperomia Best light for Peperomia Thank you to Soltech Solutions for sponsoring the podcast taping. Soltech Solutions makes luxury grow lights with full spectrum, white, museum quality light designed to keep your houseplants and dwarf fruiting trees happy. They have the hanging pendant Aspect light and now have the Highland Track Light system, designed for grow walls and plants in hard to reach places. They are offering you 20% off your order so head to soltechsolutions.com with the code "Bloom20" at checkout. Special thanks to our event sponsors who made this event unbelievably special! Planty Gift Bag Sponsors Espoma Organics provided my FAVORITE Indoor Fertilizer and Bio Tone Starter Pack for the outdoor gardener. Centurion Garden Snippers provided their stainless steel garden snippers to make every propagation snip count! Local Sponsors who you MUST visit if in Philly! Urban Jungle Philly - a MUST visit plant MECCA in Philly! Barcelona Wine Bar - the most DELICIOUS paella in town! Rival Bros Coffee - Philadelphia natives raising the bar for amazing coffee1 Pollyodd limoncello - the flavors of this limoncello are unbelievable! Essen Bakery - The chef just got nominated for a third James Beared Award- need I say more? Visit the East Passyunk Ave Business Improvement District If you are interested in learning more about this neighborhood Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Today I’m just intro’ing you to Season 4 and giving you my off the cuff update on what I’ve learned from being away from my plants for 6th months! Sharing recent life lessons, what’s bringing me joy lately and how I’ve been bringing my passion for plants on the road with me. Season 4 will officially launch Tuesday August 13th. Make sure you are subscribed to the podcast so you don’t miss one episode! Check out the Bloom and Grow YOUTUBE show: http://bit.ly/BAGRyoutube Become a Plant Friend of Bloom and Grow Radio on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/bloomandgrowradio Join the Bloom and Grow Mailing List: www.bloomandgrowradio.com/garden-club Buy some Bloom and Grow Radio Merch! http://bit.ly/BAGRPFA Instructions for being on the Indoor Plant Appreciation Episode! 1) Call (267) 478-2521 2) Please spell your name and email at the beginning of the message so I can contact you! 3) Share your story in the voicemail! Share your favorite story regarding an indoor plant: whether its a fail, a win, a humble brag, or a story of #plantfriendsIRL- your choice! **Tip: The google voice only allows for a 3 minute message, so you might want to write out your story, or jot some thoughts down on paper to allow for you to effectively tell your story without getting cut off. If your story requires more than 3 minutes, you can call back and leave back to back messages. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Chicago Plant Friends! We are having a FREE BAGR listener meet up THIS Saturday August 3rd from 10 am - Noon at Sprout Home Chicago! RSVP Here! https://app.getoccasion.com/p/n/M8FrfGb2 Season 4 of Bloom and Grow Radio Podcast is hitting the airwaves later THIS August, Plant Friends! Get excited! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

I’m thrilled to finally connect with Christopher Griffin who you might know at the the @plantkween on Instagram. Christopher’s feed is filled with his “green gurls” and himself- radiating joy and positivity. If you tune into his Instagram stories, you’ll also see that he orchestrates days filled with planty adventures, hopping from plant shop to plant shop with friends or on his own as part of his self care routine. Today Christopher joins me to discuss his those epic planty days and how he goes about structuring and planning them, and how he uses plants as self care. This conversation is all about plants, and nothing about plants, as we step into a discussion on inclusivity and representation in the plant world. I’m a changed person from this conversation and am so thankful to Chris for being open to sharing his journey and mission for more inclusivity with us. In this episode we learn How Chris because the "Plant Kween" that he is today Why he chooses to include photos of himself in all of his photos The importance of representation in the plant community 5 steps to planning your perfect plant shopping day Christopher’s approach to self care The importance of representation and inclusivity in the plant space Christopher’s resources mentioned in the episode: ÉduQue|e|r Trainings (My diversity consulting company) http://www.eduqueer.com/about GLSEN https://www.glsen.org/ The NY LGBTQ Center https://www.glsen.org/ GLAAD LGBTQ resource list https://www.glaad.org/resourcelist Support Bloom and Grow Radio on Patreon! Thank you Bloem Living for Sponsoring today's episode! Bloem Living makes flower pots and garden accessories in the USA that are clever, efficient and fun! They have a garden accessory or container for every garden! Discover their products at www.bloemliving.com - there you can find your local Bloem Living dealer, or see the many websites you can order their products from! You can also check out my amazon storefront for a selection of my favorite Bloem products! Follow Christopher Instagram: @plantkween Follow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio: Support Bloom and Grow Radio by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon! Instagram and Facebook: @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.

We are so lucky to be joined by Mickey from Mickey Hargitay Plants- THE go to plant institution in Los Angeles for Plant People. Mickey has been in the business of selling plants for 39 years: long before the recent trend has taken over Instagram and millennials. He had his shop in the 70s during the last houseplant craze, and gives us insight into his experience selling plants through several decades. We chat today not only about his long career, but what it takes as a plant shop owner to get a plant from a grower and into their customer’s hands: sourcing, transportation, pricing, inventory and more. Mickey is such a special human and gives us such wonderful insight into his career and his shop. In this episode we learn: Mickey’s journey into plants and his 39 year career owning a plant shop How houseplant trends have changed over the last 30 years Mickey walks us through his process for running his shop: from sourcing plants, to storing and selling them and ensuring their happiness in your home Best practices for helping your plant adjust to your home Watch the youtube tour of Mickey Hargitay Plants with Mickey! Join us in Philly for a live taping extravaganza at Urban Jungle Philly on June 24! Thank you Bloem Living for Sponsoring today's episode! Bloem Living makes flower pots and garden accessories in the USA that are clever, efficient and fun! They have a garden accessory or container for every garden! Discover their products at www.bloemliving.com - there you can find your local Bloem Living dealer, or see the many websites you can order their products from! You can also check out my amazon storefront for a selection of my favorite Bloem products! Visit and Follow Mickey! 1255 North Sycamore Avenue Los Angeles CA 90038 www.mickeysplants.com Instagram: @mickeysplants Follow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio: Support Bloom and Grow Radio by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon! Instagram and Facebook: @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.

So thrilled to be joined again by Leslie Halleck after the wildly successful two part episode on Understanding Natural Light (Episodes 46 and 47) last season. After the success of her recent book, Gardening Under Lights, Leslie published a new book this month on propagation called Plant Parenting. Today Leslie joins me to discuss not the techniques for propagation, by how plants actually multiply. Today’s episode is meant to help us zoom out and understand the overarching reasons for why the propagation projects we know and love are so successful. It is the perfect conversation to enrich our understanding of our plants and how intelligently designed they are. Leslie Halleck is a Horticulturalist by education and profession with a passion for plants and gardening. She has worked in many sectors of the gardening industry, from nurseries, to being the Director of Horticulture Research at the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden to founding Halleck Horticultural, a consulting service for Green Industry businesses. Her book, Gardening under Lights; The Complete Guide for Indoor Growers, is the ultimate guide to understanding artificial lighting for indoor growers of any experience level. Her new book Plant Parenthood In this episode we learn: what is Totipotency the different types of cuttings for propagation roots vs shoots How to properly propagate a Fiddle Leaf Fig tree- and what not to do the most common way to propagate the science behind how plant cuttings instigate root growth (and dos and don'ts you need to know) best practices for taking great cuttings best cuttings to start with for beginners Mentioned in the episode: Support Bloom and Grow Radio by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon! Come to our Bloom and Grow Radio Happy Hour/Plant Swap and Live Taping in Philly! Details Here Leslie's books: Gardening Under Lights and Plant Parenting: Easy Ways to Make New Houseplants (Bloom and Grow Affiliate Links) GIVEAWAY! To participate in the giveaway of one signed copy of Leslie's new book, visit the @bloomandgrowradio instagram account and check out the post about today's episode. Instructions for the giveaway are there! Giveaway ends June 18th, 2019. Thank you Bloem Living for Sponsoring today's episode! Bloem Living makes flower pots and garden accessories in the USA that are clever, efficient and fun! They have a garden accessory or container for every garden! Discover their products at www.bloemliving.com - there you can find your local Bloem Living dealer, or see the many websites you can order their products from! You can also check out my amazon storefront for a selection of my favorite Bloem products! Follow Leslie Halleck: Book: Plant Parenting and Gardening Under Lights Instagram Twitter Pinterest Facebook Website: https://lesliehalleck.com/ Follow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio: Support Bloom and Grow Radio by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon! Instagram and Facebook: @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.

Thrilled to be sharing this planty conversation with my #plantfriendIRL, Kevin Espiritu from Epic Gardening! Kevin and I recently met IRL in San Diego and clicked immediately. He is a wonderfully curious Botanical Bro who has the most incredible Urban Gardening set up in his home in San Diego. Our journeys to plant parenthood are very similar, but revolve around different passions: indoor (mine) and outdoor (his). Today we talk our different interests, the similarities and differences between indoor and outdoor gardening and container gardening for those of us who might want to try gardening outdoors! I hope you find it inspiring to grow your own food in your outdoor space! Kevin's book, Field Guide to Urban Gardening, was just released and would be the perfect companion for anyone curious to learn more about urban gardening and growing your own food! In this episode we learn: Kevin's somewhat unsuccessful intro to growing food, and how he became the amazing gardener he is now Differences in our experiences growing indoor and outdoor plants Outdoor container gardening 101- it's the growing season Plant Friends! Let's learn this together! Best pots, soil and fertilizer to use as a newbie Best plants to start with How to take your first step towards container gardening Mentioned in the Episode Buy Kevin's new book: Field Guide to Urban Gardening! (Bloom and Grow Amazon Affiliate Link): https://amzn.to/2HOdufi Visit my Amazon Storefront for the items mentioned in today's episode! https://www.amazon.com/shop/bloomandgrowradio Check out Maria's favorite Bloem Living pots and gardening accessories! http://bit.ly/bloemBAGR Thank you Bloem Living for Sponsoring today's episode! Bloem Living makes flower pots and garden accessories in the USA that are clever, efficient and fun! They have a garden accessory or container for every garden! Discover their products at www.bloemliving.com - there you can find your local Bloem Living dealer, or see the many websites you can order their products from! You can also check out my amazon storefront for a selection of my favorite Bloem products! Follow Kevin and Epic Gardening Website Podcast YouTube Facebook Twitter Pinterest Instagram Follow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio: Support Bloom and Grow Radio by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon! Instagram and Facebook: @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.

Thrilled to be bringing you the live taping of Bloom and Grow Radio in Tucson on “Living with Plants in the Desert”. I am joined by Brendan the owner of Eco Grow, a local aquaponics and rare plant shop and grower and also Prococo Products, premium coco coir supplier, Akiko from Tucson based flower and plant shop Bloom Maven and Becca, a Tucson native and the Plant Lady behind the De La Plants Youtube channel. We have a wonderful discussion on the desert climate, the Saguaro Cactus, and how to have a thriving plant collection while living in the desert, and how to incorporate desert style into your home and plant collection. In this episode we learn: What a desert biome is The history of the Saguaro Cacti Houseplant Care in the Desert 101 with Brendan from Eco Gro and Prococo Desert plant styling tips with Akiko from Bloom Maven Hot tips on living with Plants in the Desert from Becca of Becca De La Plants Thank you to our Wine and Gift Bag Sponsors (all female owned and run companies)! Sand Reckoner Vineyards is a local vineyard growing their own grapes in the desert and making delicious wines including the Vermentino we drank a ton of at the live taping! If you are in the area, their Tucson tasting room is open Wednesday through Sunday! Check them out at https://sand-reckoner.com/ Solace Macrame for the GORGEOUS mini macrame plant hangers- for any and all of your macrame dreams visit: https://solacemacrame.com/ and Instagram: @solacemacrame Annotated Audrey for the fabulous Plant Pins and Stickers from her shop which is all about desert inspired art, gifts and accessories! Check out her prints and more at http://shop.annotatedaudrey.com/ and Instagram @annotatedaudrey Check out some Cacti IRL on Maria's Youtube Video tour of her hike in Sabino Canyon in the Sonoran Desert! Follow Akiko and Bloom Maven: www.bloommaven.com Facebook: /bloommaven Instagram: @bloommaven Follow Brendan and Eco Grow and ProCoco: www.ecogro.com www.prococo.com Follow Becca and De La Plants: Instagram: @delaplants Youtube: Becca De La Plants Follow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio: Support Bloom and Grow Radio by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon! Instagram and Facebook: @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.

Today Maria shares a mini episode on why Bloom and Grow Radio is now on Patreon. Support Bloom and Grow Radio by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/bloomandgrowradio Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Maria and members of the Bloom and Grow Radio Community give tips on how to move homes with houseplants! In this episode we learn: - the various ways to pack plants for moving - practical tips from listeners who have moved successfully with their houseplants - suggestions from Maria for moving in a car, truck, plane or countries! For a blog with all of the tips provided in this episode visit: www.bloomandgrowradio.com/moving For a youtube video where Maria shows you how she packs her plants to take on the plane visit: https://www.youtube.com/c/bloomandgrowradio Support Bloom and Grow Radio on PATREON! https://www.patreon.com/bloomandgrowradio Follow Bloom and Grow Radio: Instagram and Facebook: @BloomandGrowRadio Subscribe to the Bloom and Grow YOUTUBE show! https://www.youtube.com/c/bloomandgrowradio Website: www.bloomandgrowradio.com Join the (free) Garden Club: www.bloomandgrowradio.com/garden-club Support Bloom and Grow Radio on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/bloomandgrowradio Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.