The first time I visited Arizona, I could not believe my eyes. I could not believe that, as someone who spent my life growing up in the Northeast, an arid desert like Arizona exists!

The southwestern climate is so wild because I don't understand how a desert garden could look and feel lush and magical, just like a tropical oasis, but it can. It's all about desert landscaping with low-water plants and native desert plants that are built to grow on less. So I visited the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, Arizona a couple of years ago, and I got to interview Tina Wilson, their Director of Horticulture, who gave us this crash course on how to landscape in the desert.

So for this episode of the Best of Growing Joy series, I wanted to bring back this conversation for any of our listeners living in arid desert areas in the Southwest. Because plant friends, there are gorgeous drought-tolerant plants and smart drip irrigation systems that will bring pollinators and gorgeous beings to your southwest garden, so it grows well instead of just looking fried!

• [04:58] How Tina Wilson became Director of Horticulture at Desert Botanical Garden
• [06:13] Tina's duties as Director of Horticulture
• [08:04] Unique vegetation in Arizona
• [10:02] What is desert landscaping? (and its 3 characteristics!)
• [13:08] Gardening zones in the Southwest
• [14:06] Key factors to consider when landscaping in the desert
• [14:42] Right plant at the right location!
• [15:51] What are the plants recommended for desert landscapes?
• [16:46] The impact of the southwestern sun on plants
• [18:17] Protecting plants from sunburn with shade cloth
• [19:16] What is a plant palette?
• [21:08] Where to find the best bamboo bedding for health and comfort?
• [23:36] Want to grow fresh berries in your own garden?
• [25:09] The importance of water conservation and irrigation in the desert
• [26:22] Why reduce grass/turf in desert landscapes?
• [29:24] The process of renovating a yard: soil profiling and testing
• [31:07] Why are native desert plants so well-suited to desert conditions?
• [33:34] An overview of desert plants' root systems
• [34:17] How a Saguaro cactus stays upright despite its shallow root system
• [35:53] Exploring water harvesting techniques
• [37:02] What are some of the drought-tolerant plants?
• [40:20] Tina's favorite pollinator-attracting plants
• [42:04] Maria's experience at the New York Botanical Garden
• [42:39] Join Desert Landscape School now for an exceptional learning experience.
• [45:26] Is there a season for growing food in the desert?

• Channy Gray Home
• Elevated Gardening
• New York Botanical Garden
• Desert Botanical Garden
• Marriott Hotel Phoenix
• Desert Landscaping School of Desert Botanical Garden

Check out the full show notes and blog for why overwatering is the #1 desert landscaping mistake!

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So, plant friends… all my plants are dead. Well, not all of them. But MANY of them. I had a baby in June, and my houseplants did not survive my postpartum era. What’s interesting is that I've heard from listeners who went through this exact thing. I never judged them once and coached them through it. But I still thought it would never be me, because I have a whole podcast about houseplants. But here we are. Let's talk about it!

• [00:00] My plants are dead!!!
• [01:55] 12 weeks postpartum in Florida with a baby… and a lot of sad plants :(
• [03:06] My pregnancy, buying/renovating a house, and a very difficult birth
• [05:09] How 'mom brain' affected me
• [06:54] How I’m redefining plant parenthood
• [07:46] The syngonium I found on my honeymoon
• [08:37] What are the life transitions that quietly change how I care for plants?
• [10:02] 8 years of shifting my interests (houseplants, growing food, cut flowers, propagation, tropicals)
• [12:50] What I actually want now in this new season of life
• [14:17] Low maintenance, high impact (stroller walks, snipped bouquets, and birdsongs)
• [15:35] Experience the richness of single-origin honey with 3x more antioxidants with Manukora Honey!
• [17:21] What connecting with nature indoors looks like
• [18:51] Caring for Polpettino and feeling more like a mammal than ever!
• [19:47] Why this episode is "All My Plants Are Dead," not "I Killed All My Plants"
• [20:09] Not giving up on plants and what I'm committing to in Zone 10B!
• [21:24] What does your growing joy look like right now, and what do you want it to look like in 2027?

• Growing Joy Episode 357: Motherhood, Seasons of Life and Changing Plant Passions with Becca De La Plants
• Clarkson's Farm (TV Series 2021– )

Check out the full show notes and blog here!

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

Follow Maria and Growing Joy:

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

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

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

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

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

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

check out the full show notes and blog!

Follow Becca:

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

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

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

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

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

Check out the full show notes and blog here!

Follow Danny:

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Follow Maria and Growing Joy:

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

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

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

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

Instagram: @growingjoywithmaria

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

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

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

check out the full show notes and blog here!

Follow Leslie:

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

Follow Maria and Growing Joy:

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

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

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

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Subscribe to the Growing Joy YouTube channel! /growingjoywithmaria

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

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

Follow Mary:

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

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

Follow Maria and Growing Joy:

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

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

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

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

check out the full show notes and blog here!

Follow Samantha:

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

Follow Maria and Growing Joy:

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

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

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

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Subscribe to the Growing Joy YouTube channel! /growingjoywithmaria

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

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

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

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

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

Follow Corina:

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Yelp

Follow Maria and Growing Joy:

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

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

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

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

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

check out the full show notes and blog here!

Follow Cathy:

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

Follow Maria and Growing Joy:

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

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

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

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

check out the full show notes and blog here!

Follow Lindsay:

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

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

Follow Maria and Growing Joy:

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

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

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

Instagram: @growingjoywithmaria

Tiktok: @growingjoywithmaria

Subscribe to the Growing Joy YouTube channel! /growingjoywithmaria

Website: www.growingjoywithmaria.com

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