Do you feel a little sad or bored being stuck inside this winter (at least those in the northern hemisphere)? I hope the winter months haven’t got you down too much because I know we’re all feeling a bit cooped up lately. That’s why I brought on a new plant friend, Perla Sofía Curbelo-Santiago, a gardening expert and horticultural therapist, to share some of her favorite simple DIY indoor plant projects to spark joy during these months. Note that these are all featured in her new book ¡Verdura! – Living a Garden Life, which celebrates little plant-inspired passion projects to nurture our creativity!

In this episode, we learn:

• [01:53] Rebranding of my YouTube Channel
• [02:43] Introducing Perla Sofia Curbelo-Santiago aka Agrochic!
• [04:24] How did Perla develop her passion for gardening and plants?
• [07:05] How did Agrochic start?
• [09:38] How did Perla balance Spanish and English content?
• [11:32] What does her plant collection and garden look like?
• [15:08] Make meditation more relaxing and meaningful with Wind River’s Meditation Chimes!
• [16:51] Learn how to grow cut flowers with The Cut Flower Handbook’s beautiful illustrations!
• [18:41] Why are people drawn to nature and plants right now? 
• [21:08] Seeking simplicity to escape social media overstimulation
• [22:08] Perla’s interesting success stories about bringing plants into clients' lives
• [29:17] What is nature’s role in mood and healing?
• [30:42] Concept of gardening as a means to reconnect with one's inner child
• [34:18] Rediscover a sense of "awe" and childlike wonder
• [38:21] What is Perla’s barefoot garden project all about?
• [45:02] How do you create a miniature garden for yourself?
• [50:34] Get Perla’s book and follow her on social media!

Mentioned in our conversation:

• Book by Perla ¡Verdura! – Living a Garden Life: 30 Projects to Nurture Your Passion for Plants and Find Your Bliss
• Book by Florence Williams The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative
• GardenComm
• My Garden Break
• KidsGardening

For step-by-step tutorials on these indoor plant projects,

check out the full show notes and blog here!

Thank you to our episode sponsors:Wind River Chimes

Bring more peace, serenity, and magic into your home with chimes. Wind River is a Virginia-based company creating premium handcrafted and hand-tuned wind chimes for over 35 years. If you are looking for a new way to grow joy in your life and find a moment of peace, a Wind River chime is the perfect addition to your home or garden. Plus, it's a perfect personalized gift for your loved ones!

Visit windriverchimes.com and use code GROWINGJOY to receive free engraving on all Corinthian Bells wind chimes.

Quarto: The Cut Flower Handbook by Lisa M Ziegler

One of the most joyful things you can do in the garden is to grow flowers! If you are interested in upping your cut flower game, make sure to grab The Cut Flower Handbook by professional flower farmer Lisa M Ziegler. It is the bouquet-building bible gardeners have been waiting for! Included in The Cut Flower Handbook are 50 extensive flower profiles, planting tips, instructions, and images on how to pinch plants, how to make your cuts, how to dig a planting bed, and more. Plus, there are over 200 photos of the best cut flowers for home gardeners to grow and advice on caring for a cutting garden.

Pre-order now online or in-store, and if you're checking out this episode after February 27th, pick it up at your favorite local bookstore, quarto.com, bookshop.org, Barnes &Noble or amazon.com.

Follow Perla:

Website - Spanish

Website - English

Instagram

Facebook

Twitter/X

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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