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

So we have said goodbye to 2020 and all of the insanity that came with it, but there is something we haven’t said goodbye to: working from home. Many companies have pledged to work from home well into 2021, leaving us sitting in our sweatpants, computer monitors and weird makeshift home offices with reluctant acceptance. People are spending more time than EVER indoors and at their screens, and that’s why it’s never been MORE important to have plants not only in our homes, but in our work from home office set ups.Since WFH isn't going anywhere, in 2021, I'm choosing to reframe it from a frustration to an opportunity.An opportunity to have complete control over our WFH environment and create our desk space oasis to look exactly like we want it.Today’s episode is all about the why and how behind bringing plants into our workspaces, whether you are still working from home or are back in your office. Cobbling together a work from home set up was STRESSFUL in 2020, in our old apartment I had a desk that folded up into the wall, so I couldn’t even decorate and settle in the way I wanted. But now, as we turn the page to 2021, let’s shake things up create some stress free and joyful moments in our lives! For me the solution here has been plants and something that blew me away recently is how many people in our community are going HAM on their workspaces with plants. I posted my planty wfh set up on IG in December, asking if anyone else created a jungle oasis at their desk the way I did in 2020, and SO many of you sent pictures of your amazing planty home office set ups, and asked for help and ideas for how to set up your own. So this episode is for you plant friends, inspired by you and members of our community, and I hope everyone walks away from this episode with one idea to incorporate a little more green into their daily workflow. I’ve broken this episode into two sections: the WHY where we dive into the reasons why having plants are so important in our space and talk a little about biophilic design and then part two the HOW. I share ideas inspired from the WHY section, break down the ways I incorporated plants and biophilic design into my home office and then review some photos listeners sent in and hope their setups might inspire you as well. Get the free download with 9 Tips for Greening Up Your Work From Home Office SpaceIn the episode we learn:[02:07] Why Bloom and Grow Radio is doing an episode on #plantywfh spaces[04:39] Check out Maria’s Planty WFH space tour[05:03] What to expect from this episode on work from home setups and biophilic design[06:50] The AMAZING and unbelievable benefits of engaging with plants and biophilic design, according to 14 Patterns of Biophilic Design[07:27] What is biophilia, the idea behind it, and the important figures behind this wonderful hypothesis[09:24] The psychological role of plants in our creativity[10:09] How being around nature and scenery affects patient recovery, as studied by Dr. Ulrich in 1972 to 1981[11:13] A review of direct versus involuntary attention based on studies by Stephen R. Kellert and Rachel Kaplan[13:41] Biophilic Pattern #1: Visual Connection with Nature[13:54] Planty WFH Tip #1: Put your desk near a window[14:15] Planty WFH Tip #2: Put plants within the eyeline of your desk[14:33] Planty WFH Tip #3: Have a green wall in your office[14:56] Planty WFH Tip #4: If you can’t have real plants, pictures of plants will do![15:09] Biophilic Pattern #2: Non-Visual Connection with Nature[15:26] Planty WFH Tip #5: Play nature sounds like the one-square inch forest silence in the Olympic National Park, bird songs, or waves[16:36] Planty WFH Tip #6: Have different plant scents nearby, or you can use a diffuser like Maria!)[16:53] Biophilic Pattern #3: Non-Rhythmic Sensory Stimuli [17:09] Planty WFH Tip #7: Set up bird feeders or pollinator-attracting plants, or take care of rare-blooming plants for a nice surprise[17:39] Biophilic Pattern #4: Thermal and Air Flow Variability[17:59] Biophilic Pattern #5: Presence of Water[18:07] Planty WFH Tip #8: It’s your humidifier’s time to shine! Maybe a tiny fancy plug-in fountain?[18:40] Biophilic Pattern #6: Dynamic and Diffuse Light[18:52] Planty WFH Tip #9: Install a grow light with a timer, and have a more sustainable work hours setup![19:12] Planty WFH Tip #10: Reduce your blue light intake and light candles after a long day of work[19:33] Biophilic Pattern #7: Connection with Natural Systems[19:47] Biophilic Pattern #8: Biomorphic Forms and Patterns[19:56] Did you know there are interesting and precise angles in nature?[20:35] Biophilic Pattern #9: Material Connection with Nature[21:07] Planty WFH Tip #11: Add accents in your home office like wood grains, fossil textures, and bamboo rattans[21:30] Planty WFH Tip #12: Try a natural color palette of greens and browns[21:50] How Maria and Billy managed their storage during their move[24:52] Biophilic Pattern #10: Prospect[25:04] Why it’s important to change the focus 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 dayMentioned Resources in today's episodeGet the free download with 9 Tips for Greening Up Your Work From Home Office SpaceCheck out Maria's #plantywfh office tour on youtube!Blog with photos of our community members #plantywfh set upsBAGR YouTube video Houseplant Tour: My Restorative Plant Corner // Why Plant Care Truly is Self CareBAGR 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 ClancyHoh Rainforest AudioBiophilia by Edward O. WilsonFrederick Law Olmsted View Through a Window May Influence Recovery from Surgery by Roger UlrichStephen R. KellertAttention Restoration Theory: Exploring the Role of Soft Fascination and Mental Bandwidth by Rachel KaplanWhat Was That Like Podcast by Scott JohnsonThank 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: @BloomandGrowRadioTiktok: @bloomandgrowradioSubscribe to the Bloom and Grow Youtube Show! /BloomandgrowradioWebsite: www.bloomandgrowradio.comJoin the (free) Garden Club: www.bloomandgrowradio.com/garden-club Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

One of the biggest questions I’ve gotten from our community is how to understand humidity and watering better. As we are in the depths of winter, humidity is a big topic and focus in our plant care routines, and you are going to hear a LOT about it today in a nerdy deep dive with two other plant podcasters, the daddies of the Plant Daddy Podcast Stephen and Matthew. I knew there couldn’t be a better guests than these two guys who are total nerds and maybe the only two other people who get as jazzed as doing weird deep dives into plant care as I am. This conversation was supposed to be 40 minutes and ended up being 90 because we just couldn’t stop talking about plants and winter and humidity and problem solving andI hope your inner plant nerd sees the inner plant nerd in us and just smiles and feels seen.So kick back, cozy up with your plants and enjoy episode 112 of the Bloom and Grow Radio Podcast!Just wanted to let you plant friends know during the time of this interview I got REAL curious and polled you guys about which brands of hygrometers you use (those are the humidity meters we talked about in the episode) and I’ve become a bit obsessed at putting them all over my house and comparing and contrasting the humidity levels in different rooms- from the bedroom to the bathroom to the living room. Check out this youtube video on my hygrometer and moisture meter review.  In this episode we learn:[00:05:32] Matthew and Stephen share their personal histories with plants, and Matthew’s previous plant number (it was A LOT)[00:09:31] Matthew and Stephen’s gateway plants and how the difference in their plant interests pave way to a more diverse discussion in their podcast[00:11:03] How the Plant Daddy Podcast came to be[00:14:18] Maria shares the idea behind doing a deep dive episode on humidity and winter plant care[00:15:20] What happens to your plants during winter, the changes you might see in them as it grows colder, and figuring out the light your plants need[00:18:48] Are you making sure that the heat and cold in your home are optimal for your plants?[00:21:10] Should you really just water your plants less come winter time? Matthew has a different and smart answer![00:22:19] A glimpse into Maria’s opera days: a wet rag on top of the radiator for more humidity[00:24:03] Should you leave your plants touching or close together?[00:25:29] Let’s talk about dormancy! Yes, your plants also take some time to sleep[00:26:29] Matthew’s insightful perspective on plant dormancy and seasonal changes[00:28:36] Stephen’s easy and practical tip to understand plant dormancy[00:32:23] Are your plants required to go through dormancy? Maria, Matthew, and Stephen share their own experiences with controlled environments[00:35:15] Why it is important to know the genus of your plants and where they originate from[00:37:10] Matthew elaborates on bulbs and how different plants with bulbs behave during different seasons[00:40:45] One of the biggest secret plant killers during winter: pests![00:41:42] How seasonal affective disorder (SAD) can also affect your plants[00:42:16] How to ‘double-down’ on pest control management during the winter according to Stephen[00:43:28] Matthew’s personal hacks on getting rid of mealybugs[00:46:30] One of the most important things to know when you have plants according to Matthew: there is no one answer to everything[00:47:01] Where to source the BEST seeds for your garden (It’s planning time!)[00:49:37] Maria’s curated starter plans for all the different types of plant parents out there[00:50:58] Understanding the humidity and the environment that we, our plants, and even our homes need during colder months[00:56:24] What are Stephen and Matthew’s approaches to maintaining the right humidity for each of their plants?[01:00:00] Maria shares why she wants to learn more about humidity despite not needing to really focus on it before (yes, it’s true)[01:01:50] The horrifying experience with a humidifier that taught Maria a lesson the hard way[01:02:56] Matthew and Stephen’s hot takes on humidifiers and misting[01:06:55] Interesting hack on avoiding molds on dry walls when using a humidifier[01:09:11] Why you should check how your humidifier is working in the environment or room that it is in[01:14:01] Humidity concerns matter, but are you watering and taking care of your plants’ soil properly?[01:16:11] How to keep tabs on your plants’ humidity with tools[01:17:41] Maria’s future plans and experiments on humidity[01:19:32] Appreciating the unique perspectives and representations that Plant Daddy Podcast brings to plant parenthood Mentioned in our conversation: Plant Parent Personality TestTerritorial Seed Company (Bloom10 gets ya 10% off)BAGR Episode Hoya Care 101 with Doug ChamberlainOn The Ledge Podcast by Jane PerroneBAGR YouTube video Moisture Meter and Hygrometer Review / Humidity Products for Houseplants HaulPull It Together Podcast by Alex MateoThank you to our episode sponsor:Territorial Seed CompanyThank you Territorial Seed Co for sponsoring today's episode! Territorial Seed Co provides high quality seeds and plants (over 2000 varieties) that are tried and tested on their 75 acre farm and have a ton of fall varieties for us to try! It's already time to start planning your 2021 garden! For seeds, plants, online garden planner, how to videos and more visit TerritorialSeed.com and use code BLOOM10 for 10% off. Follow Plant Daddy PodcastMERCH now available now through plantdaddypodcast.comhttps://www.instagram.com/plantdaddypodcasthttps://www.facebook.com/plantdaddypodcasthttps://plantdaddypodcast.threadless.comhttps://www.pinterest.com/plantdaddypodcasthttps://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: @BloomandGrowRadioTiktok: @bloomandgrowradioSubscribe to the Bloom and Grow Youtube Show! /BloomandgrowradioWebsite: www.bloomandgrowradio.comJoin the (free) Garden Club: www.bloomandgrowradio.com/garden-club Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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

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

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

I’m so excited to welcome 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 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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

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

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:  You can find them on the blog  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 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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