2020 had us all looking at our homes and asking ourselves if our current lifestyles were truly working for us or if it was time for a change. Billy and I desired more space, more nature, and a new opportunity to grow, which is why we moved upstate. An interesting question rose up when we moved and stared at our new surroundings and new gardening zone with a bit of overwhelm: now what? I've heard this question from so many members of our community who also made a big move, purchased a new home, and are looking at their new landscapes with wide eyes and lots of questions.

In this episode, I invited Stephen Orr, editor of one of my favorite magazines and a gardener going through this process himself, to join me for a conversation about his journey to rejuvenating and experimenting with his new garden, or gardens, in his new home in Cape Cod. Can't wait to learn with you!

Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Party!

Join us in the plantiest and kindest corner of the internet: our private community platform and app with dedicated conversation topics, quarterly meet ups, regional groups and the ability to find plant friends near you and so much more!

Join the Garden Party and become a Plant Friend!

Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast,

so you don't miss the amazing episodes we have coming up!

In this episode we learn:

• [00:00:57] Introducing Stephen
• [00:05:20] Why Maria is obsessed with Better Homes and Gardens
• [00:06:30] How Stephen’s parents influenced him to be a plant person
• [00:09:42] Popular houseplants in the 70s according to Stephen’s mom’s collection
• [00:15:16] Why it’s important to identify the soil type in your garden
• [00:17:35] Animal pressure and other factors to consider when looking for a new home with a garden
• [00:20:01] How to prepare your new garden for the seasons
• [00:22:13] Know which plants work best for your garden through your neighborhood
• [00:23:44] How to preserve old gardens and rejuvenate lilacs
• [00:25:27] Things to keep in mind when moving into a house with history
• [00:27:03] Where to get efficient and stylish grow lights for your home
• [00:28:21] How to have garlic all year round
• [00:29:54] How to transform a sandy area into a gravel garden
• [00:32:07] The best plants for seaside gardens
• [00:32:58] How to train plants to thrive in difficult conditions
• [00:35:51] Conducting your own garden research
• [00:37:06] Where to begin when starting a new garden in a new home
• [00:38:44] Common mistakes new homeowners make with their garden
• [00:39:41] How to avoid new home overwhelm
• [00:41:29] Stephen’s garden experiments: raised beds and a mini meadow
• [00:46:01] How to do seed sowing successfully
• [00:48:33] Checking your soil on your first year gardening
• [00:50:10] How to rejuvenate your flowering plants
• [00:52:33] What NOT to do on your first gardening year
• [00:53:47] Stephen’s recommended culinary herbs to plant in your garden
• [01:00:46] Stephen shares a nice little note about being Better Homes and Gardens editor
• [01:04:00] Maria’s BIG news!

Mentioned in our conversation:

• The Dry Gardening Handbook : Plants and Practices for a Changing Climate, book by Olivier Filippi
• Planting Design for Dry Gardens, book by Olivier Filippi
• The Dry Garden, book by Beth Chatto
• The New American Herbal, by Stephen Orr
• Tomorrow's Garden, by Stephen Orr
• Better Homes and Gardens Magazine

Thank you to our episode sponsors:

SolTech Solutions

Soltech Solutions recently launched the Greenfi bundle with their new Vita LED Grow Bulb: a bulb that screws into any light fixture. Greenfit your home and get four Vita Grow Light Bulbs for the price of 3, no coupon code necessary! Head over to soltechsolutions.com and check out their bundles of lights and lighting accessories for up to 20% off!

Territorial Seed Company

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! Most of us think of the gardening season as spring and summer, but with the right timing and varieties for your location, you can grow year-round! Territorial Seed Company carries lots of varieties to start in summer and harvest in late fall, winter, and even over winter. For seeds, plants, online garden planner, how-to videos and more, visit TerritorialSeed.com and use code BLOOM10 for 10% off on your first order.

Follow Stephen:

Instagram

Buy Stephen's books: Tomorrow's Garden and the The New American Herbal,

Check out Better Homes & Gardens

Follow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio:

Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Party Community Platform & App AKA the plantiest and kindest corner of the internet!

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

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

Instagram and Facebook: @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

Honestly, I've been feeling so overwhelmed and uninterested in curating my thoughts and feelings about plants and plant parenthood. It’s been a hell of a year and although I’m all about keeping it positive, I’m also all about keeping it real. And lately, social media has made it hard to share authentically. That's why when Christy, a Garden Party founding member, started this plant parent confessional in the Garden Party platform, members had space to post about things they do that wouldn’t pass the Instagram cut: plant fails and “bad” plant parent practices. So, this episode is community-based, from Garden Party members who called in and submitted their confessionals. I'm sharing them with you in hopes to just normalize the messiness of plant parenthood and tell you that no matter where you are on your plant parent journey, you’re welcome here :)

Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Party!

Join us in the plantiest and kindest corner of the internet: our private community platform and app with dedicated conversation topics, quarterly meet ups, regional groups and the ability to find plant friends near you and so much more!

Join the Garden Party and become a Plant Friend!

Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast,

so you don't miss the amazing episodes we have coming up!

In this episode we learn:

• [01:39] What inspired Maria to have a confessional episode
• [04:28] Meet Christy, one of Garden Party’s Founding Plant Friends
• [05:23] Plant care confessions: fertilizing, repotting, disinfecting tools, and more
• [07:29] How imperfections are the best learning opportunities in plant parenthood
• [08:14] A Tradescantia zebrina "Purple Tinge" confession
• [09:59] Why we should normalize falling out of love with our plants
• [10:51] A confession about cuttings and propagation
• [12:33] Repotting in the fall and winter, does that make you a bad plant parent?
• [14:04] Where to get the best indoor and outdoor gardening products
• [15:40] The best seed provider for year-round harvest!
• [17:03] A frugal plant parent confession
• [18:09] When you give good plant parent advice— that you don’t do yourself!
• [19:56] Do you isolate your new plants when you bring them home?
• [22:12] When Maria caught Billy in a cute plant parent moment
• [23:22] A plant parent’s ‘lazy approach’
• [24:44] The pressures of Instagram and color editing your plants
• [26:12] How social media can affect the way we perceive our plants and our own plant journey
• [28:21] Maria’s reminder: take care of yourself, plant friend!
• [29:28] Maria’s confessions
• [31:24] The plant parent practice that helped Maria regain her plant parent confidence and joy
• [33:41] Plant parenthood is messy! That’s how it’s supposed to be, and you are not alone
• [34:40] Exciting news for the Bloom and Grow Radio Podcast!

Thank you to our episode sponsors:

Espoma Organic

Espoma Organic is dedicated to making safe indoor and outdoor gardening products for people, pets, and the planet. They have an amazing variety of high-quality, organic potting mixes, garden soil, fertilizers, and pest control products that are organic and eco-friendly. To learn more about their pet safe indoor and outdoor gardening products, visit espoma.com to find your local dealer or check out my Amazon storefront of my favorite Espoma products here.

Territorial Seed Company

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! Most of us think of the gardening season as spring and summer, but with the right timing and varieties for your location, you can grow year-round! Territorial Seed Company carries lots of varieties to start in summer and harvest in late fall, winter, and even over winter. For seeds, plants, online garden planner, how-to videos and more, visit TerritorialSeed.com and use code BLOOM10 for 10% off on your first order.

Follow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio:

Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Party Community Platform & App AKA the plantiest and kindest corner of the internet!

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

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

Instagram and Facebook: @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

Not only is growing your own food a fabulous hobby and a way to reconnect with the food chain, the earth, and yourself, it’s also a way to serve our bodies in a deeper way by feeding them with fresh, organic produce. Not to mention, a freshly picked cherry tomato or piece of lettuce tastes infinitely more delicious than a store-bought one. I’ve really enjoyed diving deep into gardening through the My First Garden Series on this podcast, and as a way to celebrate all our hard work, I've invited someone to help us make the best out of our harvest! Dr. John la Puma is a trained chef and doctor who has committed his life to culinary medicine and eco medicine. In this episode, we talk about the nutritional value of the foods we are growing, and some fun ways to prepare our harvest (we are both Italian-American and have lots of fun recipes we riff on throughout the episode!). Let's get cooking!

Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Party!

Join us in the plantiest and kindest corner of the internet: our private community platform and app with dedicated conversation topics, quarterly meet ups, regional groups and the ability to find plant friends near you and so much more!

Join the Garden Party and become a Plant Friend!

Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast,

so you don't miss the amazing episodes we have coming up!

In this episode we learn:

• [00:05:55] Maria shares her ‘fresh from the garden’ dinner of kohlrabi!
• [00:07:24] Dr. John’s favorite kohlrabi recipe
• [00:09:25] How Dr. John became a culinary medicine chef and how his farming journey began
• [00:10:57] What is eco medicine? How can we apply this concept to our daily lives?
• [00:15:09] Why gardening is the gateway to reconnecting with nature
• [00:17:45] How umbellifers like carrots and fennels enable you to use less fertilizer in the garden
• [00:19:27] How the pleasure of eating can help you eat and become healthier
• [00:21:06] What does a more vibrant color of a fruit or vegetable mean for nutrition?
• [00:22:35] How to bring out the lycopene in your tomatoes (it’s good for the heart!)
• [00:27:00] The beneficial differences between cooking with fresh herbs versus with dried herbs
• [00:28:31] How to grow turmeric, its health benefits, and the best ways to use it in cooking
• [00:30:13] Dr. John’s fun kumquat alcohol recipe!
• [00:31:33] The best way to keep animals from your garden
• [00:33:23] How to help your plants grow with lights
• [00:35:40] Dr. John’s gentle reminder about store-bought vs organic and home-grown food
• [00:37:02] How to grow and how to use Mexican oregano in your dishes
• [00:39:35] Maria’s favorite plant to grow and how she uses it in the kitchen
• [00:39:57] The health benefits of alliums, the different kinds you can grow, and the best ways to cook with them
• [00:43:10] Dr. John’s recommended ways to eat lightly cooked onions
• [00:44:31] What is the best way to eat alliums like onions and leeks raw?
• [00:46:34] Why cruciferous vegetables like arugula, broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage are good for your liver
• [00:48:03] Cooking tricks to get the most nutritional benefits from your arugula and other cruciferous veggies
• [00:49:35] Using arugula and other ways to elevate your pesto!
• [00:51:08] How to cook with sweet potatoes and sweet potato leaves, and keep them growing in your garden
• [00:53:22] Should you keep the skins on your vegetables?
• [00:55:30] Dr. John shares one of his inspirations when it comes to cooking
• [00:56:58] What is 'comfort nature' and how does it help us regain our connection to ourselves and with nature?
• [00:59:24] How to be in your 'comfort nature' without leaving the house
• [01:01:56] Help Maria win her TikTok war with Dr. John - LOL!

Mentioned resources in this episode:

• ChefMD’s Big Book of Culinary Medicine by John la Puma, M.D.
• Yotam Ottolenghi’s recipes in The Guardian
• What is Your Comfort Nature Place? Quiz

Thank you to our episode sponsors:

DeerBusters

If you’ve got wildlife looking at your veggie garden, DeerBusters is here to help! DeerBusters strives to protect the gardens of companies and individuals through high-quality, easy-to-install, wildlife fencing kits that come in several different materials and sizes. No fancy hardware needed. Visit deerbuster.com today to protect your plants tomorrow and use code BLOOM at checkout for 10% off.

Soltech Solutions

Whether it's simply getting your plants through a lower light environment or you’ve just got too many plants but too few windows, and you need to bring more light indoors so your collection can keep growing, Soltech Solutions has the luxury lighting options for you! Save up to $100 with no coupon necessary. Head over to soltechsolutions.com and check out their bundles of lights and lighting accessories for up 20% off!

Follow John:

Website

Blog

Books

TikTok

Follow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio:

Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Party Community Platform & App AKA the plantiest and kindest corner of the internet!

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

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

Instagram and Facebook: @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

Plant Routines: the crucial part of every plant parent's plant care practice that ensures that our plants (and our minds) are happy and healthy. Going from plant killer to plant lady, I found that I became as attached to my plant care routine, as I was to my plants. The act of disconnecting with a screen to reconnect with these plants and nature, is also a way to clear space to reconnect with yourself. I have learned that a plant care routine practice is so much deeper than just a soil moisture check: they let us check in with our plants, and more importantly, with ourselves. Plant care is truly self care. Everyone’s plant care routines are different, like unique snowflakes, so I brought together a fantastic group of plant friends to have a new format of podcast episode call the "Plant Friend Hang" to dive deeper on this topic. Come and meet them!

Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Party!

Join us in the plantiest and kindest corner of the internet: our private community platform and app with dedicated conversation topics, quarterly meet ups, regional groups and the ability to find plant friends near you and so much more!

Join the Garden Party and become a Plant Friend!

Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast,

so you don't miss the amazing episodes we have coming up!

In this episode we learn:

• [00:02:36] Maria’s personal and podcast updates!
• [00:05:49] Who is Kamili, how her plant parent journey began, and why she won’t say her plant number!
• [00:07:41] A little fun discussion about Hoya and their recent popularity as houseplants
• [00:10:17] Paul’s plant parent background, his current collection, and why he recommends pothos for everyone
• [00:13:35] How Tiffany became @plantmamah, how plants helped her recover from a brain injury, and why she is obsessed with Hoya
• [00:18:20] What’s the weirdest thing you do with your plants?
• [00:27:04] What does your plant care routine look like on a daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly basis?
• [00:35:21] Where to get the best indoor and outdoor gardening products (and plant-specific tones!)
• [00:37:06] The best options for all your plants’ lighting needs
• [00:38:24] Why you should bring your plants outside during summer
• [00:40:48] Maria shares how she realized that her self-care and mental well-being are connected to her plant care
• [00:43:46] How has your plant care evolved through time? Have you noticed personal shifts as your plant care routine changes with your collection?
• [00:45:45] Why killing a plant should not make you feel ashamed and guilty
• [00:49:00] What is your most favorite and least favorite plant chore?
• [00:53:17] Paul shares his mad scientist soil mix equation!
• [00:56:42] How the Plant Friends stay organized with their plant collection - is it a good idea to try plant apps?
• [01:02:51] What does your plant care routine mean to you and why is it important?
• [01:09:44] Maria reflects on the Plant Friend hang panel and why #MentalHealthMatters
• 
  

Thank you to our episode sponsors:

Espoma Organic

Espoma Organic is dedicated to making safe indoor and outdoor gardening products for people, pets, and the planet. They have an amazing variety of high-quality, organic potting mixes, garden soil, fertilizers, and pest control products that are organic and eco-friendly. To learn more about their pet safe indoor and outdoor gardening products, visit espoma.com to find your local dealer or check out my Amazon storefront of my favorite Espoma products here.

Soltech Solutions

Whether it's simply getting your plants through a lower light environment or you’ve just got too many plants but too few windows, and you need to bring more light indoors so your collection can keep growing, Soltech Solutions has the luxury lighting options for you! Save up to $100 with no coupon necessary. Head over to soltechsolutions.com and check out their bundles of lights and lighting accessories for up 20% off!

Follow the Plant Friend Hang Gang:

Kamili: Instagram | Website | Email

Paul: Instagram | YouTube | Email

Tiffany: Instagram | TikTok | Email

Follow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio:

Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Party Community Platform & App AKA the plantiest and kindest corner of the internet!

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

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

Instagram and Facebook: @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

The first time I heard about wet stick propagation, I had no idea it even existed! That's why when I got an offer from a listener, Joey (@joey_de_la_plants), for a variegated Monstera 'Albo' wetstick (and I knew I wanted that plant but I had no idea what “wetstick” meant), I went down a research rabbit hole to know more about the process of rooting it. For the last 5 months, my node has not only rooted, but started growing!. So when I connected with Payton from Bloom Daddy Plants—who actively uses this method all the time to run his shop—I knew we had a super fun episode on our hands. And boy, did we go overboard with the cross-platform collaboration surrounding this episode! Tune in to learn all about node propagation, and join the Philodendron "Pink Princess" Wetstick Giveaway on Instagramfor the chance to win your own Philodendron 'Pink Princess' wet stick to try this method yourself!!

Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Party

Join us in the plantiest and kindest corner of the internet: our private community platform and app with dedicated conversation topics, quarterly meet ups, regional groups and the ability to find plant friends near you and so much more!

Join the Garden Party and become a Plant Friend!

Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast,

so you don't miss the amazing episodes we have coming up!

In this episode we learn:

• [03:35] What to expect in this cross-platform episode (and where to find them!)
• [04:51] How to get your own Philodendron ‘Pink Princess’ wet stick!
• [07:17] Who is Payton, how his journey as a plant parent began, and how Bloom Daddy came to be
• [10:05] Should we refer to plants as ‘rare’?
• [13:00] Breaking the myth surrounding node propagation
• [14:15] What is a ‘wet stick’? Its many other names and how to identify a node
• [18:00] Why node propagation is used in nurseries
• [19:33] 4 things you need for node propagation
• [20:53] The ideal humidity level for your nodes (and cheaper alternatives for humidity chambers!)
• [24:37] Where to cut a node from and how to do it
• [25:50] Where to get the best garlic varieties for your year-round garden
• [27:14] How to protect your greens and veggies from wildlife
• [29:08] At what angle should you cut a node?
• [29:54] When do you put the node in a prop box?
• [30:43] Why you should let your node callus over
• [31:02] How to activate your node (and make it happy!)
• [32:48] Differentiating levels of moisture, and what the best moisture level is for your node
• [35:23] How much space should you leave between your node and your prop box?
• [37:17] The ideal light situation for your node prop box
• [40:06] Transitioning your node after it establishes roots
• [45:00] Maria shares where her curiosity took her recent peperomia propagation
• [47:00] How to join the Philodendron ‘Pink Princess’ wet stick giveaway

Mentioned in our conversation:

• Payton’s YouTube video on different Sphagnum moss moisture levels
• Philodendron 'Pink Princess' Wetstick Giveaway happening on the @bloomandgrowradio IG account

Thank you to our episode sponsors:

Territorial Seed Company

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! Most of us think of the gardening season as spring and summer, but with the right timing and varieties for your location, you can grow year-round! Territorial Seed Company carries lots of varieties to start in summer and harvest in late fall, winter, and even over winter. For seeds, plants, online garden planner, how-to videos and more, visit TerritorialSeed.com and use code BLOOM10 for 10% off on your first order.

DeerBusters

If you’ve got wildlife looking at your veggie garden, DeerBusters is here to help! DeerBusters strives to protect the gardens of companies and individuals through high-quality, easy-to-install, wildlife fencing kits that come in several different materials and sizes. No fancy hardware needed. Visit deerbuster.com today to protect your plants tomorrow and use code BLOOM at checkout for 10% off.

Follow Payton:

Instagram

Website

Etsy

Follow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio:

Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Party Community Platform & App AKA the plantiest and kindest corner of the internet!

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

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

Instagram and Facebook: @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

When I first got into gardening, I got very fixated on the food I could grow for myself, but what I’m realizing is growing flowers can be as appealing as growing food — and flowers, being the pollinator magnets they are, are crucial to a healthy garden and a healthy mind. I’ve been so curious about cut flower gardening and connected with this episode's guest on Clubhouse, and started picking her brain about what cut flowers I should try as an ultra beginner. Brooklyn's passion for plants, her sensitivity, and her knowledge are things I've been wanting to share with this community! We also share heartwarming stories about our mothers and the lessons they taught us. I hope this episode brings you joy, just like flowers do!

Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Party

Join us in the plantiest and kindest corner of the internet: our private community platform and app with dedicated conversation topics, quarterly meet ups, regional groups and the ability to find plant friends near you and so much more!

Join the Garden Party and become a Plant Friend!

Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast,

so you don't miss the amazing episodes we have coming up!

In this episode we learn:

• [00:02:23] Maria’s garden update
• [00:05:40] Who is Brooklyn and how she became a flower farmer
• [00:08:31] Why everyone should have flowers in their garden
• [00:09:15] Brooklyn shares the personal connection she feels when growing flowers
• [00:12:08] Things to consider before growing flowers in your garden
• [00:14:06] The best flowers to grow for beginners: sunflowers, zinnias, strawflowers, and more
• [00:17:05] A quick recap on annuals vs perennials
• [00:18:32] The best perennial flowers to grow for blooms year after year
• [00:21:22] How to plan your flower garden so you have blooms all year long
• [00:25:48] Brooklyn’s favorite ‘cut and come again’ flowers
• [00:27:16] How to make the best soil mix for your flowers
• [00:29:30] When to use fertilizers on your flowers
• [00:31:04] Where to get the best potting mix, compost and fertilizer for your garden
• [00:32:41] Where to order your garlic for this season
• [00:35:03] Why you want to fertilize your flowers (and some signs that they need it!)
• [00:36:12] Determining how much light your flowers need
• [00:37:30] Maria shares her experience with her first garden and reading seed packets
• [00:41:17] How to transplant your flowers and harden them off
• [00:44:27] How to pinch flowers, what is it for, and when you should do it
• [00:48:04] What should you do with your flower’s first bud?
• [00:48:25] What is deadheading and how to do it properly
• [00:51:03] Brooklyn’s growing tips for peonies
• [00:52:43] How to grow flowers from corms and bulbs
• [00:57:33] Brooklyn’s top five favorite flowers (and greens) to grow
• [00:59:34] A little heartwarming story about Mama Failla and her garden gifts
• [01:03:22] Maria shares her newfound interest and joy in flower gardening

Thank you to our episode sponsors:

Espoma Organic

Espoma Organic is dedicated to making safe indoor and outdoor gardening products for people, pets, and the planet. They have an amazing variety of high-quality, organic potting mixes, garden soil, fertilizers, and pest control products that are organic and eco-friendly. To learn more about their pet safe indoor and outdoor gardening products, visit espoma.com to find your local dealer or check out my Amazon storefront of my favorite Espoma products here.

Territorial Seed Company

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! Most of us think of the gardening season as spring and summer, but with the right timing and varieties for your location, you can grow year-round! Territorial Seed Company carries lots of varieties to start in summer and harvest in late fall, winter, and even over winter. For seeds, plants, online garden planner, how-to videos and more, visit TerritorialSeed.com and use code BLOOM10 for 10% off on your first order.

Follow Brooklyn:

Instagram: @brooklynsherri

Petal and Herb Farm

Ya Grandma's Garden and Houseplants on Clubhouse

Follow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio:

Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Party Community Platform & App AKA the plantiest and kindest corner of the internet!

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

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

Instagram and Facebook: @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

#plantsmakepeoplehappy, this hashtag has almost 8 million posts so far and there’s a reason for it. It’s just true. Plants, nature, and the act of witnessing life itself make people happy, more connected, and more empowered. The plant/person connection is hard to explain, yet everyone knows it. We all feel this connection to our plant collection. Our hearts swell with new growth, and sometimes even grieve losses. Over the last year and a half, I’ve dove rather deeply into exploring this plant-person connection, reading several incredibly inspiring books one being written by our special guest today. Dr Sue Stuart Smith took me on a journey of this plant/person connection and made me feel so seen. I knew I just had to have her on the show, so find a cozy spot and let's dive in!

Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Party

 Founding Plant Friend discounts running through July 1st! Then prices go up!

Become a Founding Plant Friend!

Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast,

so you don't miss the amazing episodes we have coming up!

In this episode we learn:

• [00:27] Why we’re taking a deep dive into the plant-person connection
• [06:04] How Sue became a vegetable gardener and a plant lady
• [09:17] Sue’s background in psychiatry and psychotherapy
• [11:30] How Sue realized the plant-person connection based on her own experiences in the garden
• [13:18] The topics that Sue explores in her book “The Well Gardened Mind”
• [16:50] Explaining plant blindness and the two aspects of this occurrence
• [18:42] What is a plant mentor and why they’re important to the development of people’s interest in plants and in nature
• [20:16] Maria shares her own experience with plant blindness and with her own plant mentors
• [21:30] How plant mentors can help eliminate the feeling of plants being alien to people
• [22:09] How the pandemic has paved the way for people to get back in touch with nature
• [23:49] Where to get the best grow lights for all types of plant lighting needs
• [25:25] Have you joined the plantiest place on the internet?
• [27:46] The perspective that plants give Maria about time and moving forward
• [29:43] What are some life-garden parallels that Sue has learned over time?
• [32:20] How seeds encourage positive anticipation and trigger future plans
• [33:57] Why gardening is about relationships and how it is more than just a hobby
• [35:12] Who is Harold S and what important concepts did he introduce to the plant-person relationship
• [37:02] What is urgent biophilia and how today’s context of a global pandemic and crises triggers this need
• [40:03] Geosmin, petrichor, and how evolution developed our sensitivity to the natural world
• [43:16] How gardening promotes good bacteria
• [43:45] Mycobacterium vaccae (M. vaccae) and how it can be a potential treatment for PTSD
• [46:30] Maria gives a hint about what’s next for her and for Bloom and Grow!

Mentioned in our conversation:

The Well Gardened Mind by Sue Stuart Smith

Thank you to our episode sponsor:

Soltech Solutions

Whether it's simply getting your plants through a lower light environment or you’ve just got too many plants, too few windows, and need to bring more light indoors so your collection can keep growing, Soltech Solutions has the luxury lighting options for you! Save up to $100 with no coupon necessary. Head over to soltechsolutions.com and check out their bundles of lights and lighting accessories for up 20% off!

The Bloom & Grow Garden Party

Become a Founding Plant Friend of our new Community Platform & App, the Bloom and Grow Garden Party. Available for iOS and Android- it's the new Plantiest and Kindest corner of the internet! I created it so we can make new plant friends, cultivate knowledge and grow more joy. Inside there are planty conversation topics, regional groups, the "plant friends near me" feature and exclusive plant care downloads found only in the platform. Join us! 

Follow Sue:

Website

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Twitter

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Subscribe to the Bloom and Grow Youtube Show! /Bloomandgrowradio

Website: www.bloomandgrowradio.com

Join the (free) Garden Club: www.bloomandgrowradio.com/garden-club

In this mini episode, I share the why behind the creation of the Garden Party Community Platform & App and give you all the details of what’s inside!

Become a Founding Plant Friend of the Garden Party (Offer expires July 1st- you can get a whole years membership for the amount of one 8 inch plant!) https://community.bloomandgrowradio.com/

Check our a tour on the Youtube Channel!

This isn't a story about gardening, plant friends. This is an episode on plant friendship. Melody is a local gardener who lives 15 minutes from me and has one of the most unbelievable gardens I’ve ever seen! Her backyard is a whimsical garden oasis, with a gazebo, greenhouse, and a different flower or bloom everywhere you look. In this episode, I share the story of how I met Melody and Melody gives us a deeper understanding of soil, how it's alive, and how to make it the best soil for growing. Hear all of Melody's great tips on keeping your soil rich and how plants teach us the importance of coexistence. Listen to our gardening story below!

Get on the waitlist for the Bloom and Grow Garden Party Launch

Be the first to gain access and founding member discounts through joining our waitlist

Snag your spot on the waitlist here

Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast,

so you don't miss the amazing episodes we have coming up!

In this episode we learn:

• [03:39] The changes to Maria’s gardening plans and a preview of her friendship with Melody
• [07:50] The story of the attack rooster
• [08:06] How Maria and Melody met and became friends
• [09:23] Melody shares her rich horticultural background and how she became the plant lady that she is today
• [11:11] How community-supported agriculture (CSA) helped address food shortage during the first months of COVID
• [12:54] Store-bought vegetables vs homegrown and organic vegetables
• [14:05] Melody discusses one of the biggest problems in agribusiness and food nutrition
• [15:23] What is in Melody’s amazing live soil
• [16:37] The three different types of soil and their characteristics
• [19:41] What type of soil is best for the garden?
• [21:01] Why you need the best soil for your plants
• [21:13] Where to get the best indoor and outdoor gardening products
• [22:39] How to best keep animals away from your greens
• [25:14] How to keep weeds from growing in your garden with a collinear hoe
• [27:07] Melody’s first year gardening
• [28:28] How to keep your soil rich and how to format your garden
• [30:12] Melody’s tips on designing an in-ground garden
• [31:17] How to use compost in your garden
• [33:28] A little trivia about sweet illicium, and the importance of knowing your beneficials
• [34:59] Bees in the garden and why you shouldn’t be scared of them
• [35:55] How plants teach us the importance of co-existence
• [36:36] Garden beginner tip: try square gardening!
• [38:21] Why you should examine the roots of your plants and what they can teach you about your garden
• [39:38] Maria and Melody’s plants this growing season
• [42:35] Maria shares the wonderful things she’s learned from Melody about plants and about life
• 
  

Thank you to our episode sponsors:

Espoma Organic

Espoma Organic is dedicated to making safe indoor and outdoor gardening products for people, pets, and the planet. They have an amazing variety of high-quality, organic potting mixes, garden soil, fertilizers, and pest control products that are organic and eco-friendly. To learn more about their pet safe indoor and outdoor gardening products, visit espoma.com to find your local dealer or check out my Amazon storefront of my favorite Espoma products here.

DeerBusters

If you’ve got wildlife looking at your veggie garden, DeerBusters is here to help! DeerBusters strives to protect the gardens of companies and individuals through high-quality, easy-to-install, wildlife fencing kits that come in several different materials and sizes. No fancy hardware needed. Visit deerbusters.com today to protect your plants tomorrow and use code BLOOM at checkout for 10% off.

Check out Melody's garden on my Youtube channel! https://youtu.be/25vb5uGC0r4

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

When I look at a large gorgeous palm, outside or indoors, I immediately get tropical vibes from their huge leaves, the way they sway in the wind, and the way the leaves cascade over their delicate stems. They just have a certain something that creates an instant jungle vibe. However, palms are also notoriously tricky plants to successfully care for! Lucky for us, Chris of NYC Plant Doctor comes to the rescue with expert advice and knowledge on how to properly care for our palms, and how not to kill them as I did with my fan palm. Enjoy!

Get on the waitlist for the Bloom and Grow Garden Party Launch

Be the first to gain access and founding member discounts through joining our waitlist

Snag your spot on the waitlist here

Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast,

so you don't miss the amazing episodes we have coming up!

In this episode we learn:

• [00:04:16] Chris shares his insane window setup in his new New York apartment!
• [00:06:38] Some interesting trivia about the Arecaceae family
• [00:08:04] The most common palms that you probably didn’t even know you know: coconut palm, carnauba palm, date palm, and more!
• [00:11:15] Where the Arecaceae family got its name
• [00:11:33] Three morphological groups of palm: rhizomatous, lianas, and arborescent
• [00:14:53] Where palms grow in nature, their history, and their uses over time
• [00:17:23] Why you won’t see rings in your palms
• [00:19:53] Examples of cold-hardy palms and where to find them
• [00:22:47] Chris gets real about palms: they are hard for beginners!
• [00:23:16] Watering and humidity needs of your palm plants
• [00:25:07] How to differentiate salt damage vs humidity issues in your palms
• [00:26:39] Should you use distilled water or rainwater for your palms?
• [00:28:44] The right soil for the palm you have
• [00:30:38] Signs that your palm is happy, and signs that it’s not
• [00:31:19] How much light do palms need? Chris shares a big myth-buster about palms and light
• [00:32:41] Chris explains why palms can be difficult to grow: they are temperature-sensitive
• [00:33:48] Did you know you can extend your garden harvest through fall and even over winter?
• [00:35:12] The biggest threat to your garden
• [00:36:42] How to fertilize your palm tree - and why they don’t need much!
• [00:40:59] Chris expert advice on repotting your palms
• [00:41:54] Why you should not plant your palms in terracotta pots
• [00:43:44] The most common pests of palms, and why Chris doesn’t have palms in his home
• [00:45:17] Maria talks about the one important aspect of plant parenthood: knowing what works for you and what doesn’t
• [00:49:33] How to propagate your palms
• [00:50:13] Can you really grow coconut indoors, and if yes, how?
• [00:51:41] How can you control a palm’s growth?
• [00:53:17] What to do when your palm gets pests
• [00:55:57] Some fast palm facts from Chris!
• [00:58:36] The best palm to get for beginners
• [01:02:39] Maria’s reflections on palms and caring for them

Mentioned in our conversation:

Bloom and Grow Radio episodes

• How to Water Your Plants with Chris Satch
• Variegation 101 with Chris Satch
• Plant Latin 101 with Chris Satch
• Pest Control With Summer Rayne Oakes

Thank you to our episode sponsors:

Territorial Seed Company

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! Most of us think of the gardening season as spring and summer, but with the right timing and varieties for your location, you can grow year-round! Territorial Seed Company carries lots of varieties to start in summer and harvest in late fall, winter, and even over winter. For seeds, plants, online garden planner, how-to videos and more, visit TerritorialSeed.com and use code BLOOM10 for 10% off on your first order.

DeerBusters

If you’ve got wildlife looking at your veggie garden, DeerBusters is here to help! DeerBusters strives to protect the gardens of companies and individuals through high-quality, easy-to-install, wildlife fencing kits that come in several different materials and sizes. No fancy hardware needed. Visit https://www.deerbusters.com/ today to protect your plants tomorrow and use code BLOOM at checkout for 10% off.

Follow Chris:

Instagram: @botanictonic | @nycplantdoctor

Website

Parlor Palm Care article

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

Plant friends, I’ve been fortunate enough to take a lot of deeper dives in the science of plant care since quarantine happened and my outlook on plant care and the hobby of keeping plants has dramatically shifted in the last year and a half. I find myself turning away from blogs and towards textbooks and have a new deep appreciation for the horticulturalists on this show who can truly dive deeper with us and explain the why behind the how of all the practices we are told to do on care cards and social media posts. The combination of over 120 episode interviews, and now all these hours in the courses, has been enlightening and I wanted to come clean about these shifts I’m making in my personal collection and plant care practices. Thank you for learning alongside me and I hope this episode helps you keep blooming and keep growing through your plant parenthood journey!

Get on the waitlist for the Bloom and Grow Garden Party Launch

Be the first to gain access and founding member discounts through joining our waitlist

Snag your spot on the waitlist here

Check out 3 Planty Date Night Ideas with Billy on Youtube!

Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast,

so you don't miss the amazing episodes we have coming up!

In this episode we learn:

• [05:07] Why Maria is sharing her plant hacks (past and current), shifts in her plant parenthood, and ‘aha!’ moments
• [06:57] Been There Done That Plant Hack #1: Being obsessed with humidity (and some humidity tips from experts to help you with your humidity problems)
• [12:00] Two humidity hacks that Maria is not doing anymore: misting and pebble trays
• [12:43] The truth and risks behind misting your plants
• [14:51] Been There Done That Plant Hack #2: Living by your plant care cards
• [17:12] Maria shares an exciting feature of the Bloom and Grow Garden Party
• [18:24] Been There Done That Plant Hack #3: Understanding light based on plant diagrams and not based on your specific light situation
• [19:29] Maria’s experience dealing with a low light situation for her plants and how she became a super sleuth for sunbeams
• [23:34] Been There Done That Plant Hack #4: Planting in pots without drainage holes!
• [25:22] Maria’s two easy hacks for pots without drainage holes
• [27:42] Plant Parenthood Shift #1: Converting plants from semi hydro to soil
• [28:38] Maria’s bonus hack: use leca to root your plants
• [29:28] The best companion after a planty day
• [31:16] Growing season is not just for spring and summer, you can now have fall and winter harvest!
• [33:16] An update on Limey, Maria’s lime tree
• [34:42] Plant Parenthood Shift #2: Addressing plant FOMO and focusing on current plants
• [37:07] What our plants teach us about life and how our plant collections should make us feel
• [38:24] Learnings to bring into this new growing season!
• 
  

Mentioned in our conversation:

Bloom and Grow Radio episodes

• Humidity Deep Dive And Winter Plant Care With The Plant Daddy Podcast Daddies
• Understanding Natural Light: General Rules with Leslie Halleck

Bloom and Grow Youtube videos

• 3 Planty Date Night Ideas with Billy
• How Drainage Works in Pots, The Perched Water Table & a "Drainage Hack" that Doesn't work!

Thank you to our episode sponsors:

Allagash Brewing Company

Allagash Brewing Company is an amazing brewery and b corporation out of Portland, Maine that has just come out with Fine Acre: an organic beer that’s the perfect accompaniment to your indoor and outdoor gardening practices this spring and summer! We are celebrating this launch with the Beer Gardening with Allagash Sweepstakes! The prize is insanely planty with $300 to Bloomscape, $100 Allagash merch gift card, a consultation with Maria, and the chance to direct $2,500 to a community garden nonprofit of your choosing! Head over to allagash.com for mechanics on how to join the giveaway! Fine Acre and other Allagash beers are for drinkers 21+. Please drink responsibly.

Allagash also sponsored a fantastic Youtube Video on the channel this week 3 Planty Date Night Ideas with Billy! Click here to check it out!

Territorial Seed Company

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! Most of us think of the gardening season as spring and summer, but with the right timing and varieties for your location, you can grow year-round! Territorial Seed Company carries lots of varieties to start in summer and harvest in late fall, winter, and even over winter. For seeds, plants, online garden planner, how-to videos and more, visit TerritorialSeed.com and use code BLOOM10 for 10% off on your first order.

Follow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio:

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

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

Instagram and Facebook: @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

When I polled our listener community about your top requests for outdoor garden-related episodes, the number one request surprised me: it wasn’t managing fertilizer, succession planting, or garden design. It was how to manage pesky animals getting into your gardens! Today, I have the answer to your prayers: Brie from briegrows.com walks us through such a comprehensive list of practices and solutions for managing pests and other critters in the garden. This conversation really helps us rethink the way we approach animals in the garden and I’m excited for you to learn from Brie as I did!

Get on the waitlist for the Bloom and Grow Garden Party Launch

Be the first to gain access and founding member discounts through joining our waitlist

Snag your spot on the waitlist here

Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast,

so you don't miss the amazing episodes we have coming up!

In this episode we learn:

• [00:06:05] How Brie became Brie The Plant Lady
• [00:08:59] Brie shares her greatest achievement in plant propagation
• [00:11:29] Maria’s experience with squirrels and deer in the garden
• [00:14:15] Do we call them ‘pests’ or ‘animals’? Brie shares an important reminder about animals in nature
• [00:18:29] Maria shares a totally honest story about critters #nofilter
• [00:19:02] How to identify chipmunks from squirrels, and what their usual behaviors are in the garden
• [00:21:03] How to use hot peppers as animal repellent
• [00:24:18] Different and easy ways to use peppermint oil as animal repellent (hint: seashells!)
• [00:26:49] How to prevent squirrels and chipmunks from digging holes in your garden beds
• [00:29:07] Using vole king bags to protect your bulbs from animals
• [00:30:20] Vole king bags vs chicken wire planters
• [00:31:11] Shrews vs voles vs moles
• [00:32:47] How to deal with moles in the garden
• [00:33:21] Why you should use less mulch in the garden
• [00:35:12] Where and how to plant garlic as vole repellent (and hit two birds with one stone!)
• [00:39:16] Do you need to worry about burrowing animals if you have raised beds?
• [00:40:40] What are groundhogs and how to keep them away from the garden
• [00:43:14] Squirrel damage vs groundhog damage
• [00:45:29] Setting up a wildlife camera for better animal surveillance in the garden
• [00:47:02] Where to get the best eco planters (with gorgeous color selections!)
• [00:49:24] The best and easiest deer fence kits for your garden
• [00:51:16] The idea behind trap crops and how to apply them in the garden
• [00:54:25] The different plants that help repel rabbits 
• [00:57:26] How often should you apply repellents to your plants?
• [00:58:54] Using animal scats to identify pests in the garden
• [01:00:00] Why deer is a serious gardening problem and how understanding their behavior can help you keep them away
• [01:01:50] How to install hedges and streamers that keep deer away
• [01:06:29] Deer-proof plants, are there such things?
• [01:09:05] When to use deer sprays and how to best use mammal-specific repellents
• [01:11:35] Brie shares her own recipe of animal repellent using common household items!
• [01:13:33] The rookie mistakes gardeners make when trying to keep animals from the garden
• [01:15:56] Brie reminds us how to be mindful gardeners and have respect for the animals that we don’t want in our gardens
• [01:17:11] What Brie’s garden looks like! It is envy-worthy!
• 
  

Mentioned in our conversation:

• The Foodscape Revolution by Brie Arthur
• Gardening with Grains by Brie Arthur
• The Humane Gardener: Nurturing a Backyard Habitat for Wildlife by Nancy Lawson
• Deer‑Resistant Design: Fence‑free Gardens that Thrive Despite the Deer by Karen Chapman

Thank you to our episode sponsors:

WallyGro

Wallygro has just launched new Spring Colors in both their Eco and Loop planters! The Eco planter model makes installing your own greenwall a breeze and their Loop planter model is the answer to drip-free tabletop or hanging plants, and they are made from recycled plastic! WallyGro is offering a limited-time 15% discount to our community from May 11 to May 18th. Snag them while they are available at wallygro.com and use code BAGR15 for 15% off at checkout.

DeerBusters

If you’ve got wildlife looking at your veggie garden, DeerBusters is here to help! DeerBusters strives to protect the gardens of companies and individuals through high-quality, easy-to-install, wildlife fencing kits that come in several different materials and sizes. No fancy hardware needed. Visit deerbusters.com today to protect your plants tomorrow and use code BLOOM at checkout for 10% off.

Follow Brie:

Brie Grows

Books

Instagram

Facebook

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

Did you know that some of our favorite houseplants are actually toxic to pets? I was able to interview Anastasia from Leaf & Paw about Pets and Plants and how to be both a pet parent and a plant parent. Anastasia has a blog dedicated to her passion for collecting plants while caring for her two cats and a hedgehog. In this episode, she walks us through what we need to know about toxicity, how to style with pets in mind, and the top 10 best and worst plants for our pets. Let's dive in!

Get on the waitlist for the Bloom and Grow Garden Party Launch

Be the first to gain access and founding member discounts through joining our waitlist

Snag your spot on the waitlist here

Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast,

so you don't miss the amazing episodes we have coming up!

In this episode we learn:

• [03:41] What this episode has in store for you, plant friend!
• [05:13] How Anastasia became both a plant parent and a pet parent, and how Leaf and Paw came to be
• [07:19] Why it’s important to know how to have plants and pets together
• [08:37] What is toxicity in plants? How do you approach toxicity when it comes to your pets?
• [12:11] Are there levels of toxicity in plants? What should you do when your pet eats a toxic plant?
• [13:38] How to prevent your pets from eating your plant collection: utilize your home architecture
• [15:08] Why understanding your pet can help you keep them away from your plants
• [16:02] How to style with floor plants while keeping them safe from your pets
• [17:21] Do river stones and vinegar spray work for pet-prone plants?
• [18:56] The best company after a day of gardening and propagating plants!
• [20:57] Where to get organic and pet-safe potting mixes and gardening products
• [22:45] What symptoms should you look out for if your pet has ingested a plant? What should you do if your pet has ingested a toxic plant?
• [25:14] How to use substances like fertilizer and insecticide in your plant care while being mindful of your pets
• [28:05] The best and most informative resources for pet care and plants
• [30:06] The top 10 most toxic plants for your pets: pothos, monsteras, ficus, and more
• [36:50] The top 10 best non-toxic plants for your pets: pepperomias, calatheas, hoyas, and more
• [42:20] Bonus special AND non-toxic plant: banana trees!
• [43:47] Maria and Billy’s puppy fever and their future fur baby plans

Mentioned in our conversation:

• American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA)
• Pet Poison Hotline

Thank you to our episode sponsors:

Espoma Organic

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.

Allagash Brewing Company

Allagash Brewing Company is an amazing brewery and b corporation out of Portland, Maine that has just come out with Fine Acre: an organic beer that’s the perfect accompaniment to your indoor and outdoor gardening practices this spring and summer! Fine Acre’s launch supports organic gardening and farming, so we are celebrating with the Beer Gardening with Allagash Sweepstakes! The prize is insanely planty with over $3000 of gardening goodies. Head over to allagash.com for mechanics on how to join the giveaway! Fine Acre and other Allagash beers are for drinkers 21+. Please drink responsibly.

Follow Anastasia:

Leaf and Paw Blog

Instagram

Facebook

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

New Trend Alert! Tiny Plants are the curious collector's dream, and an awesome option for plant parents who are working with limited space OR are obsessed with teensy tiny adorable things like me. Leslie Halleck, one of the favorite recurring guests for Bloom and Grow Radio, joins us again to talk about her obsession with Tiny Plants, tips for caring for them, and a matchmaking session where she pairs the perfect tiny plant for each plant parent personality. Get ready to learn about teensy, tiny adorableness!

Pre-Order Leslie's new book: Tiny Plants

Get on the waitlist for the Bloom and Grow Garden Party Launch

Be the first to gain access and founding member discounts  through joining our waitlist

Snag your spot on the waitlist here  

Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast,

so you don't miss the amazing episodes we have coming up!

In this episode we learn:

• [05:29] Leslie shares how she spots plant trends and what the trend of small plants has changed in people’s lives
• [08:25] How Leslie got into the tiny plants hobby, her internship in the Puerto Rican rainforest, and her history with ferns
• [14:37] Do micro species have different DNA from regular plants? Why do they stay tiny forever?
• [18:22] The different tiny plant species featured in Leslie’s book and why you should get into the world of tiny plants
• [19:11] Why lithops are not beginner-friendly tiny plants and Leslie’s advice for taking care of them
• [20:47] Caring for tiny plants vs caring for regular plants, is there a difference?
• [23:18] How taking care of tiny plants serves as a wellness ritual for Leslie
• [25:25] Hunting for rare species is fun, according to Leslie
• [26:26] Tiny Plants bonus: know about the best plant vendors for your next tiny plants!
• [28:10] Where to get the best planty gifts for mother’s day
• [30:14] Maria’s favorite companion at the end of the day (aside from Billy)
• [32:11] Maria and Leslie’s current tiny plant favorites
• [34:51] How to style with tiny plants and why you have more options with them!
• [38:32] Why Maria is excited to take a deeper dive into the tiny plants world
• [39:50] How tiny plants make it easier to incorporate nature into your home
• [41:08] Maria shares one of the reasons she loves and appreciates plant parenthood
• [42:56] The best tiny plants for mindful plant parents
• [44:30] Are you a low-key plant parent? Here are the perfect tiny plants for you
• [45:26] Aesthetic and urban jungle tiny plants for the design-based plant parent
• [47:25] Edible tiny plants for the urban farmer plant parent
• [50:15] The tiny plants genus to check out if you’re a curious collector type of plant parent
• [56:55] Maria sends positivity and love to the Bloom and Grow community

Mentioned in our conversation:

• Tiny Plants by Leslie Halleck

• Plant Parenting by Leslie Halleck

• Gardening Under Lights by Leslie Halleck

Leslie’s previous Bloom and Grow episodes

• Grow Lights 101

• Propagation 101

• Root-ology

Thank you to our episode sponsors:

Modern Sprout

Modern Sprout is connecting people and plants with their fabulous lines of grow lights, seed starter kits, and all sorts of planty products that empower people to cultivate their own indoor oasis, whether you live in a studio apartment or a sprawling farmhouse, with simple, stylish and sustainable green-thumb solutions for every home. They just launched new products like their seed starter kits and gift sets so head to modernsprout.com to check all their products out and use code 15bloom at checkout.

Allagash Brewing Company

Allagash Brewing Company is an amazing brewery and b corporation out of Portland, Maine that has just come out with Fine Acre: an organic beer that’s the perfect accompaniment to your indoor and outdoor gardening practices this spring and summer! Fine Acre’s launch supports organic gardening and farming, so we are celebrating with the Beer Gardening with Allagash Sweepstakes! The prize is insanely planty with over $3000 of gardening goodies. Head over to allagash.com for mechanics on how to join the giveaway! Fine Acre and other Allagash beers are for drinkers 21+. Please drink responsibly.

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Join the (free) Garden Club: www.bloomandgrowradio.com/garden-club

I think we all know that there are a lot of lessons to be learned in the garden and that's twofold: literally how to garden and how to grow food, reconnect with our food chain, and deepen our relationship with nature. I am so excited to deepen my gardening knowledge this summer with My First Garden Series, where I troubleshoot and try my first shot at outdoor gardening outside of the tiny balcony garden that I have had since I've launched the show. In this episode, I invite Nicole from Gardenary for an in-depth garden coaching, sprinkled with wonderful insights about self-love, reconnecting with nature, and just life in general. Let’s dive in!

Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast,

so you don't miss the amazing episodes we have coming up!

In this episode we learn:

• [00:04:40] The exciting news for the Bloom and Grow community!
• [00:08:23] Who is Nicole Burke of Gardenary, how she turned into a gardener, and how gardening has helped her regain her sense of self
• [00:11:37] How the idea behind Gardenary came to be and Nicole’s ultimate dream for the company
• [00:15:10] Maria shares her first garden experience, her gardening education, and what she hopes to accomplish this gardening season
• [00:16:47] The advantages of raised bed gardening vs row gardening and in-ground gardening
• [00:18:03] The minimum space, cost, and time requirements for beginner gardeners
• [00:22:07] Nicole’s raised bed suggestion for long and rectangular plots of land and how to work with constraints in your garden
• [00:25:20] What is the maximum width for a garden bed? How much space should you put in between your garden beds?
• [00:30:43] How to address garden planning overwhelm and why Nicole believes gardening shouldn’t take time
• [00:32:45] Why setting up your garden properly is doing 90% of the work
• [00:34:37] Maria shares her favorite stroll and gardening companion
• [00:36:25] Where to get the best grow lights for all plant needs and the best seed starter packages for this season!
• [00:39:06] The best gardening advice Maria has gotten from her mom
• [00:39:54] Nicole shares the meaning behind her saying “think about nature” and how to reshape our thinking when it comes to plants and their growing abilities
• [00:43:47] Which plants should you mix in in your bed? How understanding plant families and the best seasons to grow them can give you the best yield
• [00:47:04] Should you be mindful of shading when combining large plants with smaller ones? Nicole shares the better factors that you should consider: temperature and timing
• [00:49:39] Where should you face your beds?
• [00:50:53] Should you start flowers from seeds or from seedlings? What are the best flowers to grow for beginners?
• [00:54:06] The best smaller sunflowers to grow and where to place them in your garden bed
• [00:55:25] Since most trellises are expensive, can you make a trellis on your own?
• [00:57:20] How many cherry tomato plants do you need to achieve Nicole’s amazing tomato arch?
• [00:59:27] Can you grow more than one plant on one trellis? Nicole shares some garden style tips when growing vines
• [01:00:46] The magic of gardening and what this hobby teaches us about life and growth
• [01:01:27] Why everyone should try kitchen gardening
• [01:05:02] Maria’s current garden situation and what she is looking forward to!

Mentioned in our conversation:

• Brooke Castillo’s Podcast The Life Coach School
• Nicole Burke’s book Kitchen Garden Revival
• Gardenary’s YouTube video How Many Blooms Come from One Zinnia
  
• Gardenary’s YouTube video How to Grow Tomatoes Up an Arch Trellis

Thank you to our episode sponsors:

Allagash Brewing Company

Allagash Brewing Company is an amazing brewery and b corporation out of Portland, Maine that has just come out with Fine Acre: an organic beer that’s the perfect accompaniment to your indoor and outdoor gardening practices this spring and summer! Fine Acre’s launch supports organic gardening and farming, so we are celebrating with the Beer Gardening with Allagash Sweepstakes! The prize is insanely planty with over $3000 of gardening goodies. Head over to allagash.com for mechanics on how to join the giveaway! Fine Acre and other Allagash beers are for drinkers 21+. Please drink responsibly.

Modern Sprout

Modern Sprout is connecting people and plants with their fabulous lines of grow lights, seed starter kits, and all sorts of planty products that empower people to cultivate their own indoor oasis, whether you live in a studio apartment or a sprawling farmhouse, with simple, stylish and sustainable green-thumb solutions for every home. They just launched new products like their seed starter kits and gift sets so head to modernsprout.com to check all their products out and use code 15bloom at checkout.

Follow Nicole:

Gardenary | Rooted Garden 

Podcast

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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!

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Subscribe to the Bloom and Grow Youtube Show! /Bloomandgrowradio

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Join the (free) Garden Club: www.bloomandgrowradio.com/garden-club

Do any of you remember that store in the mall that sold mini bonsai trees and meditative water features? I was pretty obsessed with them as a kid and was so taken with these tiny trees, all the miniaturization of these beautiful, serene scenes. I definitely had and killed several of those trees in my teenage years, and I’m put at ease to hear I’m not the only one after speaking to many of you on Instagram about bonsai and our guest today, Bjorn from Eisei-en Bonsai. We cover a lot about this niche hobby of bonsai within an already niche of plant care, so let's get to it!

Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast,

so you don't miss the amazing episodes we have coming up!

In this episode we learn:

• [00:04:44] How Bjorn became the bonsai expert he is today
• [00:05:35] How long does a bonsai apprenticeship take? What are typical duties for a bonsai apprentice?
• [00:07:31] Bjorn shares his experience in Japan and being an apprentice
• [00:09:16] How to properly pronounce ‘bonsai’ and what it means
• [00:09:40] What is a bonsai? How do you classify a tree as a bonsai tree?
• [00:10:56] Can you turn any tree into a bonsai?
• [00:11:54] Apical dominance vs lateral dominance
• [00:14:14] How to measure bonsais and the different bonsai size classifications: shohin and chuhin
• [00:16:03] Where did bonsais originate from?
• [00:17:43] How do you differentiate between indoor bonsais and outdoor bonsais? What are great plants for both types?
• [00:19:29] How much light do bonsais need?
• [00:20:25] The basic bonsai potting mix: pumice, lava rock, and akadama (yes, it’s Japanese!)
• [00:22:01] How much fertilizer does your bonsai need? What kind of fertilizer should you apply to your bonsai?
• [00:23:26] Bonsai and teabags: how to ‘tea’ your bonsai when adding fertilizer
• [00:24:19] Why growing bonsais is about practicing control
• [00:25:00] How to take care of sick bonsai trees and what the long-term goal is for growing bonsais
• [00:26:02] What bonsais can teach us about patience
• [00:26:20] Where to get the best soil mixes for all plant needs
• [00:27:36] How to keep deer and wildlife from your garden
• [00:29:27] Do you want your bonsais to bloom?
• [00:30:51] How often should you water bonsais? Bjorn gives us the how-to and why’s on watering bonsais
• [00:34:32] Bonsai and shade cloths: where should you place your bonsai? What is a bonsai’s ideal light situation?
• [00:36:20] Bonsai pruning 101
• [00:37:32] Plant nerd facts: what are the growth hormones auxin and cytokine and what do they do?
• [00:40:05] Why are bonsai trees in small and shallow pots?
• [00:41:20] How much of a bonsai tree’s roots should you prune?
• [00:42:48] Why spring is the best time to prune your bonsai
• [00:43:41] Root galls and how to properly remove them
• 00:45:58] How do you prune bonsai shoots? When and how do you use copper or aluminum wires to shape your bonsai?
• [00:49:32] The concept of mochikomi
• [00:50:28] The biggest mistakes people make when it comes to bonsais
• [00:52:08] Bjorn’s recommendations for beginner bonsai growers
• [00:55:39] Where to get the best bonsais online
• [00:56:43] Winterizing your bonsai tree
• [00:58:27] What is the best bonsai tree pest treatment?
• [01:00:10] Why everyone should try bonsai!

Mentioned in our conversation:

• Knoxville Bonsai Society
• Brussels Bonsai
• Eisei-en Bonsai's YouTube video Sekka Hinoki from Simple Material

Thank you to our episode sponsors:

Espoma Organic

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.

DeerBusters

DeerBusters strives to protect the gardens of companies and individuals through high-quality wildlife fencing. Deer and wildlife can be the bane of any gardener's existence and Deer Busters makes installing deer fences, simple with their easy to install fencing kits that come in several different materials and sizes. No fancy hardware needed. Visit deerbusters.com today to protect your plants tomorrow and use code BLOOM at checkout for 10% off.

Follow Bjorn:

Website 

Instagram 

YouTube

Follow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio:

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

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

Instagram and Facebook: @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

I’ve always known that Hardiness Zones and Frost Dates are important to planning your outdoor garden… but plant friend, I’ve never quite understood what they were or why they were so important. I’ve gotten as far as typing my zip code into the hardiness zone website, getting my “number” and then pretty much not doing anything with it. As I look to plan my first grown up garden this summer, I knew I needed help, so I asked Rochelle Greayer, of the renowned garden design website Pith & Vigor, who has years of garden design under her belt to help break all of these important concepts down for us, to better understand our outdoor environments. So many lightbulb moments in this episode let's dive right in. 

Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast,

so you don't miss the amazing episodes we have coming up!

In this episode we learn:

• [04:46] What Maria has in store for fellow novice gardeners like her this summer!
• [05:40] How Rochelle went from flying aircraft and satellites to a full-time garden designer
• [08:34] What Rochelle loves about garden design—and Maria’s luxury spa biophilic experience
• [10:00] The many careers you can get into if you want to pursue a plant profession
• [11:26] Do plants really clean the air in your apartment? Maria discusses this hot topic circulating in the plant community
• [13:10] The topics that Maria wants to understand about outdoor gardens
• [13:49] What are hardiness zones? What are the pros and cons of the USDA Hardiness Zones?
• [17:23] The difference between the USDA hardiness zones and the American Horticultural Society (AHS) Heat Zones
• [18:39] What does a plant’s hardiness mean?
• [19:20] Once you know your hardiness zone, how do you apply that information to your outdoor garden?
• [21:11] Does hardiness matter for annual plants?
• [21:58] How do frost dates differ from hardiness zones? What are frost dates actually for?
• [23:10] Why it is important to know frost dates—beware of last frost!
• [25:54] What’s more important between hardiness zone and frost dates?
• [26:25] The best seeds, soil, and fertilizers for your indoor and outdoor garden this season!
• [29:48] How to plan your garden with your hardiness zone and frost dates information
• [31:02] Frost date hack: you can extend your growing season inside!
• [32:31] Understanding how a plant supports itself during growing season
• [35:06] What are the Sunset climate zones?
• [36:58] Listener question #1: How much does microclimate affect your predicted garden zones? What is a microclimate?
• [39:31] How do you know if you have a microclimate in the garden?
• [41:06] Listener question #2: What methods can be used to push gardening zones, if a plant is hardy just outside your gardening zone?
• [41:43] Why it’s important to pay attention to the environments in your garden
• [44:44] Listener question #3: Have the zones changed because of climate change?
• [46:49] Rochelle’s favorite piece of advice for those who want to try out garden design
• [48:57] Rochelle’s gardening course for homeowners looking into improving their gardens
• [50:26] The cool history behind Pith + Vigor’s name
• [53:23] Maria’s plans for this seed season and how she’s applied this conversation to her garden planning

Mentioned in our conversation:

• USDA Hardiness Zone Map
• Frost Dates Calculator
• The Old Farmer’s Almanac

Thank you to our episode sponsor:

Territorial Seed Company

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! It's already time to start planning your 2021 garden! For seeds, plants, online garden planner, how to videos and more visit TerritorialSeed.com and use code BLOOM10 for 10% off.

Espoma Organic

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 Rochelle

Pith + Vigor: Website 

Instagram 

Classes (Affiliate link)

Follow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio:

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

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

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Subscribe to the Bloom and Grow Youtube Show! /Bloomandgrowradio

Website: www.bloomandgrowradio.com

Join the (free) Garden Club: www.bloomandgrowradio.com/garden-club

Of all the plants I’m feeling drawn to these days, Alocasia are at the top of my list. I feel like their weird, semi heart shaped, semi ovular shaped leaves look like little alien heads looking at me, popping out from my collection to say hello. They are oddly friendly but also strange looking plants that I’m obsessed with. There are so many reasons to love Alocasia, from the unique leaf shape, to their gorgeous vein patterns and the incredible variety of colors you see, I’m particularly entranced by Alocasia cuprea. Today we are joined by Enid from NSE Tropicals againt o dive deep into Alocasia care and best plants for different types of plant parents. I dare you to not try this amazing genus of plants after listening, sweet plant friend.

Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast,

so you don't miss the amazing episodes we have coming up!

In this episode we learn:

• [04:13] Reintroducing Enid, why Maria is OBSESSED with alocasia, and what this episode has in store
• [05:19] Where can you find alocasias in nature?
• [06:00] With their similar beautiful features, how can you tell alocasias and anthurium apart?
• [07:44] What Maria loves about alocasias
• [08:17] Do alocasias love humidity? What kind of potting mix is ideal for them?
• [10:35] How often should you water your alocasias?
• [10:53] Is there a particular light situation that alocasias like?
• [12:41] What you should always remember when taking care of alocasias (or anthuriums!)
• [13:27] Enid shares how often she uses fertilizer and what fertilizer she uses on her alocasias
• [14:20] The experience behind why Maria is intimidated by alocasias
• [14:42] What happens to alocasias during their dormant period? What are things you can do when they are dormant?
• [17:42] Where to best get your garden planting needs this season!
• [19:37] Is there a perfect starter plant for everyone? Maria compiled the best ones suited for YOU
• [20:55] What is a corm and how does it function for alocasias?
• [21:25] How do you propagate alocasias? Can you propagate from their leaves?
• [22:06] Enid shares the most common mistake you might be making with your alocasias!
• [22:41] How do you save an alocasia from root rot? Can you STILL save it?
• [24:06] On the ground or in a pot, what’s the best way to keep alocasias upright and prevent them from tipping over?
• [25:13] What potting situation do alocasias prefer?
• [26:03] The possible explanation on why your alocasia is growing more flowers than leaves
• [27:21] Is preventing your alocasias’ dormancy harmful for them in the long-term?
• [28:53] You alocasias are actually pretty smart!
• [29:35] Enid’s alocasia recommendations for all stages of plant parents!
• [30:18] Maria and Enid share their stories with the hardy alocasia Polly
• [33:48] Maria talks about the alocasias she currently owns and her future plans for this genus!

Mentioned in our conversation:

• BAGR Episode Aroids 101 Part 1
• BAGR Episode Aroids 101 Part 2
• BAGR Episode Anthurium Care
• The Common Cult Podcast with Heather and Eryn
• NSE Tropicals

Thank you to our episode sponsor:

Territorial Seed Company

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! It's already time to start planning your 2021 garden! For seeds, plants, online garden planner, how to videos and more visit TerritorialSeed.com and use code BLOOM10 for 10% off.

Take the Plant Parent Personality Test!

Take the Plant Parent Personality quiz to unlock your Plant Parent Potential and get a curated list of plants, DIY planty projects and podcasts tailored specifically for your lifestyle.

Follow Enid

Instagram and Facebook: @NSETropicals  

 https://www.nsetropicals.com/index.html

Follow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio:

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

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

Instagram and Facebook: @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

So we’ve all been in a garden center and picked up a plant, or had a friend give us a cutting and look at the plant in our hands and think “ummm what is this thing?” Today’s episode is all about learning some basic skills for identifying houseplants and how to observe our plants in order to get to know them better. We are joined by Derek of The Crazy Botanist for a higher level conversation about basic houseplant identification, and how to change our thinking around plants to see them for their leaf shapes, flowers and other identifying factors instead of just a name. This episode is a nice palate cleanser that encourages us to zoom out in our relationship to plants, in addition to the intense nerdy specifics we always like to deep dive on. I hope you enjoy it.

In this episode we learn:

• [02:05] Introducing Derek and episode key ideas
• [04:17] How Derek got into the plant parent life, where his obsession with plants started, and how he uses his degree in Botany!
• [06:23] How are plants classified? What is binomial nomenclature and how is it used to classify any living organism?
• [09:32] Derek breaks down the hierarchy of binomial nomenclature and the questions related to each denomination
• [12:54] What should we be looking for when identifying houseplants? What should we keep in mind when describing plants for identification?
• [15:33] What is the best—and easiest!—way to identify leaves?
• [17:39] Derek emphasizes the importance of proper communication in plant identification
• [18:26] Why Maria recommends having screen-free time with your plants
• [19:06] Derek shares his method of identification when going plant shopping—which you can also do!
• [21:07] A short history of plant identification methods and how the internet has made plant identification easier today
• [23:24] Where to get the most amazing indoor and outdoor gardening products and the best potting mixes
• [24:24] The best resource for your seed starting this season
• [26:30] How do you identify the flowers in your houseplants? Derek enumerates some factors that will help you with flower identification.
• [33:10] What identifying factors should you look for in stems? Do snake plants even have stems?
• [35:06] What are some houseplants that don’t look alike but are actually closely related?
• [37:03] Are there plants that look alike but are not related? Of course!
• [38:52] How do you tell maranta, calathea, ctenanthe, and stromanthe apart?
• [42:59] Where does The Crazy Botanist go for plant identification resources?
• [46:26] Derek reiterates the importance of accessible and understandable scientific communication
• [48:00] A little begonia identification lesson with help from the American Begonia Society!
• [51:20] Maria reflects on plant identification and how it helps us become better plant parents and better members of the plant community

Mentioned in our conversation:

• American Begonia Society
• Leaf types and flower identification document Derek provided
• Sleep Whispers Podcast

Thank you to our episode sponsors:

Territorial Seed Company

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! It's already time to start planning your 2021 garden! For seeds, plants, online garden planner, how to videos and more visit TerritorialSeed.com and use code BLOOM10 for 10% off.

Espoma Organic

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 Derek

Instagram @thechocolatebotanist

Facebook thecrazybotanist

The Crazy Botanist Youtube

Follow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio:

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

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

Instagram and Facebook: @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

When I think Jungle Vibes, anthuriums always come to mind. Their large leaves, mesmerizing vein patterns in the leaves, long slim stems and gorgeous flowers have such a prehistoric look to them. There is so much more to the world of Anthuriums besides the one you can always pick up in the grocery store, so today we welcome back the queen of the aroids, Enid from NSE tropicals to do a deep dive on Anthurium care. NSE Tropicals is one of the most sought after rare plant provider in the US. Restocks routinely sell out in minutes and we are lucky that the mastermind behind it, Enid joins us today for an in depth discussion.

Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast,

because Enid will be back next month, to discuss Alocasia care!

In this episode we learn:

• How Maria’s wishlist plants have changed since she first started collecting [02:15]
• How you can help grow the Bloom and Grow Radio community! [04:00]
• Enid shares the wonderful story behind the NSE Tropicals, and its 21 year-old plant collecting history! [05:11]
• Why anthuriums are starting to be a big trend within the plant community [06:22]
• The interesting environment and origins of anthuriums [06:56]
• Basic care tips for indoor anthuriums on soil mix and humidity [11:05]
• Enid’s quick plant hack on increasing humidity [13:19]
• How to properly water your anthuriums [14:32]
• What’s the optimal humidity level for indoor anthuriums? [16:37]
• Do different varieties of anthuriums need different types of light? [18:08]
• Enid shares her own observations between anthuriums in a greenhouse versus anthuriums in open-air setups [19:19]
• Why plant parents should always consider the natural environment of their plants [20:06]
• Where to best get your garden planting needs this season! [21:08]
• Enid explains why your leaves shouldn’t feel hot to the touch [23:27]
• How to REALLY know your plants according to Enid [24:11]
• Are anthurium leaves drooping normal? How do you differentiate between an unhappy plant and normal plant behavior? [25:31]
• The nasty pests you should be looking out for when taking care of anthuriums and how to get rid of them the right way [27:10]
• General fertilizer tips for anthuriums and Enid’s recommended brands [29:08]
• What is pollination for? What are inflorescences? [30:19]
• Enid’s top 3 anthurium recommendations for beginner plant parents [34:24]
• Enid’s top 3 anthurium recommendations for advanced plant parents [35:12]
• Maria shares her future anthurium plans and what to expect from the next episode with Enid [37:03]

Mentioned in our conversation:

• BAGR Episode Aroids 101 Part 1
• BAGR Episode Aroids 101 Part 2
• NSE Tropicals

Thank you to our episode sponsor:

Territorial Seed Company

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! It's already time to start planning your 2021 garden! For seeds, plants, online garden planner, how to videos and more visit TerritorialSeed.com and use code BLOOM10 for 10% off.

Follow Enid

Instagram and Facebook: @NSETropicals

 https://www.nsetropicals.com/index.html

Follow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio:

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

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

Instagram and Facebook: @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

So many of us got bitten by the outdoor gardening bug last year and learned there is no better way to connect with the food we eat.. then by growing it. My passion for growing edible plants has grown, like my space has. My first garden was a tiny box full of herbs and one tomato plant on our tiny balcony three years ago, and since then, the balcony containers grew, and now I’m excited to be in our first home with acres to farm this summer. Starting these edible plants from seed has been a bit intimidating, but in my efforts to continue growing as a plant parent, I’m ready to take the plunge and dive in. Starting from seed offers us the ability to be in control of the varieties we grow, plan in advance and save lots of money in the long run. My dear friend and mentor Joe Lamp’l- the "joe behind joe gardener" is the king of organic gardening and has an amazing seed starting course launching this week and was kind enough to stop by and give us the inside scoop on seed starting basics, and inspire us to deepen our curiosity about where food comes from and empower us to grow it ourselves.

If this episode or topic inspires you...

join me in Joe's 2021 Master Seed Starting Course!

Enrollment is only a week long and closes February 2nd, 2021!  Use my affiliate link here and get access to the private zoom call with Joe and Myself specifically for our  Bloom and Grow Community! We will have the call in March, after we have all binged the course, and troubleshoot our specific questions with Joe and grow as a community together!

In this episode we learn:

• [00:00:10] Maria shares her favorite experiences and benefits of seed starting
• [00:02:11] Where to get the best seeds for your spring and summer gardens this year
• [00:06:20] Joe demystifies seed starting and why you shouldn’t be nervous about starting your own garden!
• [00:07:24] What Joe does for a living and where you can check out for more of his gardening tips
• [00:09:39] Why Joe emphasizes understanding the why’s of gardening and plant parenthood
• [00:10:17] Maria shares her own experience with growing seeds and why she didn’t give it a ‘real shot’ prior
• [00:11:12] Joe talks about the rewarding feeling of starting from a seed versus seedling
• [00:12:43] The sense of ownership that seed starting instills in us
• [00:13:31] How growing your own garden expands your food choices
• [00:14:26] What Maria learned about seed starting versus seedlings when she grew her own tomatoes
• [00:16:47] Joe answers the question we’re all thinking about: how much do we need for a successful seed starting setup?
• [00:16:56] Breaking down the materials, the costs, the alternatives, and the conditions you need for seed starting
• [00:22:14] What kind of soil is ideal for seed starting?
• [00:24:10] Joe’s recommendations for seed tray sizes, compartment depth, and seed tray materials
• [00:28:06] When is the best time to start on your seeds? What is the most important date you need to know when growing your own seeds?
• [00:30:20] Where Maria is sourcing her seeds from for this gardening season
• [00:33:55] Do seeds have an expiration date? Joe emphasizes the importance of buying seeds from a good and established company
• [00:35:40] Do we need to be looking out for non-GMO seeds?
• [00:36:19] Is it possible to grow the seed of a fruit that you just ate? Joe discusses the difference between hybrid and open pollinated non-hybrid
• [00:38:17] Now that you’ve got your seed starting setup, how do you put your seeds in the soil?
• [00:39:01] What is the ideal light situation for seed starting?
• [00:39:38] The step-by-step process of seed starting, what you should expect when you’ve planted your seeds, and the most intensive part of the process according to Joe
• [00:43:10] The process of thinning and why Maria finds it SO frustrating
• [00:45:38] Is there a right and only way to germinate your seeds? For Maria’s mom, a damp towel in a Ziploc bag is the way to go
• [00:46:30] How to check if your seeds are still good
• [00:47:50] How does cold stratification work and why do some plants need it? Joe explains the what’s, the why’s, and the how’s of this process
• [00:49:46] What you can learn from Joe’s Master Seed Starting class
• [00:50:38] The importance of building an engaged and active community of seed starters
• [00:54:57] An exciting offer from Joe and Maria on how to be a better seed starter!
• [00:57:41] What Maria is excited about with her seed starting this season!

Mentioned in our conversation:

Take the Master Seed Starting Course with me!

Enrollment is only a week long and closes February 2nd, 2021!  Use my affiliate link here and get access to the private zoom call with Joe and Myself specifically for our  Bloom and Grow Community! We will have the call in March, after we have all binged the course, and troubleshoot our specific questions with Joe and grow as a community together!

• BAGR Episode Living, Potted Christmas Trees with Joe Lamp’l
• BAGR Episode Fall Garden Plants and Projects with Joe Lamp’l
• BAGR Episode Talking Tomatoes with Craig LeHoullier and My MOM
• Cultivating Place Podcast by Jennifer Jewell

Thank you to our episode sponsors:

These two sponsors are the perfect combination for seed starting!

Use Espoma Organic Seed Starting mix paired with Territorial Seed Company seeds and seed starting accessories! That's what I'll be doing!

Territorial Seed Company

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! It's already time to start planning your 2021 garden! For seeds, plants, online garden planner, how to videos and more visit TerritorialSeed.com and use code BLOOM10 for 10% off.

Espoma Organic

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 Joe

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

So we have said goodbye to 2020 and all of the insanity that came with it, but there is something we haven’t said goodbye to: working from home. Many companies have pledged to work from home well into 2021, leaving us sitting in  our sweatpants, computer monitors and weird makeshift home offices with reluctant acceptance. People are spending more time than EVER indoors and at their screens, and that’s why it’s never been MORE important to have plants not only in our homes, but in our work from home office set ups.

Since WFH isn't going anywhere, in 2021, I'm choosing to reframe it from a frustration to an opportunity.

An opportunity to have complete control over our WFH environment and create our desk space oasis to look exactly like we want it.

Today’s episode is all about the why and how behind bringing plants into our workspaces, whether you are still working from home or are back in your office. Cobbling together a work from home set up was STRESSFUL in 2020, in our old apartment  I had a desk that folded up into the wall, so I couldn’t even decorate and settle in the way I wanted. But now, as we turn the page to 2021, let’s shake things up create some stress free and  joyful moments in our lives! For me the solution here has been plants and something that blew me away recently is how many people in our community are going HAM on their workspaces with plants. I posted my planty wfh set up on IG in December, asking if anyone else created a jungle oasis at their desk the way I did in 2020, and SO many of you sent pictures of your amazing planty home office set ups, and asked for help and ideas for how to set up your own. So this episode is for you plant friends, inspired by you and members of our community, and I hope everyone walks away from this episode with one idea to incorporate a little more green into their daily workflow. 

I’ve broken this episode into two sections: the WHY where we dive into the reasons why having plants are so important in our space and talk a little about biophilic design and then part two the HOW. I share ideas inspired from the WHY section, break down the ways I incorporated plants and biophilic design into my home office and then review some photos listeners sent in and hope their setups might inspire you as well. 

Get the free download with 9 Tips for Greening Up Your Work From Home Office Space

In the episode we learn:

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

Mentioned Resources in today's episode

• Get the free download with 9 Tips for Greening Up Your Work From Home Office Space
• Check out Maria's #plantywfh office tour on youtube!

• Blog with photos of our community members #plantywfh set ups
• BAGR YouTube video Houseplant Tour: My Restorative Plant Corner // Why Plant Care Truly is Self Care
• BAGR Episode How To Use Plants To Create Restorative Environments With Anne Meore From NYBG
• 14 Patterns of Biophilic Design by William Browning, Catherine Ryan, and Joseph Clancy
• Hoh Rainforest Audio
• Biophilia by Edward O. Wilson
• Frederick Law Olmsted
• View Through a Window May Influence Recovery from Surgery by Roger Ulrich
• Stephen R. Kellert
• Attention Restoration Theory: Exploring the Role of Soft Fascination and Mental Bandwidth by Rachel Kaplan
• What Was That Like Podcast by Scott Johnson

Thank you to our episode sponsor:

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!

Take the Plant Parent Personality quiz to unlock your Plant Parent Potential and get a curated list of plants, DIY planty projects and podcasts tailored specifically for your lifestyle.

Follow 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

One of the biggest questions I’ve gotten from our community is how to understand humidity and watering better. As we are in the depths of winter, humidity is a big topic and focus in our plant care routines, and you are going to hear a LOT about it today in a nerdy deep dive with two other plant podcasters, the daddies of the Plant Daddy Podcast Stephen and Matthew.  I knew  there couldn’t be a better guests than these two guys who are total nerds and maybe the only two other people who get as jazzed as doing weird deep dives into plant care as I am. This conversation was supposed to be 40 minutes and ended up being 90 because we just couldn’t stop talking about plants and winter and humidity and problem solving and

I hope your inner plant nerd sees the inner plant nerd in us and just smiles and feels seen.

So kick back, cozy up with your plants and enjoy episode 112 of the Bloom and Grow Radio Podcast!

Just wanted to let you plant friends know during the time of this interview I got REAL curious and polled you guys about which brands of hygrometers you use (those are the humidity meters we talked about in the episode) and I’ve become a bit obsessed at putting them all over my house and comparing and contrasting the humidity levels in different rooms- from the bedroom to the bathroom to the living room.  Check out this youtube video on my hygrometer and moisture meter review. 

In this episode we learn:

                   [00:05:32] Matthew and Stephen share their personal histories with plants, and Matthew’s previous plant number (it was A LOT)

• • [00:09:31] Matthew and Stephen’s gateway plants and how the difference in their plant interests pave way to a more diverse discussion in their podcast
  • [00:11:03] How the Plant Daddy Podcast came to be
  • [00:14:18] Maria shares the idea behind doing a deep dive episode on humidity and winter plant care
  • [00:15:20] What happens to your plants during winter, the changes you might see in them as it grows colder, and figuring out the light your plants need
  • [00:18:48] Are you making sure that the heat and cold in your home are optimal for your plants?
  • [00:21:10] Should you really just water your plants less come winter time? Matthew has a different and smart answer!
  • [00:22:19] A glimpse into Maria’s opera days: a wet rag on top of the radiator for more humidity
  • [00:24:03] Should you leave your plants touching or close together?
  • [00:25:29] Let’s talk about dormancy! Yes, your plants also take some time to sleep
  • [00:26:29] Matthew’s insightful perspective on plant dormancy and seasonal changes
  • [00:28:36] Stephen’s easy and practical tip to understand plant dormancy
  • [00:32:23] Are your plants required to go through dormancy? Maria, Matthew, and Stephen share their own experiences with controlled environments
  • [00:35:15] Why it is important to know the genus of your plants and where they originate from
  • [00:37:10] Matthew elaborates on bulbs and how different plants with bulbs behave during different seasons
  • [00:40:45] One of the biggest secret plant killers during winter: pests!
  • [00:41:42] How seasonal affective disorder (SAD) can also affect your plants
  • [00:42:16] How to ‘double-down’ on pest control management during the winter according to Stephen
  • [00:43:28] Matthew’s personal hacks on getting rid of mealybugs
  • [00:46:30] One of the most important things to know when you have plants according to Matthew: there is no one answer to everything
  • [00:47:01] Where to source the BEST seeds for your garden (It’s planning time!)
  • [00:49:37] Maria’s curated starter plans for all the different types of plant parents out there
  • [00:50:58] Understanding the humidity and the environment that we, our plants, and even our homes need during colder months
  • [00:56:24] What are Stephen and Matthew’s approaches to maintaining the right humidity for each of their plants?
  • [01:00:00] Maria shares why she wants to learn more about humidity despite not needing to really focus on it before (yes, it’s true)
  • [01:01:50] The horrifying experience with a humidifier that taught Maria a lesson the hard way
  • [01:02:56] Matthew and Stephen’s hot takes on humidifiers and misting
  • [01:06:55] Interesting hack on avoiding molds on dry walls when using a humidifier
  • [01:09:11] Why you should check how your humidifier is working in the environment or room that it is in
  • [01:14:01] Humidity concerns matter, but are you watering and taking care of your plants’ soil properly?
  • [01:16:11] How to keep tabs on your plants’ humidity with tools
  • [01:17:41] Maria’s future plans and experiments on humidity
  • [01:19:32] Appreciating the unique perspectives and representations that Plant Daddy Podcast brings to plant parenthood 

Mentioned in our conversation:

• Plant Parent Personality Test
• Territorial Seed Company (Bloom10 gets ya 10% off)
• BAGR Episode Hoya Care 101 with Doug Chamberlain
• On The Ledge Podcast by Jane Perrone
• BAGR YouTube video Moisture Meter and Hygrometer Review / Humidity Products for Houseplants Haul
• Pull It Together Podcast by Alex Mateo

Thank you to our episode sponsor:

Territorial Seed Company

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! It's already time to start planning your 2021 garden! For seeds, plants, online garden planner, how to videos and more visit TerritorialSeed.com and use code BLOOM10 for 10% off.

Follow Plant Daddy Podcast

MERCH now available now through plantdaddypodcast.com

https://www.instagram.com/plantdaddypodcast

https://www.facebook.com/plantdaddypodcast

https://plantdaddypodcast.threadless.com

https://www.pinterest.com/plantdaddypodcast

https://twitter.com/plantdaddypod

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

Learn to care for plants successfully and cultivate more joy in your life with episodes of the Bloom and Grow Radio Podcast.

Ever killed a houseplant before? Host Maria Failla can relate. That’s why she interviews planty experts to get answers to the plant care questions we all have, but might be nervous to ask: like what the heck IS bright indirect light? What is soil and potting mix made up of? Or What IS the best way to water my plants?

Tune in to stop killing your plants, learn how to get them to thrive and most importantly, how plants can help us grow a little more joy in our lives while we “Keep Blooming and Keep Growing”!

Subscribe to the show on iTunes or your preferred podcast player so you never miss an episode

Not sure where to start? Check out the Bloom and Grow Radio Episode Catalogue where all the episodes are broken down by genre: Individual Plant Care, General Plant Care, Nerdy Plant Science, Plants & Wellness, Gardening & more!

Want more Bloom and Grow Content?

Check out the Bloom and Grow Youtube Show for companion videos and tours of Maria's collections and Planty Projects

Follow @bloomandgrowradio on IG for daily planty inspiration.

Take the Bloom and Grow Plant Parent Personality Test to unlock your inner plant parent potential with recommended plants, planty projects and podcast episodes tailored specifically for your personality

Become a Patreon Plant Friend and support Bloom and Grow Radio for less than a fancy coffee a month! 

What a year it’s been. I’m thankful 2020 is coming to a close and excited for 2021, I think a silver lining 2020 has given us is truly understanding the power of plants and how they can help us relieve stress and cultivate more joy in our lives. My goal for Bloom and Grow is to help everyone successfully care for plants for that exact reason, to make the world a kinder and greener place. Now… there is also a dark side to this hobby of plant care. There is a moment in all of our lives where our hobby teeters the thin line between joyful and stressful. Where we fall so deeply in love with plants, maybe we bring too many home at once, or go through a season of life where we can’t care for our collection and then feel disappointed in ourselves. I initially thought my struggles with plant parent overwhelm have been unique, an outlier in our community, but after hearing from you in the listener survey, or in dms and emails, I know this moment of Plant Parent Overwhelm is something we all struggle with.

On this episode of BAGR, we revisit highlights of Episode 43: Your Brain On Plants, in which I interviewed Dr Caitlin Vander Weele, a neuroscientist about what chemically happens in our brain when we get addicted for plants. The conversation was eye opening, and on this topic, feel like the things Caitlin shares shed so much light on a problem so many plant parents struggle with at one point through out their plant parenthood.

After snippets of that episode with Caitlin, I then share experiences, strategies and suggestions on how to deal with Plant Parent Overwhelm and how to go on a plant pause. 

In this episode we learn:

• [03:09] Why Maria wanted to tackle plant parent overwhelm in this special episode
• [07:17] How this AMAZING liquid fertilizer lessened my stress about plant care
• [08:56] Maria narrates her personal experience with plant pause and Billy’s intervention when she peaked her plant obsession
• [10:11] What is dopamine? How does taking care of plants, or successfully growing an herb garden in Maria’s case, release dopamine and fuel our plant craze?
• [13:16] Dr Caitlin explains how the dopamine in our brains can cause compulsive behaviors a.k.a. buy more plants than we intend
• [14:41] What is a neurotransmitter? Dr Caitlin describes the molecules, synapses, and receptors in layman’s terms, for better understanding of that new plant high!
• [17:16] How are plants different from our other ‘material obsessions’? What is oxytocin and why does taking care of plants (and babies) release this hormone?
• [19:12] The four major stages of compulsive buying behavior: anticipation, preparation, shopping, and regret
• [21:31] Dr Caitlin explains different research and hypotheses exploring why plants are good for our mental health
• [23:36] Why being in nature unlocks our creativity and brings us a more positive emotional state
• [24:09] Maria shares how checking her plants regularly in the morning makes her feel settled and less stressed
• [25:13] How does plant care affect our brain and how we process our thoughts?
• [26:33] What are some of the things you can look out for to avoid an unhealthy relationship with plants? Maria gives her personal experiences when she went through an unhealthy obsession with plants
• [28:27] How to Manage Plant Parent Overwhelm Tip #1: Understand your plant number
• [30:00] How to Manage Plant Parent Overwhelm Tip #2: Accept that you’re overwhelmed and forgive yourself!
• [30:42] How to Manage Plant Parent Overwhelm Tip #3: Assess where you are
• [31:16] How to Manage Plant Parent Overwhelm Tip #4: Set a budget and STICK. TO. IT.
• [31:47] How to Manage Plant Parent Overwhelm Tip #5: Find your focus
• [32:16] How to Manage Plant Parent Overwhelm Tip #6: Work with what you got! 
• [33:38] Maria shares her plant pause experience, her realizations during her plant pause, and how it benefited her plants and her home
• [35:33] Plant Pause Tip #1: Define your rules — YOU know what YOU can do
• [36:51] Plant Pause Tip #2: Involve your community (and get closer with them)
• [38:16] Plant Pause Tip #3: Set a timeframe
• [38:50] Plant Pause Tip #4: Be kind to yourself
• [39:25] Plant Pause Tip #5: Remember it’s quality over quantity
• [40:15] If you decide to take a plant pause, don’t worry! Maria shares some fun things you can do while on your plant pause
• [40:27] Streamline your design and collection, learn your plants’ Latin names, propagate, fertilize, and learn learn learn while doing your plant pause
• [41:24] Plant parenthood can be seasonal and you can have times when you aren’t being the best plant parent to your plants, and that’s okay!
• [42:11] Maria shares her musings about the year that’s passed and about the new year to come
• [43:38] Maria’s exciting news! What’s in store for Bloom and Grow Radio in 2021

Mentioned in this episode:

Check out the companion youtube video about plant parent overwhelm 

Blog where all tips and tricks discussed in this episode live

BAGR Episode Root-Ology with Leslie Halleck

BAGR Episode Your Brain on Plants

Thank you to our 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 Caitlin Vander Weele

Follow Dr Caitlin Vander Weele

Twitter:@caitvw

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

One of the major things that plants do is help connect us with nature. I think as plant parents, once we use plants to reconnect with ourselves and make our homes look beautiful, they also get us thinking more about nature and the earth and how important it’s preservation is. So today’s episode is exploring just that: plant parenthood and low waste living, and what it means to make intentional decisions about preserving our planet while taking care of ourselves and our plants.

I think we are all anxiously looking at 2021 and getting excited about the changes that will come. This is the time to set new years resolutions and just think about how we want to show up in 2021 for ourselves and I think more importantly, there are global conversations happening about how we can show up for those around us and the environment. 

 As I continue to fall deeper in love with plants, I’m finding that I’m falling deeper in love with nature itself and feeling a stronger sense of responsibility to take care of our planet.

I’m so excited to welcome Nick Cutsumpas of @farmernicknyc  to the podcast and share this conversation with you and to inform and encourage our community to think about how we can apply these concepts of low waste living to not only our lives, but to our hobby of plant care. Nicks been a plant friend of mine for a while and I’ve loved learning more about sustainability from him, and figured he is the perfect intersection of plant parent and environmental activist to have for this chat about how to lead more sustainable lives as humans and plant parents. 

In this episode we learn:

• [00:02:26] Introducing Nick Cutsumpas and episode key ideas
• [00:07:18] What Nick does, what started his plant journey (mothers DO know best!), and how plants served as his ‘saving grace’ when he moved into the city
• [00:10:38] Check out Nick in Netflix’s new show The Big Flower Fight!
• [00:11:14] What is regenerative environmental action? Nick explains sustainability vs regenerative
• [00:13:22] Are houseplant people practicing regenerative methods with their plants? According to Nick, to see is to believe when it comes to taking care of our environment
• [00:15:01] How Maria realized she could be doing more sustainable practices
• [00:15:22] Maria’s current idea obsession: plant blindness — Nature Not Furniture!
• [00:16:32] What Maria thinks of ‘zero waste’ and her reservations with the movement
• [00:17:17] Nick shares why he thinks plant blindness is similar to waste blindness
• [00:17:37] Why Nick strives for low waste consumption vs zero waste, how we as consumers can apply low waste consumption to the products we buy
• [00:19:45] Why the time to be more conscious is NOW more than ever and how taking care of plants reminds us that we can take action
• [00:20:47] Why Bloom and Grow Radio is doing an episode on low waste
• [00:21:45] Low Waste Beginner Tip #1: Reuse everything
• [00:22:46] Do you have tons of bubble wrap from your online orders? Save them for your next plant cutting gift!
• [00:23:50] What is ‘waste’? For Nick, it’s everything that ends up in a landfill
• [00:24:38] Maria’s lightbulb moment on her waste consumption: New York’s composting system
• [00:25:11] The negative effects of plastics in our environment and how we can be smart and responsible with our plastic consumption
• [00:26:54] Why we should be cautious about greenwashing, waste segregation, and biodegradable vs compostable materials
• [00:28:24] Nick’s sustainability influences
• [00:29:13] Low Waste Tip #2: Buy quality over quantity (Yes, you save more money this way!)
• [00:30:12] Nick’s sustainability progress: he hasn’t bought anything new in more than a year! The secret? Thrifting!
• [00:31:52] The eco-friendly furniture and mattress stores that Nick recommends
• [00:33:56] How the pandemic enabled more waste production
• [00:34:48] Why the most impact can be achieved through collective action; ‘10% is better’
• [00:35:14] The BEST recycled and sustainable wall planters and the BEST plant kits to give this Holiday season!
• [00:38:56] Nick reveals the most common mistakes we all do when it comes to composting
• [00:39:54] How to REALLY begin your low waste journey
• [00:40:39] Why you need to wash your recyclables
• [00:41:22] Low Waste Tip #3: Find bulk stores and bring your own jars
• [00:41:50] How Nick manages to do zero-waste grocery shopping
• [00:42:25] What is ‘produce paralysis’? What is Nick’s proposed solution to packaging waste?
• [00:44:04] Low Waste Tip #4: Avoid single-use plastic in the produce section
• [00:45:24] Nick’s low waste hack: Put the jar in warm water for 10 minutes to remove the adhesive label, and reuse the jar for drinking or plant propagation!
• [00:46:47] Low Waste Tip #5: Don’t be shy to ask if you can use your own containers for your consumables!
• [00:47:39] Maria weighs in on the different straws from her own experiences (make sure you clean them!)
• [00:49:28] What do we do with our plastic nursery pots? a. bring them to a nursery, b. cache, c. make a tent for your drainage hole
• [00:53:38] Low Waste Tip #6: Grow something new in your used nursery pots
• [00:54:06] The company that Nick trusts to recycle his plastics
• [00:55:31] Propagating your plants can also help your recycle and upcycle
• [00:56:30] Low Waste Tip #7: Choose sustainable soil options
• [00:57:44] Low Waste Tip #8: Know your plant number! (we’re serious!)
• [00:59:00] Your plant consumption should be healthy AND environmentally-responsible
• [01:00:28] Low Waste Tip #9: Buy your plants from your local businesses
• [01:01:46] Plant shops that Nick and Maria recommend
• [01:04:05] Listener Question #1: Can you compost perlite?
• [01:04:49] Listener Question #2: Are there alternatives to plastic nursery pots and stickers?
• [01:06:28] Why you should support CSA
• [01:07:47] Why low waste and sustainable living is important to Nick
• [01:09:09] Our responsibility to our environment as plant parents!
• [01:10:24] Maria’s realizations and future commitment to the low waste living movement

Check out the youtube video snippets of this interview! (airs 6 pm 12/15/20

Mentioned in our conversation:

• Produce Paralysis Blog by Nick Cutsumpas
• BAGR Episode  How to Manage a Large Plant Collection
• Netflix’s The Big Flower Fight
• Pela Case
• Lucy Biggers of NowThis
• Medley Furniture
• Avocado Green Mattress
• Recover Brands
• WallyGro
• Precious Plastic
• Folia Collective
• Espoma
• Greenery Unlimited
• noissue
• Crop Swap LA
  

  Glow Up Alert

  FYI The Bloom and Grow Website got a pretty epic makeover and I’d love for you to head on over and check it out- you can learn a little more about me, snag all of the freebies I’ve created for ya over the years, shop the Bloom and Grow Merch and Plant Friends Apparel line AND we’ve got a shop now that houses all the sponsor discount codes, my favorite books and courses and more. Thanks to Digital Grace Design for doing such an amazing job.

  Compostable Mailers

Thank you to our episode sponsors:

Soltech Solutions

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.

Wallygro

Wallygro just launched it's "greenwall in a box" WALLY KITS that are everything you need to plant up their Eco or Loop planters: the plants, the potting mix, the fertilizer, and of course... the pots! It's the perfect gift for the holidays that you can order on your couch!! Check out the Wallygro Kits and pick the best one for you! Wallygro is offering BAG listeners 15% off for a limited time only so redeem this code if you are interested ASAP! BLOOM15 for the Wally Plant Kits active for Dec.15 to Dec. 29.

Follow Nick

Instagram: @farmernickynyc

https://www.farmernicknyc.com/

Grow Green Newsletter- you can join on the homepage of his website

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

I’m so excited to welcome back Kay from @inrootedlove for a next level conversation on the soil free Semi Hydroponic or Passive Hydroponic Lifestyle. You might remember Kay from episode 77 an Intro to Semi or Passive Hydroponics- so now that  year has passed and our community has been experimenting with this style of growing- she’s joining me again discuss what a year of passive- hydro has looked like, dive deeper into the concepts and answer listener questions. For those of you who don't know: Passive Hydroponics is a method for keeping plants not in soil, but in LECA or PON Lechuza (inorganic substrates) and managing their  nutrients yourself, instead of using potting mix. It’s a plant parent lifestyle many people swear by. I initially was NOT sold on the complexities of preparing LECA, measuring nutrients and more, but after a year of experimenting with passive-hydro I definitely see the value in this practice! So if you haven’t listened to that first episode- I highly recommend starting there before listening in on this one. 

Two other ways to learn about Passive Hydro this week!

Giveaway:

Head over to @bloomandgrowradio on IG to enter our Passive Hydro Starter Kit Giveaway! We are giving away two rooted cuttings of Kay's marble pothos and two net pots with enough LECA and Lechuza to plant up each cutting in the substrates and conduct your OWN experiments!

Youtube:

Kay and I also made a companion video for the BAG Youtube Show where Kay gives us a mini LECA vs Lechuza tutorial and actually shows us how to pot up a plant types of substrate. If you’re curious on her techniques, click the link in the show notes to check the video out after  you listen to this episode!

FYI The Bloom and Grow Website got a pretty epic makeover and I’d love for you to head on over and check it out- you can learn a little more about me, snag all of the freebies I’ve created for ya over the years, shop the Bloom and Grow Merch and Plant Friends Apparel line AND we’ve got a shop now that houses all the sponsor discount codes, my favorite books and courses and more. Thanks to Digital Grace Design for doing such an amazing job.

In this episode we learn:

• What Kay's Plant Number is
• How Kay manages to keep 200+ plants in her home happy and healthy with NO grow lights
• The home characteristics Kay looked for when buying a home so her plants could thrive [9:00]
• What Maria secretly dreams of for the next home (it's not what you think) [10:00]
• What is Semi or Passive Hydro [10:55]
• Reasons for why you should try Semi or Passive Hydroponics [12:52]
• Kay's experience having small children and a large plant collection [12:37]
• Maria's main takeaways from a year of experimenting with semi-hydro: what she is doing great and where she still needs help [13:50]
• How do net pots work when roots start to grow out of the pot [15:43]
• How to handle orchid roots in LECA [17:0]
• How to handle aroid roots in LECA [17:20]
• Root pruning [17:50]
• The story behind Kay's gorgeous Albo Monstera [19:30]
• Is it bad for plants roots to touch the water in a Semi Hydro or Passive Hydro set up? [20:00]
• When to repot your plant in semi hydro [21:00]
• What happened when Maria forgot about her plants in LECA for 2 months [22:40]
• How can you avoid root rot when using semi hydroponics or passive hydroponics? [24:25]
• Nutrient troubleshooting deep dive [27:25]
• Kay elaborates on how she uses Azomax to manage pests in her large collection [31:19]
• What are the signs of a healthy plant in semi hydro [34:30]
• What does a healthy root look like in LECA
• How dry can you let your reservoir get before you kill your plant [37:16]
• How to gage water levels with opaque pots [37:50]
• What's an appropriate transition time for a plant to go through transplant shock? [41:26]
• Kays product she uses to help plants transition more efficiently [42:15]
• LECA VS PON: their differences, pros and cons [43:58]
• What PON lechuza is made up of [44:20]
• What plants Kay chooses to put PON in over LECA [45:00]
• Why Kay doesn't put all her plants in PON [45:01]
• What plants Kay plants in PON [45:20]
• Why Kay grows anthurium in PON [46:48]
• Does a PON set up look different than a LECA set up? [47:26]
• Why fertilizing with PON will look very different than fertilizing in LECA
• Are there any plant your shouldn't put in passive hydro? [49:10]
• How Kay uses PON completely different on her arid plants to help better replicate their natural environments [49:37]
• My Raphidophora tetrasperma propagation experiment

Mentioned in our conversation:

• Episode 77 Semi or Passive Hydro 101 with Kay! (Maria and Kay's first episode together)
• Take the Bloom and Grow Plant Parent Personality Quiz (Get the perfect plants, projects and educational resources for YOUR Lifestyle)
• Heating Mats for plants (Kays Amazon Affiliate Links to the ones she uses) Large Option and Small Option
• Maria's youtube video on her first passive hydro set up
• Maria's youtube video on her 8 month passive hydro update
• Kay and Maria's youtube video potting up in LECA VS PON tutorial
• Kevins Green Pets (Kay's friend who intro'd her to Anthurium's in PON)

Thank you to our episode sponsor:

Modern Sprout: Modern Sprout is connecting people and plants with their fabulous lines of grow lights, hydroponic planters and all sorts of plant accessories that empower people to cultivate their own indoor oasis, whether you live in a studio apartment or a sprawling farmhouse, with simple, stylish and sustainable green-thumb solutions for every home. For 15% off your order, visit modernsprout.com and use code 15bloom at checkout!

Follow Kay

Instagram: @inrootedlove

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

I recently took Intro to Horticultural Therapy at NYBG and Anne Meore, my teacher, joins me today to discuss the biggest lessons learned in class, review some studies we learned about on the science behind the plant/people connection and to discuss the concept and use of restorative spaces. As I “bloom and grow” as a plant parent and a business I am becoming more curious about the science behind the plant/person connection. The more I learn and read about plants as restorative instruments for human body and spirit, I’m realizing plants not only make people happy, but can help us heal faster and restore our brains to their natural state. We have never needed these tools MORE, especially after this year which has kept us all inside and glued to screens. Everyone can create a restorative environment in their own home, so Anne walks us through the components of a restorative space and then we brainstorm some awesome ways to create a restorative space even in our limited indoor environments.

I wanted to thank NYBG for letting me take Intro to Hort Therapy with Anne, our guest today. If you are NY based, NYBG is open and magical during the winter. Discover the peaceful winter beauty across NYBG’s 250 acre landscape, from the winding trails of their old-growth forest to their arboretum collections of historic trees and ornamental conifers and get cozy in their conservatory with every tropical plant you could imagine. It’s a really spirit lifter and restorative space for me, especially in the winter. Plus, the Holiday Train Show returns this year for Members only and is on view through January 31.

In this episode we learn:

• Why Anne became a Horticultural Therapist
• How 2020 has caused Maria and Anne to re-evaluate their priorities and plants have been instrumental
• Using plants to cope with the trauma of Covid
• Directed vs Involuntary attention
• Directed attention and mental fatigue
• What is mental fatigue and how does it negatively impact us
• 4 Key Components of a restorative space: Being Away, Fascination, Extent and Compatibility, and what they mean
• How simple views of nature can help: Views from a Window and Views to Nature: Effects on Attention
• Attention Restoration Theory
• How to create a restorative environment indoors

Mentioned in our conversation:

Books

Biophilia

The Nature Fix

Forest Bathing

Studies

The Restorative Benefits of Nature: Toward an Integrative Framework, Kaplan

Restorative Effects of Natural Environment Experiences: Hartig, Man, Evans

A Walk in the Woods, Anna Lena Phillips

View from a Window, Ulrich

Healthy nature healthy people: 'contact with nature' as an upstream health promotion intervention for populations, Maller, Townsend, Pryor, Brown, Leger

Views to Nature: Effects on Attention, Tennessen and Cimprich

14 Patterns of Biophilic Design

Thank you to our episode sponsor:

Modern Sprout: Modern Sprout is connecting people and plants with their fabulous lines of grow lights, hydroponic planters and all sorts of plant accessories that empower people to cultivate their own indoor oasis, whether you live in a studio apartment or a sprawling farmhouse, with simple, stylish and sustainable green-thumb solutions for every home. For 15% off your order, visit modernsprout.com and use code 15bloom at checkout!

quotes: 12:35 - rhythm covid can't change

Follow Anne and NYBG

Anne's company: Planthropy

NYBG Main Website

NYBG Course Website

NYBG Horticultural Therapy Program

Follow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio:

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

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

Instagram and Facebook: @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

Boy of boy am I excited about this EPICly planty conversation. This episode is inspired largely by the responses in the BAGR 2020 Listener Survey I’ve been combing through. Many of us in the community are loving collecting plants, but have struggled with the overwhelm of learning how to manage your ever growing collections- so I decided to ask three plantstagrammers who have collections I’ve admired for a while, to pick their brains for their top tips for organizing, managing and designing with their plant collections of 75+ plants.

BONUS- we’ve put together a giveaway with cuttings of our personal collections (including a cutting of Raffi my Raphidophora) on IG, so after you’re done listening, head over to IG to make sure you enter! Giveaway runs Tuesday November 10th, 2020 @ Noon through Friday November 13th @ Noon.

I’m going to be honest with you plant friends, I wrestled with the idea for this episode, because I in no way want this episode to make anyone feel pressured to increase their collections. I want to stress this: the right number of plants is completely different for each person, for some people it’s 3 and no more, for others, like our fab guests, it’s more! I want to encourage everyone to go for quality,  not quantity and stick with the amount of plants that brings you joy and not stress. I’ll be sharing more of my thoughts on this and my personal collection at the end of this episode after the conversation comes to a close, so listen to the end!

THAT being said, for those of you WITH larger collections who might be struggling or curious about how other plant parents do it- this episode is jammed packed with amazing ideas that i hope leave you inspired! You can also check out some clips of this episode on the youtube channel, where you can see their planty set ups and beautiful faces if you want more after this listen!

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

In this episode we learn:

• Meet Lucrecer from @soulsistaplants [9:00]
• Meet Phoebe from @welcometothejunglehome [11:00]
• Meet Cyril from @cyrilcybernated
• What is their Plant Number (How Many Plants they have in their homes) [22:26]
• Phoebe's top 3 tips for caring for a large plant collection [28:12]
• Lucrecer's top 3 tips for caring for a large plant [31:00]
• Cyril's top 3 tips for caring for a large plant collection [41:30]
• Each guests' best designing tip for plant styling [48:20]
• Maria's journey of dealing with the overwhelm that came with growing her personal collection[1:02:50]
• How to deal with Plant Parent Overwhelm

• Giveaway on Instagram with cuttings of Cyril, Lucrecer, Phoebe and Maria's collections!
• The youtube video that accompanies this episode! Click here to watch

• Bloom and Grow Plant Parent Personality Quiz (Get the perfect plants, projects and educational resources for YOUR Lifestyle)
• "Plant Number" = how many plants you have in your collection
• Episode 43: Your Brain on Plants  Maria interviews a neuroscientist about the experience of become a "crazy" plant lady and going crazy growing her plant collection when she got started.

Thanks to our sponsors:

Modern Sprout: Modern Sprout is connecting people and plants with their fabulous lines of grow lights, hydroponic planters and all sorts of plant accessories that empower people to cultivate their own indoor oasis, whether you live in a studio apartment or a sprawling farmhouse, with simple, stylish and sustainable green-thumb solutions for every home. For 15% off your order, visit modernsprout.com and use code 15bloom at checkout!

Espoma Organics: for responsibly made, fabulous indoor and outdoor organic soils, fertilizers, pest control sprays and more visit espoma.com to find your local dealer or check out my amazon storefront of my favorite Espoma products here.

Follow Lucrecer

IG: @soulsistaplants

Linktree: @soulsistaplants

Newsletter: SoulSistaPlants

Follow Phoebe

IG @welcometothejunglehome 

Facebook /welcometothejunglehome

Shop The Jungle Home Plant Tarp here!

Follow Cyril

IG: @cyrilcybernated

Youtube: /cyrilcybernated

Facebook: @cyrilcybernated2018

Follow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio:

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

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

Instagram and Facebook: @BloomandGrowRadio

Tiktok: @bloomandgrowradio

Subscribe to the Bloom and Grow Youtube Show! /Bloomandgrowradio

Website: www.bloomandgrowradio.com

Join the (free) Garden Club: www.bloomandgrowradio.com/garden-club

Plant friends, I’m so excited to finally bring this highly request episode to your earbuds! I have to be honest, for the first 3 years I really wasn’t getting the whole “hoya craze” that many of my plant friends were going through, I just didn’t get it. But after I was gifted a Hoya compacta from a listener… and realized how much it looked like stacked tortellinis, I started falling in love. THEN I went down a rabbit hole of what Hoya flowers looked like and I was sold. When looking for a guest for this show, I knew I had to look no further than Doug Chamberlain, the man behind Vermont Hoyas. Doug is one of the most successful Hoya collectors in all of the states and documents his collection on his blog. Today he shares his passion for hoyas and lots of information about them: where they grow in the wild, basic care, how he achieves ideal humidity in his home, a deep dive into flowers, we bust a few Hoya myths and then he shares his Top 5 Hoyas for Beginners, 3 Hoyas for Advanced Plant Parents and then assigns the perfect Hoya for each Plant Parent Personality. 

You’re going to hear a lot of intimidating latin plant names, but he provided amazing photos of all the hoyas which we have collected for your hoya heads in two ways: 

1. You can find them on the blog 
2. We’ve made a youtube episode with just the matchmaking portion of this podcast with Doug’s photos superimposed over the audio, so you can watch and listen along to connect the photos to what we are talking about.

I hope this episode sparks your curiosity within the Hoya family, and I'd love to know what your favorite Hoya's are! Share them with my on instagram @bloomandgrowradio.

In this episode we learn:

• Dougs Plant Parent History and introduction to Hoya and his Ideal Hoya Set Up
• Where Hoya's live in nature [11:11]
• Why are Hoya's called "the wax plant" [14:00]
• Where Hoya got it's name [15:20]
• General Care Guidelines for All Hoyas [15:40]
• Doug's Set Up (and humidity hacks0 [16:29]
• What does a sunburn look like on a Hoya leaf [19:50]
• Best Watering Practices for Hoya [21:00]
• Words of encouragement from Doug when you have a hoya fail [24:00]
• If Hoya's like to be potbound [25:30]
• How to pot up a hoya [26:26]
• Best potting mix for a Hoya [27:50]
• What is a peduncle [32:00]
• What is bud blast [33:50]
• Why does a hoya bud fall off before it blooms [34:27]
• How to get your hoya to bloom [35:15]
• What is a "day length specific" hoya bloom
• How frequently does a Hoya bloom [38:00]
• Is there a hack to force Hoya to flower? [39:00]
• 5 Easiest Hoyas to Care for [39:30]
•  Rarer Hoya's for Advanced Plant Parents [44:20]
• Matchmaking for the Bloom and Grow Plant Parent Personalities! [47:10]
• How to fertilize hoyas [53:00]
• Listener Questions!
• Propagation tips [54:00]
• Tips for stimulating leaf growth [57:00]

Spelling and Hoyas Mentioned:

5 Easiest Hoyas to Care for

Hoya Carnosa, Hoya Carnosa Crimson Queen, Hoya Pubicalyx, Hoya Cumingiana (Doug's Favorite!), Hoya Lacunosa, Hoya sp aff burtoniae

Rare Hoya's for Advanced Plant Parents

Hoya engleriana, Hoya polystachya, Hoya Aff clemensiorum

Plant Parent Personality Hoya Pairings

Mindful Plant Parent Pairing: Hoya undulata

Low Key Plant Parent: Hoya obovata

Curious Collector Plant Parent: Hoya amicabilis

Design Based Plant Parent: Hoya finlaysonii

Urban Farmer: Hoya empirialis (harvest the flowers)

Best Scented Hoyas

Hoya lacunosa, Hoya sp aff burtoniae, Hoya calycina

Lovingly the best place to buy flowers online, matching you with a community of real, local florists across the US and Canada. Their website pairs you with local florists who create a custom bouquet for your loved one. Support local while supporting your loved ones and spread the planty love and get $9.99 your order at lovingly.com with code "BloomAndGrow" at checkout.

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 Doug

Website: vermonthoyas.com

Youtube: Doug Chamberlain 

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

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

"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

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

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/garden-club

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.

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

1. Plants are an instrument for connection
2. Plants make people happy, but they can also make people overwhelmed and anxious.
3. Understanding Light is the Key to Not Killing Plants
4. Using grow lights is an amazing planty home hack
5. Understanding how to water AKA Drainage and capillary action is the OTHER key to not killing plants
6. Plants are a window to wellness
7. With plants, there is always something new to try, no matter how advanced of a plant parent you are!
8. Moss poles are a great addition to your plant fam
9. Anyone can grow their own food
10. 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.

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

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.

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

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

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

*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

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

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

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 

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

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!

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

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

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! 

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:

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

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 23^rd 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

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 of the resources you need. We are working around the clock with a growing coalition of individuals and organizations able to help and will do our best to match those in need with those who have (likely through a different platform than this one, which we will ask you to migrate over to at some point very soon). If you would like to donate funds to support our organizing efforts, please visit www.ExperimentalFarmNetwork.org and click the "Donate" button at the bottom of the page."

GrowIt! 1000 Plant Giveaway

GrowIt! is giving away 1000 free plants through April 19th. You enter by participating in the "Spring is NOT cancelled giveaway" conversation on the GrowIt! App- if you get selected then GrowIt! will ship a houseplant to your door via a small business OR give you a giftcard to a local garden center.Visit our Giveaway FAQ for details.

Little Prince Growers: Garden Center 911

https://littleprinceplants.com/garden-center-911/

Little Prince is a grower in Oregon who is helping garden centers and nurseries who are in need. They are a grower that ships directly from their growhouse, so they are set up for success in this time- but garden centers with no online sales capacity are struggling. So they are telling garden centers and shops who can't sell, that if they direct their customers to the Little Prince site and make sales through them, Little Prince will send them 20% of the sale to help them stay afloat. It's a really creative way for a grower with the ability to sell, help generate even a small amount of revenue for shops that cannot. If you know a shop or nursery who could benefit from this, visit the Garden Center 911 Page at Little Prince Nursery. Also, if you are just curious to see their awesome array of succulents, airplants, houseplants and more, you can use the Bloom and Grow Radio Affiliate link here.

Educational Offerings

Now is the time to take time to advance your learning! I am on an online course spree! I'm currently taking the online Soil Science 101 class at NYBG, BSchool by Marie Forleo, Joe Lampl's Organic Vegetable Gardening course AND I've got a botanical watercolor class tonight I'm taking with friends! I'm hooked! I know there finances might be tighter for some of us in these periods- so I have offerings listed in every price range (including free) for you to check out.

FREE

If you're looking for free gardening tips- there are limitless options of different channels! As I prep for my spring garden, lately I've been watching:

Joe Gardener Youtube Channel

Epic Gardening Youtube Channel

Garden Answer Youtube Channel

Homestead Brooklyn Youtube Channel

But comment below on the blog if you have channels you want to suggest!

The New York Botanical Garden has created the New York Botanical Garden At Home Hub for a one stop visit where you can find virtual tours of the garden, plant guides, videos, recipes for kids, blogs  links to their online courses and so much more!

PAID

NYBG has put many of their courses online! I've taken Fundamentals of Gardening and Soil Science 101 and loved it! I'll be enrolling in the Plant Science 101 Course starting April 23rd, incase anyone wants to join me!

If you are interested in growing herbs and vegetables they have the following classes 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)

Click Here to check them out

Craft Jam has all sorts of fun botanically inspired classes like botanical watercolor and embroidery (I'm taking the Floral Watercolor on April 2nd and Modern Calligraphy on April 4th!)

Leslie Halleck has discounted her Garden Consultations and Business Consultations for people wanting to design their first gardens or help their planty businesses pivot in these times. For rates and more info click here

Rooney Bloom (from our two part Cannabis Series) launched his online shop where he sells plants and consulting services. But for the month of April he is doing a 4 part educational series for kids on learning how to grow plants from seed. This could be a very fun activity for those of you with kids at home! http://www.rooneybloom.com/products/online-education

Local NYC Offerings

Farm One is the hydroponic farm in NYC that is run by our Hydroponics 101 guest, Rob. The farm grows rare herbs and flowers and sells them to high end restaurants across NY. Because of the restaurant closures, they've found themselves with a farm full of product and no one to sell it to...so they are offering it to folks to use in their home quarantine cooking creations. :) They will also going to be releasing herb mixes to follow along with video content, like cocktail classes and have a recorded a tasting tour of the farm and will be offering a pack of the herbs covered in that tour so people can taste along at home. Check out their herbs delivered to your door and tours and other offerings at https://store.farm.one​. You can also buy a gift card to use once the farm reopens for a tour!

NYC based Advertising Agency CSM, launched #ExperienceGood a campaign to collectively celebrate the ideas and people adapting to the sudden shift in what live experiences mean in the midst of this unprecedented crisis. If you are a business owner trying to pivot and need to feel uplifted  and inspired, head to the experiencegood.co to find some inspo!

On a Larger Scale

GiveDirectly is the leading global NGO specialized in delivering digital cash transfers. They've worked in challenging contexts across 8 countries, from Houston after Harvey to the most remote parts of Uganda, and now they have turned their attention to those in need in the US in response to Covid. They are helping Americans who are on SNAP (or foodstamps) to get financial relieve into households in need.

(quoted from April 2nd edition of Washington Post's Power UP Newsletter) “We are working specifically with people on food assistance,” Michael Faye, the president and co-founder of GiveDirectly, told Power Up. “80 percent of these people will have lost work or received a reduction in wages … The urgency of the crisis cannot be understated. The difference between getting someone a check — or buying a load of groceries now versus waiting a month or so is pretty meaningful.”

The nonprofit has already committed to doling out $10 million for cash transfers of $1,000 to 9,000 American families. They've also rolled out their #PassTheCheck pledge. The group is encouraging Americans “about to receive government checks even though they might not need it,” to donate their check — or a portion of it — to help a low-income family.

“To the extent that you are in a fortunate position, we are asking you to give [your check] to someone in more need,” Faye told us. “Do the math. If 1 percent of the population doesn't need their check and donates it — that's $3.5 billion dollars.”

If you are in a position to give or #PassTheCheck learn more at givedirectly.org

In Summary

People all over the country are doing amazing things to help those in need in this time of crisis in which none of us could have prepared for. It is scary, it is unnerving, and it is at times, beautiful. The pandemic is horrible and wreaking havoc on our economic and healthcare systems, but silver linings will come out of this. People are quarantining sometimes not to help themselves, but to help others not get sick. Neighbors are offering to do grocery runs for those unable to go outside in these conditions. Old friends are connecting over zoom. Families and couples are reconnecting in quarantine in deeper ways. This period of isolation is causing all of us to slow down for a minute and be present. Just like plant care. How lucky are we to have plantcare as a hobby in this time!

So how can you help? Maybe you are in a position to donate which is amazing. But there are so many ways to help that aren't even financial. Check in on a friend who you know is alone in quarantine. Share an uplifting story.  Back a birthday cake for your friend who's birthday party got cancelled because of social distancing and drop it off on her doorstep. Prepare some cuttings of your plants to send to people you want to feel loved! Or just take some time for yourself to go ham on youtube videos and gardening books to increase your plantcare knowledge. If you have the means, support a local plant shop by buying a plant for yourself or a friend. Donate to an organization that is meaningful or send money to a friend or family member in need. Or maybe buy some educational books or courses for yourself to pass the time.

Whatever you choose to do, be kind to yourself and be kind to others, and Keep Blooming and Keep Growing.

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

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:

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

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

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

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

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

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 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

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: plantproducts.permits@usda.gov

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

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

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

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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

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

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/

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

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 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

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

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

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

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

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

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! 

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

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.

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!

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

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

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

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

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:

Follow Brendan and Eco Grow and ProCoco:

www.ecogro.com

www.prococo.com

Follow Becca and De La Plants:

Instagram: @delaplants

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

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

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 

Rachael is the plant lady behind Infinite Succulent and the author of the succulent crafting book Infinite Succulent: Miniature Living Art to Keep or Share. The book is filled with incredible and easy succulent crafts for any skill level. I have been obsessed with succulent crowns ever since I found them on Instagram over a year ago and got one for myself on my last trip to San Diego. I’ve wanted to do an episode on DIY Succulent Crowns for a year and I’m so excited to have had the opportunity to finally be bringing an episode to you because I just always feel so special and giddy whenever I’ve worn one in the past. They are such a fun craft to do with friends or your kids. I hope you enjoy our wonderful conversation!

At this live taping, Rachael walks Maria (and guests) through making their own succulent crowns from start to finish and teaches us how to replant our crowns to have them live on forever.

A few heads up about this episode

1)   the nursery and space for this event was so perfect, we were surround by every dream plant you couldn't imagine in this little green house on the property, but you can hear some shoppers milling about in the background at times, and might hear some cars or sirens passing on the local roads. Don’t let it deter you- they will pass.

2)   Rachael and I do our very best to explain what we are doing while we were doing it- but real talk, this was the first time trying to do a live taping/DIY event like this. Our amazing photographer Gabaccia, took some amazing companion photos, and made an adorable video as a companion to this episode, so head to the show notes at bloomandgrowradio.com/succulentcrowns to see the photos of what we were talking about. I also do a general overview of all of the instructions at the end of the episode.

3)   Incase it isn’t clear in the start of the episode- Rachael has two different types of succulent crown crafts that she offers in her book- I did the tie back version, which is basically the succulents attached to the lace on leather string that ties around my head (because my head is huge and normal crowns don't fit it) and then she does the actual headband versions. There are photos of both, but when you hear us talking about the differences, that’s what we are talking about.

In this episode we learn:

• How Rachael began crafting with plants and why she feels they are important activities for children and adults
• What materials you need for a succulent crown
• How to take a proper clipping for a succulent craft
• Step by step process for crafting you very own succulent crown
• How to care for the crowns once they are completed
• How and when to separate and root your cuttings
• Best practices for rooting your cuttings once they are done
• Everything about the creation of Rachael’s new book Infinite Succulent: Miniature Living Art to Keep or Share

Thank you so much to Rachael again for making my dreams come true by helping me bring a succulent crown tutorial to life. Plant friends… they are so fun to wear. I feel like I will be doing this craft at every bachelorette party I ever go to again. Also Rachael's book Infinite Succulent: Miniature Living Art to Keep or Share is absolutely amazing! You should check it out if you want more support on this craft, or are curious about all the amazing other succulent crafts in there. It's the perfect gift for the crafty person or planty person in your life! Thank you to Barrel and Branches Nursery for hosting, make sure to visit next time you are in San Diego. Thank you to C&L Catering and Decor for providing such yummy snacks!

*Link to this book is the Bloom and Grow Amazon Affiliate link, meaning BAGR makes a small portion of the sale, at no cost to you! So thanks!

I know our conversation flowed a lot, so:

Overview of the craft:

• Start with several cuttings of succulents, cut right up to the leaves or what I call “booty” of the succulent, and let the cut callous. The materials you need are three pieces of sturdy lace, some form of headband whether its an actual metal or plastic one, or string for the tieback version, reindeer moss, craft glue or a hot glue gun, and any other articles you might want to fasten to the crown
• Glue two pieces of lace together, then take that sturdy piece, and place the headband in between the third piece of lace and glue those pieces together. That will be the working surface for your crown.
• Glue reindeer moss onto the crown, and trim it very short to the lace. This will be what you fasten your succulents to.
• Get an idea of the general design of the crown, and then start gluing. Start with your largest succulent. It looks nice to do a large succulent with one or two small ones around it, to kind of mimic what a pup would look like in nature.

Also if you are interested in making your own crowns, the materials are available in my Amazon Storefront under DIY Succulent Crowns (I also have lots of other recommendations for products I like and inspo from other episodes) and Rachael has craft kits with everything you need to make the crafts from her book on her website.

Thank you to Mountain Crest Gardens for sponsoring this episode. If you are looking for high quality succulents shipped to your door, check out mountaincrestgardens.com/bloom to get your discount code for 15% your first purchase. They sell high quality cuttings specifically for crafting on their site, so this would be a perfect fit! Go give them a look at mountaincrestgardens.com/bloom for 15% off.

Follow Rachael and Infinite Succulent:

IG @infinitesucculent

Facebook /infinitesucculent

Pinterest: /infinitesucculent

Website: www.infinitesucculent.com/diy-kits

Book: Infinite Succulent: Miniature Living Art to Keep or Share

Follow Bloom and Grow Radio:

Instagram and Facebook: @BloomandGrowRadio

Website: www.bloomandgrowradio.com

Join the (free) Garden Club: www.bloomandgrowradio.com/garden-club

I am so excited to share the magic of our first live taping at Folia Collective in Los Angeles with my special guests Danae from Folia Collective and Christine from Work Hard Plant Hard. You will remember them from Episode 24 on How to Start a Plant Shop where Danae took us behind the scenes of how she grew Folia Collective into the Planty mecca it is now and Episode 17 on The Studies Behind Why Plants Make People Happy and Healthy where Christine, who is a practicing physician, walks us through the scientific studies that prove that plants improve the quality of our lives. These two women are such special friends to me, and such pillars in this planty community and I’m so thrilled to be sharing this special conversation with you. We dive into all things plant community: how to first become a part of it, how to grow within it and also how to behave as part of it. I was surprised at how inspiring and helpful the etiquette section of the conversation was, and hope you have some great take aways from it. Special thanks to Ahus Akvavit, Rt1home, Modern Sprout, Bloem Living and Hemleva for partnering with us to make it happen! You’ll hear more about them at the end of the episode.

In this episode we learn:

• How Christine and Danae got started in the Plant Community
• Advice for how to get started in the online Plant Community
• How to start your own plant swap
• How to approach a plant shop to work on an event together
• Some etiquette guidelines for social media in the Plant Community
• How to keep you relationships with plants happy and healthy

Thank you Danae and Christine for such a wonderful conversation. I hope you all feel inspired to continue to contribute to this wonderful community of plant friends we are a part of. If your looking for a way to engage with the community and haven’t already joined the Bloom and Grow Garden Club, that’s a great place to start! https://bloomandgrowradio.com/garden-club

Thank you to Mountain Crest Gardens for sponsoring this episode. If you are looking for high quality succulents shipped to your door, check out mountaincrestgardens.com/bloom to get your discount code for 15% your first purchase. The variety of succulents they have is unbelievable and their shipping packing is incredible! Go give them a look at mountaincrestgardens.com/bloom for 15% off.

Mentioned in the episode:

The Small and Savage Wild Shelves

@delaplants hashtag: Your City + indoor jungle like #tucsonindoorjungle

Airplantman:

Michelle Breau- Holistic Nutritionist @iammichellebreau

Our wonderful gift bag sponsors!

Ahus Akvavit: https://www.ahusakvavit.com/en/

Rt1Home Propagation Cone: https://rt1home.com/collections/accessories/products/prop-cone-white

Modern Sprout Pollinator Push Gardens: https://store.modsprout.com/products/pollinator-push-garden-3-pack

Bloem Living Bloem Bagz: https://bloemliving.com/

Hemleva Planty Pins: https://www.hemleva.com/flair

Follow Danae and Folia Collective:

IG:  @foliacollective  @danaerolynhorst

Website: www.foliacollective.com and www.jungalow.com/plant-o-pedia

To Follow Christine and Work Hard Plant Hard:

Instagram: @workhardplanthard

www.workhardplanthard.com

Follow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio:

Instagram and Facebook: @BloomandGrowRadio

Website: www.bloomandgrowradio.com

Join the (free) Garden Club: www.bloomandgrowradio.com/garden-club

Plant Friends, I’m so excited to welcome Summer Rayne Oakes of Homestead Brooklyn back on the show to talk about an issue we’ve all probably run into: finding a plant you love at a garden shop or nursery that doesn’t have a name tag… and what to do! We’ve learned through out these episodes that one of the most important things we can do as plant parents is to find out what kind of light and humidity our homes get, and to bring plants home that will thrive in our unique indoor environments. So… how are you supposed to be able to do this if you don't know what the plant is!? I know this is an issue I’ve come across and thought Summer Rayne would be the perfect person to chat about the general clues we could get from looking at a plant, that might lead us to get a general idea for the light and care it may need.

Disclaimer: obviously we speak in generalities here, there will always be an exception to the rule, BUT it’s great to arm ourselves with as much general knowledge as humanly possible, to zoom out and understand the bigger picture. Summer Rayne also recently launched an amazing online houseplant master class which I took, and we chat about it at the end of the episode!

In this episode we learn:

• How to handle finding a plant you like in a garden shop but not having a name tag on it
• Understanding how the plants are cared for in the garden center and what that transition is like for them
• How to “zoom out” and look at a plant more holistically, to better empower ourselves to understand plants without being dependent on a care card
• Key indicators to help you under that care a plant requires

Thank you Summer Rayne for a wonderful chat. I hope this conversation might help you plant friends zoom out and understand more general cues we can take to understand plant care, and not rely solely on a care card. If you are looking to take your plant knowledge to the next level, I highly recommend Summer Raynes course! You can sign up using my affiliate code here- that means that a portion of the sale will go to supporting Bloom and Grow Radio!

http://bit.ly/SROmasterclass

Thank you to Mountain Crest Gardens for sponsoring this episode. If you are looking for high quality succulents shipped to your door, check out mountaincrestgardens.com/bloom to get your discount code for 15% your first purchase. The variety of succulents they have is unbelievable and their shipping packing is incredible! Go give them a look at mountaincrestgardens.com/bloom for 15% off.

Check out the Bloom and Grow Plant Friend Apparel line! http://bit.ly/plantfriendsapparel

Join us in SAN DIEGO this week on Saturday April 20th at 10 am at Barrels & Branches Nursery for a DIY Make Your Own Succulent Crown Tutorial as we do a LIVE TAPING! https://www.barrelsandbranches.com/events/diy-succulent-crown-workshop

I’m thrilled to have Dave Hunter, the founder of Crown Bees on the show to talk about pollinators and how important they are for our environment. Dave is a native bee expert that shares so much information about pollination, bees in general, why the honey bee might not be the king of the bee world as we know it, and how we can help pollinators continue to help our local environments literally bloom and grow. Pollinators are something I knew little about and Dave really walks us through everything we need to know about them.

In this episode we learn:

• What pollinators are, and why they are important
• Why the Honey Bee might not be the most effective pollinator
• How many types of bees there are, and what they do
• How do bees pollinator flowers
• What is a native bee
• Why are bees threatened?
• How can we help

- Thank you Dave for all of your incredible information. If you are interested in learning more about pollinators, or possibly installing one of Daves amazing bee kits, I highly suggest heading over to https://crownbees.com/ to learn more!

- Thank you to Mountain Crest Gardens for sponsoring today’s episode. I can’t say enough wonderful things about how impressed I am with Mountain Crest Gardens.  To see the amazing variety of succulents for yourself, visit Mountaincrestgardens.com/bloom to get a coupon code for 15% off your order!

- Check out the Plant Friends Apparel line of shirts, sweatshirts and accessories inspired by Bloom and Grow Radio by clicking here! 

- Join me for a LIVE TAPING of Bloom and Grow Radio in San Diego on April 20th at 10 am at Barrels & Branches! Participants will learn along side me as Rachael from Infinite Succulent teaches us how to craft our own living succulent crowns! Click here to get your tickets!

Today’s episode is a community episode, featuring YOU, the Bloom and Grow Radio Listeners sharing their stories and empowering and educating our community.

            Plant Fails, everyone take a moment of silence to bow our heads for the plants we’ve lost in our plant parenthood journeys. Because plant friends… I don’t care how gorgeously curated your IG feed is…. we ALL have a plant fail in our history. But for some reason, we feel shame when they happen. I think it’s hard to stomach our not so perfect plant parenthood moments, when we are surrounded by perfect photos of gorgeous plants, in our curated IG feeds and in the garden centers that get the perfect amount of light and fertilizer to make them truly thrive.

I had the idea for this episode when I was struggling with this problem last month. I was surprised at how much shame I felt about this plant fail, and knew I wanted to turn to our community for support and help, and this episode is the result of that!

            Thank you to Brie, Eva (@rootboundbotany), Jesse, Larayne (@larrydoom), Mara (@ohimara), Becca (@delaplants), Leanna (@naturalleegreen), Lat (@laura_turns), Leslie (@leslieiswhat), Kelly (@plantmamakelly), Lat (@dr_Badvibes) and Ellie (@Heirloomplantsisters) for their vulnerability, humor and honesty in sharing their plant fails! I learned from each and every one of you!

Check out the new Bloom and Grow Radio Plant Friends Apparel Line of Shirts, Sweatshirts and Accessories! Express your inner Plant Lady or Botanical Bro and Support Bloom and Grow Radio! Click here!

Thank you to Maria, (@_forestfloor) for co-designing this line with me! 

RSVP HERE 

So excited to have a "Botanicals and Brunch" Bloom and Grow Radio Listener Meet up at Cultivate Propagate in SEATTLE this Saturday March 30th from 1030-noon!

Join us for Brunch Cocktails, Coffee, Raised Doughnuts and more! It will be a wonderful way to meet your local planty community members and make new #plantfriendsIRL!

I'll be hosting informal interviews about what your favorite Seattle Planty Places are! 

Chelsea (the shop owner) will be saving some Philodendron Pink Princess and Painted Lady and Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma to go on sale in shop during the event!

Please RSVP by clicking this link so we know how much stuff to get!

Botanicals and Brunch Partners:

Cultivate Propagate

Raised Doughnuts

Marseille Food and Wine 

Today's episode is a short and sweet nugget of love about my trip to the Redwood Forest. Tune in for some mushy feel good vibes and inspiration.

Use #bagplantlatinchallenge and post a photo of one of your plants with the latin name! Educate our community!

Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Club for exclusive access to early offerings for events, episodes, the free download of the Molly Mansfield Keep Blooming Print and the password to our private facebook group! 

https://bloomandgrowradio.com/garden-club

Follow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio on Instagram for behind the scenes shots and... plants!

Plant Friends! I’m so excited to have my dear friend and Botanical Bro Chris Satch back on the show, to help demystify the latin names of our houseplants we love so dearly. Today we dive into plant latin, some history, troubleshooting, and learn LOTS of nerdy latin words. We hope this episode helps you better understand your houseplants, what families they come from and maybe just gives you some fancy words to pull out at parties and sound fancy with. Stay tuned till the end of the episode because we’ve come up with a fun challenge for our community to participate in, you wont want to miss it- I can’t wait to see what you come up with!

In this episode we learn:

• Why Plant Latin is so important to know for our houseplants
• Who Carl Linneus was why he’s important to Plant Latin
• General Pronunciation guidelines
• Kingdom, division, class, order, family, genus, species- how these names apply to our plants
• How houseplants are broken down in Plant Latin
• What the cultivar and special exceptions for Plant Latin are
• Resources

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Mr Plant Geeks Rude Botany Line 

ICBN 

USDA Plants Database 

Kew Gardens Resource 

Post your #BAGPlantLatinChallenge by taking a photo of your plant and telling us the latin name, translation and care instructions for it! Let’s learn as a community!

 Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Club for exclusive access to early offerings for events, episodes, the free download of the Molly Mansfield Keep Blooming Print and the password to our private facebook group! 

https://bloomandgrowradio.com/garden-club

Join me on March 18th at Folia Collective for a Botanical and Booze Happy Hour and Live taping with Work Hard Plant Hard! 

https://foliacollective.com/products/botanicals-booze-bloom-grow-radio-live-at-folia 

Follow Chris on Instagram 

Follow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio on instagram 

Today’s guest caught my eye on social media because of his incredible travel itinerary and his obvious passion for finding the plants we know and love as houseplants, in their natural habitats around the world. Michael Mittermeier is a passionate plant professional who has traveled the world and documents his findings of rare and unusual plants on his instagram account @mickmitty. He also has one of the largest private collections of Monstera, Syngonium, Scindapsus and Raphidophora in the country. I invited him on the show today to discuss his experience with our favorite houseplants in nature, but the conversation blossomed into a fun chat about how to plan trips for plant sightseeing, how to take your plant obsession to the next level, what these plants are like in nature and lots and lots of information about Monstera in the wild and he even teaches us a thing or two about Adansonii vs Obliqua. I hope this conversation encourages you to learn more about where these plants we love to keep indoors actually come from and inspires you to bring a new type of plant home!

In this episode we learn:

• how Mick gets to travel and experience the plants we love as houseplants out in the real world
• travel hacks to help get you to see plants IRL
• Micks experience seeing houseplants in the Wild
• Mick’s experience with Monstera Xanthospetha (and also what that is)
• Monstera Adansonii Vs Obliqua
• Why it’s hard to identify rare plants as a houseplant parent
• Micks hack for making the best moss poles

Visit www.bloomandgrowradio.com/mick for photos of the plants we discussed in today's episode!

Come Hang with me in LA at Folia Collective on March 18th! https://foliacollective.com/products/botanicals-booze-bloom-grow-radio-live-at-folia

Follow Mick: Instagram  facebook  

Follow Bloom and Grow Radio: Instagram 

Join the (free) garden club: https://bloomandgrowradio.com/garden-club

Thank you to Wallygro for sponsoring this episode and month of Bloom and Grow Radio. Head to Wallygro.com to see all of your indoor and outdoor options for your own green wall and use code BLOOM20 at checkout for 20% off.

Today I’m joined by my plant friend Darryl of Houseplant Journal to discuss the importance of soil aeration and having plants in low Light environments. Houseplant Journal is known for it’s amazing instagram account, blog and now watering can and his forthcoming book! Darryl's instagram bio says “an engineers approach to plant care” and I think that sums Darryl up so well, he has the clinical, thoughtful, inquisitive brain of an engineer, and the passion and enthusiasm of the best of the best plant parents. Darryl is passionate about helping people understand their lighting environment so I thought he would be the perfect guest for this episode on what to do if you are a Plant Person living in a low light home. Plant friends, we get real in this episode. We might say things you don't want to hear, but it's important information to understand how to best set our plants up for success!

In this episode we learn:

• What’s new with Darryl as he’s built the Houseplant Journal brand and what exciting things he’s up to
• Aeration, what it is and why it’s important for our houseplants
• Thriving vs surviving in a low light environment
• Why understanding our light environment is so important and how Darryl measures his light in his apartment
• The tough truth about low light apartments, whether you want to hear it or not :)
• Darryl’s lighting hacks for his low light office
• Strategies and plants to choose if you live or work in a low light space
• Low light Hacks

Mentioned in the Episode:

Episode 08: Dirty Talk with Darryl 

Darryl’s watering can 

Episodes on Natural Light with Leslie 

Bloom and Grow Radio Resources Page  (Maria has her grow lights with discount codes on the resource page!)

Bloom and Grow Radio Amazon storefront  (Maria has a section on low light plants in the storefront!)

**Join us for our first LIVE taping at Folia Collective on March 18th in Los Angeles! **

https://foliacollective.com/products/botanicals-booze-bloom-grow-radio-live-at-folia

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

*BAGR amazon affiliate code*

Instagram and Facebook: @houseplantjournal

Twitter: @houseplantjrnl

Website: www.houseplantjournal.com

Patreon: www.patreon.com/houseplantjournal

Follow Bloom and Grow Radio:

Instagram and Facebook: @BloomandGrowRadio

Website: www.bloomandgrowradio.com

Join the (free) Garden Club: www.bloomandgrowradio.com/garden-club

Plant Friends, you’ve heard me talk about my “Plant Co Parent” on this podcast, you’ve seen in him in our Botanicals and Booze Happy Hour Insta-stories, or maybe in our most recent Wallygro Install insta-story, and now, it’s time for me to officially introduce to the love of my life, and “partner in plants,” Billy Morrissey, to you.

This past year and a half has been big for me with leaving my Plant Killer Ways and becoming a Crazy Plant Lady, but it’s also been a whirlwind for my live in boyfriend, Billy. He has been there every step of the way as I’ve built our Urban Jungle, and this podcast, and let me tell you… although the process has been magical and I wouldn’t change a thing, it hasn’t been the easiest. He has had this intense hobby thrust upon him, and over this past year or so, we’ve learned a lot about how to manage my new found passion while still having a healthy relationship and a happy (and uncluttered) home.

So plant friends… this episode isn’t necessarily for YOU… it’s for your partners, your friends, your roommates, the people in your lives that indirectly benefit (I hope they think benefit, they might think suffer) from our planty hobby. Billy prepared a bunch of tips he’d like to share that he’s learned along the way in dealing with my 0-60 planty explosion in our apartment. I’d love for you to share this episode with those “plant co-parents” in your life, but also I hope this episode inspires you to take a minute and admire and respect those who embrace our hobby with open arms, and maybe inspire some ideas for projects for you and your partners in the future!

Quick reminder that today is the deadline for submission for the Plant Fail Lessons episode that I want to feature YOU in. Details and instructions below.

In this episode we learn:

• the secret behind the Bloom and Grow Radio themesong
• how Billy first reacted when I went crazy about plants
• how we’ve grown and learned to communicate about my new hobby
• tips from Billy on how to live with a Crazy Plant Person

For discount codes to the products mentioned in today's episode (Modern Sprout Grow Bar, Soltech Solutions lights, and more) check out https://bloomandgrowradio.com/resources

Instructions for participating in the upcoming Listener “Plant Fail Lessons” episode of Bloom and Grow Radio

1) Call (267) 478-2521

2) Please spell your name and email at the beginning of the message so I can contact you!

3) 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.

Follow Billy:

IG: www.instagram.com/allagashbilly

Twitter: https://twitter.com/allagashbilly

Follow Bloom and Grow Radio:

Instagram and Facebook: @BloomandGrowRadio

Website: www.bloomandgrowradio.com

Garden Club: www.bloomandgrowradio.com/garden-club

Plant Friends! We are kicking of Season 3 with your top most requested episode out of any topic, a 101 episode on how to care for the Marantaceae Family, and understanding why on earth they can be so dang tricky to care for! I would say that “why is my calathea or prayer plant browning at the tips” is one of my most frequently DM’d questions on instagram. I think this Marantaceae family has some of the most gorgeously patterned leaves I’ve ever seen and I’m excited to have this episode to help us keep them happy and healthy in our urban jungles! And friends, I have the worlds most perfect guest to walk us through the beauty and complexities of this amazing family of Plants.

Marc Hachadourian is the Director of Glasshouse Horticulture and Senior Curator of Orchids at the New York Botanical Garden. I have been hearing about Marc for over a year. His amazing plant brain, friendly personality and passion for plants is kind of legendary and I’m so excited to introduce you all to him. I’m so thankful to the New York Botanical Garden for lending him to us for this episode.

If you are a New York based listener, Plant Friends, I can’t stress enough how in love I am with the NYBG. The garden is so easy to get to (just hop on the metro north) and is just filled with acres upon acres of plants. No matter what time of year it is, there is always something to do or see there. Last year I made it to their Orchid Show and their Train show. Marc will tell us a little more about this upcoming Orchid Show: Singapore, which is running from February 23- April 28th. If you are in NY, and probably suffering from season affective disorder, run don't walk to the garden for a planty adventure.

In this episode we learn:

- What Marc does for the NYBG

- What plants fall under the Marantaceae Family

- Prayer Plant, Calathea and Stromanthe- their differences and similarities

- Why do the leaves fold up and down as in “prayer”

- Why the bottoms of many Marantaceae are purple

- Why the tips brown and how we help avoid this

- Why humidity is so important for the Marantaceae family

- Marc answers a collection of listener questions

Thank you Marc for joining us to give us so much amazing information about the Marantaceae family. The NYBG Orchid Show: Singapore runs February 23 to April 28th. For more information visit www.nybg.org But the Orchid show is just one of so many amazing installations that are always happening at the NYBG. Go for a visit and you’ll see all sorts of Marantaceae IRL for yourself!

Thank you again to Wallygro for sponsoring this episode. And thank you Wallygro for also being a company with a huge sustainability pledge: fun fact, all of the eco planters are made in the USA and are made from 100% recycle plastic milk jugs. Head to >wallygro.com to see the endless options of indoor or outdoor set ups you can install in your own home, and use BLOOM20 at checkout for 20% off.

If you want to be featured on the upcoming plant fail lessons episode, see instructions below or listen to last weeks updates and announcements episode.

Instructions for participating in the upcoming Listener “Plant Fail Lessons” episode of Bloom and Grow Radio

1) Call (267) 478-2521 (The Bloom and Grow Google Voice Number)

2) Please spell your name and email at the beginning of the message so I can contact you!

3) 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

Updates and exciting announcements about Season 3 and an invitation (and instructions) for YOU to be featured in an upcoming episode! 

If you want to be featured on the Plant Killer Lessons episode- call  (267) 478-2521 and leave your story! The voicemail allows for 3 minute max, so it will help to write your story out ahead of time. I can't wait to hear from you and learn what you've learned!

Follow Maria and Bloom and Grow on the Road on Instagram

Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Club (for free) https://www.bloomandgrowradio.com/garden-club

Happy News Years! Today I’m reviewing the lessons I’ve learned in all of the incredible conversations I’ve had over the 49 episodes of Bloom and Grow Radio. Man, I have learned so much!

In the episode we discuss what I’ve learned about:

• Drainage
  • Episode 08: Dirty Talk with Darryl from Houseplant Journal
•  Succulents
  • Episode 3: How to Not Kill You're your Succulents 
  • Episode 35: How to Grow Desert Plants and Succulents Indoors
• Artificial and Natural Light
  •  Episode 12: Everything You Need to Know About Indoor Grow lights 
  •  Episode 45, 46: Understanding Natural Light
• Specific Plant Care
  • Episode 33: Monstera 101
  • Episode 25: Fiddle Leaf Fig 101 
  • Episode 14: Pilea Peperomiodes 101 
  • Episode 29: Indoor Citrus 101 
  • Episode 32: Airplants 101 
  • Episode 44 and 45: Aroids 101 (2 parts)
    1. Episode 44 Part 1 
    2. Episode 45 Part 2

• DIY (which are fun and not hard and scary!)
  1. Episode 16: Mounting Epiphytes
  2. Episode 19: Terrarium 101
  3. Episode 22: Windowsill Herb Gardening 
  4. Episode 42: How to Make a Moss Pole 
  5. Episode 36: Growing a Large Urban Jungle in a Small Space 
• Heart warming and informative episodes that aren’t directly about plant care, but teach important lessons and information
  1. Episode 27: Plants in the Classroom 
  2. Episode 37: Horticultural Therapy 
  3. Episode 43: Your Brain on Plants
• Plant Side Chats: Life Lessons Learned in the Garden
• 1. Episode 10: Bloom and Grow at Your Own Rate 
  2. Episode 21: The Changing of the Seasons
  3. Episode 28: The Tale of the Tomato
  4. Episode 40: Pruning (in life, and with plants)
  5. Episode 48: You’re Doing Great

Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Club www.bloomandgrowradio.com/garden-club

Interested in what grow lights and planty products I use? Check out my resources page: www.bloomandgrowradio.com/resources

Plant Side Chats are a series on the Bloom and Grow Radio podcast where Maria (host) muses on life lessons learned in the garden or from plant parenting. 

I’m joined again by my new plant friend and horticulturalist and lighting expert, Leslie Halleck, for part two of my quest to understand what “bright indirect light” really is. If you haven’t yet, listen to last weeks episode where Leslie and I dive into the basics of understanding natural light, and hacks and tricks for measuring your personal lighting environment without any type of app or meter.

Leslie 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 published by Timber Press and is the ultimate guide to understanding artificial lighting for indoor growers of any experience level.

Today, we dive into learning the basics of how to measure light and how to use simple measurements to better understand exactly what light we are personally working with. Leslie gave me a homework assignment which involved me measuring the light in my apartment with a free app, and we walk through what I learned from it. As you’ll find out, my results were surprising and I learned so much from the experience of actually taking measurements of my surroundings. Leslie and I then challenge you to take your own measurements with a free download we provide so you can have all the aha moments I had throughout this process!

In the episode we learn:

• What the most important colors of light are for growing plants
• How to use a free app to get a better understanding of your indoor lighting environment
• What is the difference between LUX, Footcandles and PAR
• What micromoles are
• What DLI (Daily Light Intergral) is
• The results of my homework and how many “aha” moments I had about the ACTUAL light in my apartment
• How drastic the difference in light is within only a few feet from your window
• What area of your apartment is probably low light that you never knew about
• Whether or not you can put plants in a bathroom with no windows
• Whether or not you can put plants in an office with no windows
• Citrus under lights, pests

GET THE FREE DOWNLOAD! Get the free measuring light overview, worksheet and Leslie’s Plant Geek Glossary by subscribing here https://bloomandgrowradio.com/resources

Mentioned in this episode:

- Lux Light Meter 

- PAR meter

- Soltech Solution Aspect Light (link has BAGR 15% off Affiliate Code) 

- Leslie’s Book, Gardening Under Lights; The Complete Guide for Indoor Growers 

Follow Leslie Halleck: https://lesliehalleck.com/ @lesliehalleck

https://twitter.com/@LeslieHalleck

https://www.pinterest.com/lesliehalleck/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgVSrcFLIllF6fDhu1_8XDw

https://www.facebook.com/HalleckHorticultural

facebook groups: gardening under lights and plant parenting

Follow Bloom and Grow Radio www.bloomandgrowradio.com

https://www.pinterest.com/bloomandgrowradio

https://www.instagram.com/bloomandgrowradio/

I’m excited to bring you another two part episode on a topic that has plagued me in my first year as a plant parent: understanding natural light, and what the heck “bright indirect light” actually means. When figuring out how to do this episode, I knew I needed a lighting and plant expert who would give me the space to ask the simple questions to understand this complex topic. Enter Leslie Halleck.

Leslie 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.

Leslie joins me to share her years of experience with houseplants and indoor gardening to ironically not discuss her vast knowledge of indoor grow lights, but to teach us about the basics of measuring our natural indoor light, to better understand out indoor environment, and whether we need to supplement with lights. Today’s episode is titled General Rules, next weeks episode is titled Measuring Tools. General Rules will consist of my lengthy conversation with Leslie about lighting basics, and how we can understand our indoor lighting environments without special or expensive meters. She also just imparts piece after piece or plant parenthood wisdom, and honestly teaches us a lot more than just how to understand light. Next week, in “Measuring Tools”, we will dive into the homework assignment she gave me, which involved me using a light meter on my phone to actually measure my surrounds, which gave me shocking “aha” moments. I hope this two part series helps uncover this tricky problem and helps you be more at ease and empowered about your personal indoor environments.

In this episode we learn:

- How Leslie came to be the lighting expert she is now

- Measuring and understanding NATURAL light 101

- The difference between the volume of light vs the brightness of light - What PAR is and why it is important for understand our natural light in our apartments

- The most brilliant metaphor for light that will make even the science inept person understand light, photons and photosynthesis

- How the direction your window faces affects the amount of light in your apartment, and a good rule of thumb to live by

- What the heck “bright indirect light’ actually is!

- Practical steps to understanding “bright indirect light” for your specific surrounding

- How many feet away from your windowsill does “bright light” turn to “medium light” and then turn to “low light”

- Why we overwater our plants (spoiler alert… it’s often because of your lighting conditions)

- If sunbeams that move throughout your apartments make a different for your plants

- Why experimenting with plant placement and light is crucial

Mentioned in this Episode: - Soltech Solutions Light, use bloomandgrow15 for 15% off on any of their lights at www.soltechsolutions.com

- Lux Light Meter Pro App

- Leslie’s Book, Gardening Under Lights; The Complete Guide for Indoor Growers

Follow Leslie Halleck: https://lesliehalleck.com/

@lesliehalleck on twitter, pinterest, youtube, facebook

Follow Bloom and Grow Radio @bloomandgrowradio on Instagram, www.bloomandgrowradio.com/garden-club to join the (free) online garden club!

Welcome back to part 2 of the Aroids 101 series. I hope you enjoyed last weeks Part 1 on the general information and care for the amazing Araceae family. If you haven’t listened to Part 1 yet, I would suggest hitting pause here and listening to that episode first, as it lays the groundwork for the information we dive into today.

We are joined again today by Enid, the founder of NSE Tropicals. NSE Tropicals is an online plant shop that has some of the most rare and unusual plants on the Internet. Enid founded NSE Tropicals 18 years ago as a hobby and it has turned into one of the go to resources for rare and exotic plants. She is an avid collector of aroids and other hard to find plants and even served as the President of the International Aroid Society.

Today’s episode is all about the different species that make up the Araceae family, and the popular Aroids we know and love. Enid walks us through what we need to know about Philodendrons, Alocasia, Anthuriums, Rhaphidophora, Monstera and more and suggests great plants to start with when dipping our toes into the Aroid pool… not to be confused with the aquatic plants we also discuss! This talk is full of fun facts that I hope help you bloom and grow your indoor jungles. I know I am super inspired to bring some more aroids home after this conversation! Plant Friends… I feel like I owe it to you to just own how much I butcher the Latin language in this episode. Don’t worry… I’m working on finding the perfect guest for Plant Latin episode to be airing in your earbuds soon.

In this episode we learn

- Specific care instructions for the various genus of aroids: Philodendrons, Alocasia, Anthurium, Rhaphidophora, Monstera,

- Why Philodendron Pink Princess is so popular

- How Enid keeps tracks of all of the varied species of plants

- How these plants get divided and their names get determined

- Watering hacks for bulbs

- The history of the Alocasia Polly

- Enid’s trick to help with proper aeration of soil and healthy root systems

- What size pots go best with these plants with large leaves that don’t necessarily have large root systems

- How to harvest seeds from your Aroid Inflorescence

- What the “toughest” aroids are to try indoors

- Aquatic aroid basic recommendations

- Enid’s fertilizing practices

Mentioned in today’s episode:

- Please visit www.bloomandgrowradio.com/aroid101_2 for photos of the plants discussed

- International Aroid Society www.aroid.org

- Article by Episode 07 Guest, Olena Shmahalo on change of taxanomy for Thaumatophyllum Bipinnatifidum

Find Enid and NSE tropicals @NSETropicals on Instagram and Facebook and www.nsetropicals.com

Find Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio @bloomandgrowradio on instagram and www.bloomandgrowradio.com

Join the Garden Club for free! www.bloomandgrowradio.com/garden-club

Thanks again to Modern Sprout for sponsoring today’s episode. To get yourself some of their hydroponic planters with organic non gmo herbs and flowers or one of my beloved growlights, visit modernsprout.com and entire code BLOOM to get 15% off.

Today’s episode is the first of a two part series on Aroid 101. Aroids are all over Instagram, with their great variety of sexy, prehistoric looking leaves, and many Aroids make great houseplants because of their low light tolerance and their large and beautiful foliage. I’m excited to welcome Enid, the founder of NSE Tropicals, the online mecca for Aroids and unusual plants, to enlighten us about the wild and wide world of Aroids. You will be shocked at how many common plants fall under this family!

NSE Tropicals is an online plant shop that has some of the most rare and unusual plants on the Internet. Enid founded NSE Tropical 18 years ago as a hobby and it has turned into one of the go to resources for rare and exotic plants. She is an avid collector of aroids and other hard to find plants and even served as the President of the International Aroid Society. She gives us so much wonderful information over this two part series.

Today’s Part 1 focuses on the general information about the Aroid family, it’s history, what plants fall under the Aroid distinction and general care information and troubleshooting. Part 2 (airing next week) will take a deeper look at the most popular aroid houseplant genera and specific information on our most popular and and drool worthy Aroids. I mispronounce pretty much every plant we discuss, but their proper spelling and photos are in the blog associated with this episode.

In this episode we learn:

- How Enid became the collector and purveyor of rare plants

- How she grows her plants onsite

- The top 5 most requested plants at NSE Tropicals

- How to pronounce Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma (spoiler alert, Maria’s been pronouncing it incorrectly).

- How Enid became the experienced grower she is now

- The definition of an aroid

- What an inflorescence is

- Some plant latin guidance

- General thoughts and care tips for aroids

- How to prepare aroids for dormancy and which aroids go dormant

- The difference in root system across various Aroids

- General troubleshooting answers

- Why poles or climbing structures are important for Aroids that climb in nature

Mentioned in the episode:

- Please visit www.bloomandgrowradio.com/aroid101_1 for photos of the plants discussed

- International Aroid Society www.aroid.org

Find Enid and NSE tropicals @NSETropicals on Instagram and Facebook and www.nsetropicals.com 

Find Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio @bloomandgrowradio on instagram and www.bloomandgrowradio.com

Join the Garden Club for free! www.bloomandgrowradio.com/garden-club

Thank you Modern Sprout for sponsoring today's episode. To learn more about their amazing grow lights and hydroponic planters, visit www.modernsprout.com and use code BLOOM at checkout for 15% off.

Are you getting a Christmas Tree this year? Listen to the episodes mentioned here to

1) Learn best practices for cut christmas trees and how to have a locally sourced tree that you compost after the season #responsibleplantparent

2) have a LIVING, potted indoor christmas tree that you can replant after the holiday season! 

Episode 05: Cut Christmas Trees with Mary Jeanne Packer from the Christmas Tree Farmers Association of NY 

Episode 06: Living Christmas Tree withs Joe Lampl from Growing a Greener World 

Follow Bloom and Grow Radio on Instagram

Join the Garden Club (for free): https://bloomandgrowradio.com/garden-club

Today’s episode is about exactly what the title says… our brains… on plants. And what happens in our brains, when we become Plant People. When I was starting to move from plant killer to crazy plant lady, I noticed, there were a few months in the beginning of my plant collection where I feel like the love for plants kind of took over my life. I’ve always thought about that particular phase in my life when I felt like I almost couldn’t stop buying more plants.

Enter Dr Caitlin Vander Weele, the answer to my plant-iest and expert-iest of dreams. Caitlin is not only an awesome listener of BAGR but a neuroscientist and author with over 10 years of expertise in understanding how emotions and brain chemistry influence decision making. She is also the founder of Interstellate, a movement that blends science and art with visual imagery to promote science education. Plant friends… Caitlin is like…. really really really smart. And she is also a crazy plant lady, and this conversation blew my mind.

Two quick notes on today’s conversation:

1) Caitlin and I talk about some grown up topics in this episode- I know lots of you listen with your children (which makes me so happy) but I might give this a listen on your own before you enjoy it with your kids. Let’s say while all my other episodes are pretty much G rated, we will call this one PG-13.

2) We are not licensed psychologists, just two plant friends talking neuroscience. If you think you have a compulsive spending problem, please consult a professional. And now before we dive into that conversation I can’t wait to tell you about today’s sponsor, Modern Sprout.

In this episode we learn:

- How Caitlin became a crazy plant lady

- Maria gets real with Caitlin and explains the addictive behaviors she experienced when she began her journey into plant parenthood. Caitlin breaks down what exactly was happening in Maria’s brain in those first few months of buying as many plants as possible

- What causes our brain to release dopamine 

- What a compulsive behavior is

- What our brain on dopamine does

- What neurotransmitters, synapses and receptors are

- The difference between endorphins and dopamine

- Why we feel bonded to our plants

- How these things are measured in our brains

- 4 phases of compulsive behaviors to look out for

- How to cope with compulsive urges when growing your urban jungle

Thank you Modern Sprout for sponsoring today's episode! Visit https://www.modsprout.com/ to learn more about their lines of hydroponic planters and AMAZING grow lights and use code BLOOM at checkout for 15% off. 

Follow Dr Caitlin Vander Weele on Twitter and Instagram and Interstellate @interstellate and www.insterstellate.com

Follow Bloom and Grow Radio on Instagram

Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Club: www.bloomandgrowradio.com/garden-club

Donate to Bloom and Grow Radio to support the show in Year 2! http://bit.ly/2TnMwiy

I’m so excited to share this tutorial with you, because the idea for this episode came from me being inspired to make my own moss poles after watching a video Tylor made on Instagram. The process was so easy (especially because Tylor’s video was so helpful) and I knew this was something I wanted to share with you guys, because these poles not only look cool, but help replicate our plants natural environment.

So, our guest today, Tylor Rogers is the founder of Arium Botanicals and the #botanicalbro behind the instagram account @urlocalplantboy. Two months ago, when we did this interview, Arium Botanicals was just an online shop that kept selling out of planty product. But Tylor opened the doors to his brick and mortar Plant and Coffee shop, Arium Botanicals X Intent in Portland Oregon in October. They sell unusual plants, specialty coffee and tea and handmade ceramics. And they are Oregon's first specialty coffee bar and plant shop- how cool is that? We are so lucky to have Tylor walk us through this super easy and fun DIY project and I hope it helps your plant collections keep blooming and growing!

In this episode we learn:

- How Arium Botanicals came to be, and the inspiration for the new Brick and Mortar in Portland, Oregon

- How Tylor became a moss pole expert

- What plants are best suited for moss poles

- What an Aroid is