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!

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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 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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The post Plants and Pets: What You Need to Know // Pet Proof Your Plants, Ep 122 appeared first on Growing Joy with Maria.

What role do you think nature plays in your life? For me, it has always been a deeper way to improve my mental, physical, and emotional health. In fact, it’s not just me who thinks this way. The minute I hopped into the digital recording studio, I knew that my guest was someone very similar to me! I’ve been following Marcus Bridgewater, better known as Garden Marcus, for years, and I’m so happy to say that he surpassed my dreams of what this conversation on plants and wellness could have been.

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

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

Every single second, we're in a reciprocal relationship with our plants. Marcus calls this the “constant exchange” that happens between us and plants. We're breathing out what they need, and they're breathing out what we need.

But we've become so disconnected from this relationship in our modern world. We've created these boxes we call buildings, where plants are often seen as potential “infection risks” rather than the life-giving beings they are. Institutions literally have entire departments dedicated to infection control, which essentially translates to “no plants allowed.” How did we get here? How did we create a world where we're actively pushing away the very things that help us grow?

Marcus said, “Awareness takes practice, and practice takes persistence.” This reminded me of my past. Until I was 27, I was completely plant blind. I literally didn't see the trees on my New York City street until I started caring for houseplants.

So this awareness isn't just about seeing plants—it's about understanding our place in the natural world. We've created a world where we're paying attention to things we don't like while disrespecting the things that give us life. But when we start redirecting our attention, when we begin respecting (which simply means paying attention to) the living world around us, everything starts to shift.

How do you stay grounded? This isn't just some trendy wellness practice. How do you reconnect with the earth's natural electrical current? Marcus literally sleeps on a grounding mat and tries to go barefoot as much as possible. I used a grounding mat during my melanoma recovery last year, and it made such a difference in my healing process.

We wear rubber-soled shoes all day, live in high-rise buildings, and rarely touch the earth. We've insulated ourselves from the planet's natural healing frequency. It's no wonder so many people aren't healing the way they should because our beings literally aren't circulating energy the way they're designed to.

Do you not notice that society kind of expected us to always be in summer mode? Where we’re always growing, producing, blooming. But trees don't work that way, and neither should we.

Marcus’ new journal, “Seasons of Growth,” is built around this knowledge. Just as a tree has leaves, stem, and roots (corresponding to our mind, body, and spirit), we need to honor all parts of ourselves. And just as trees move through different seasons, we need to recognize that each season offers a different opportunity for growth and engagement with life.

Why are we afraid of our winter seasons, our times of rest and renewal? No wonder burnout is such a huge issue in our culture.

These aren’t just parks (though those are great), but it’s also about our personal connections with plants. Do you have plant collections? Studies actually show that depression rates are higher in cities with limited access to green spaces. So this relationship with plants can change us. It teaches us patience and mindfulness in a way that simply visiting a park can't quite match.

We plant parents have an important role to play in the rehabilitation of humanity. As Marcus said, “We need more plants.” We need more spaces designed for people to simply be with plants. We need to restore our connection to the natural world.

Let’s change how we relate to them. Let’s see them as living beings we're in relationship with (and not just as decorative objects). When we nurture our plants, we're also nurturing ourselves.

This conversation reminded me why I do what I do. Why I'm so passionate about helping people connect with plants. Because it's not just about keeping plants alive—it's about coming alive ourselves. About remembering who we are as part of this incredible circle of life.

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The post The Role of Nature in Personal Growth with Garden Marcus, Ep 270 appeared first on Growing Joy with Maria.

Plant friends, did you know your houseplants can double as pest control? Carnivorous plants don’t just survive—they hunt. Venus flytraps can snap down on unsuspecting flies, while pitcher plants lure bugs into their slippery traps. These carnivorous plants themselves are nature’s own pest management system. So I’ve brought on a guest who knows everything there is to know about them: Kenny Coogan, the head of education at the International Carnivorous Plant Society.

Kenny has been growing carnivorous plants for about 20 years, and about five years ago, he joined the ICPS as the education director. He quit his day job and turned his passion into his profession, running a carnivorous plant nursery in Florida. As he puts it, “Carnivorous plants are my life.”

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

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I’ve been getting so many requests for more episodes about them, and I completely understand why. They’re gorgeous, they eat fungus gnats, and they immediately make me start singing the score from Little Shop of Horrors.

It's only been 40 years since we've had a definition of what makes a plant carnivorous! Kenny explained that there are three things they need to have:

There are about 1,000 species of plants that have carnivory as an adaptation. But they've evolved about 8 different times separately in different geologic time spans on different continents. They're not even closely related to each other!

Kenny shared that when you go to a big box store or grocery store, he can guarantee they haven't given those Venus flytraps rainwater or distilled water. They might have also allowed them to dry out, and they're not going to bounce back from that.

Venus flytraps also go dormant from around Halloween to Valentine's Day. They'll die back completely, and you'll just have this little rhizome in a pot. People often throw away the bulb that would come back in spring!

While Venus flytraps are what people usually look for, they're actually not the best choice for most houseplant parents.

I know that watching them snap shut is super satisfying, but for indoor growing, you might want to consider these instead:

Note that they’re different from your typical houseplants.

Water: Only use distilled or rainwater. No tap water, no filtered water, no well water. The minerals will kill your plant.

Soil: No regular potting soil here. Use a lighter soil mix with long fiber sphagnum, perlite, and maybe some orchid bark.

Light: Most of these plants need a lot of light. If you're growing temperate species like Venus flytraps indoors, you're probably going to need grow lights.

Feeding: You don’t need to hand-feed them—they can catch bugs on their own. But if you insist, then you can feed them a bug or two every month. Please also don't try feeding them hamburger meat. If you want to supplement their diet, Kenny suggests using freeze-dried bloodworms from pet stores.

Containers: Don’t use terracotta pots. The minerals in the clay will leach into the soil and kill your plants. Use plastic or glazed ceramic pots.

If you're inspired to add some carnivorous plants to your collection, head over to carnivorousplants.org.

The International Carnivorous Plant Society has great resources, including animated videos that Kenny and his team made on YouTube. And if you want to see how I'm putting all this knowledge into practice, head over to my YouTube channel!

As winter and shorter days approach, ensure your plants are still getting enough light indoors! Soltech Solutions offers grow lights with full-spectrum white light that mimics the sun to keep your plants happy and healthy: whether you are looking for a pendant light, track lighting, or a simple bulb to screw into any standard light fixture, Soltech has got you covered. They offer quality products with great customer service, free shipping, and a multi-year warranty. Keep the sun shining and the plants green inside your home with Soltech Solutions.

Check them out at soltechsolutions.com and get 15% off with code “bloom15”.

If you want houseplants that thrive, set them up for success with high-quality soil, fertilizer, potting mixes and more! 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 top it all off, they have a huge sustainability commitment with a 100% solar-powered plant, zero waste manufacturing, and eco-friendly packaging.

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

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The post Carnivorous Plants: The Houseplant Pest Control You Never Thought Of with Kenny Coogan, Ep 269 appeared first on Growing Joy with Maria.

According to a Human Spaces report, “workers in office environments with natural elements, such as greenery and sunlight, are 6% more productive at work and 15% more creative.” Personally, they’ve been my number one most useful tool for increasing joy throughout my workday, and they help me reduce eye strain from staring at my computer all day. So in this episode of Growing Joy with leafjoy® miniseries, we’ll be talking about biophilia, common problems of office plant care, and some practical tips to make your workplace more “green.”

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

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

Biophilia, made popular in the ‘70s by E.O. Wilson, explains that humans have an innate connection to nature and living things. Our ancestors evolved in the natural world. They weren't in office settings or sterile homes and instead had huts made of natural materials. They also walked barefoot on earth.

But now we've become very disconnected from it (it’s pretty evident from our very boring office design.) So this idea of biophilic design, or bringing the outdoors in, is increasingly becoming popular. Just look at Singapore's amazing green city! We can very much apply these principles on a smaller scale too in our office spaces.

Plants are amazing, yes. But why stop there? Here are some biophilic designs I recommend that you can incorporate into your workspace:

Nature sounds: I often underscore my workday with 8-hour tracks of nature sounds from YouTube or Spotify. Instead of the humming of fluorescent lights, try listening to nature sounds like a birdsong during your workday. I've taken it to the next level with my little parakeet Frankie, who tweets and sings to me all day!

Natural materials: Seeing wood or something green is better than having a more sterile white office environment. So if your office doesn’t allow plants, you can add wood textures with contact paper, small decor, or framed dried moss like I created for my husband.

If you’ve been listening to me for a long time, you already know that not all plants are created equal, especially for offices. That’s why I always recommend drought-tolerant, low-light tolerant plants. We’re not in our offices seven days a week, and there’s also very little light that reaches our desk (especially if you’re not close to a window), so you need plants that can handle those without wilting.

Think Pothos, Philodendron, Dracaena, ZZ Plants, Snake Plants, or Holiday Cactus. A special shoutout also to the Proven Winners leafjoy® H2O® collection (aka plants grown in water). They’re practically foolproof and perfect for desks because all you need to do is top off the water when it gets low. They are hardy, low-light tolerant, and available in stylish glass containers that look amazing.

Here are a few ways I’ve enjoyed adding plants to my workspace:

This isn't just for aesthetics—it's about your eye health. There's an epidemic of myopia these days from staring at screens at the same depth all day. Having plants at different distances gives your eyes natural break points. I love using plants with beautiful leaf variegation for this purpose.

Use wall space with macrame plant holders or create a green wall like I have in my office. Not only does it look amazing on Zoom calls as a natural backdrop, but it's also a great conversation starter.

Swap your desk lamp's regular bulb for a grow light. I did this with a collection of tiny Hoya pots, and they grew so well!

Plants are the best co-workers. They don't talk back, bring smelly lunches, or send passive-aggressive emails to you. They just sit there and cheer for you, making your workday a little easier to get through. So I recommend you to pick a plant, put it on your desk, and start enjoying the benefits.

If you want to have success with houseplants, you’ve got to have two things: the knowledge to care for them successfully and healthy plants. Meet my new favorite houseplant grower: Proven Winner’s leafjoy. With only the best plant genetics grown in a state-of-the-art, European greenhouse, you will not be disappointed in the variety and quality of your favorite plants from Proven Winner’s leafjoy. This company has taken the guesswork out of plant shopping with plant tags that include scientific names and care guides, as well as carefree houseplants in cute containers that you only have to refill once the water level is low!

Find plant joy in leafjoy®. Head to provenwinners.com to find your local leafjoy® dealer and let me know which plant you take home on socials!

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

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The post Create a Biophilic Office Space: Boost Your Workday Motivation by Adding These Plants to Your Office, Ep 267 appeared first on Growing Joy with Maria.

How do you vacation-proof your plants before going away? The holiday season is fast approaching, which means many of us have already booked out-of-town trips that would require us to be away from home for a longer period of time. So how would you keep the plants back home alive while on vacation? It's not like we could water our plants while away, right? So in this episode, I want to make sure that stress never happens to you. I'm going to set you up with all that you'll need to know so you know your plants are content while you enjoy your holiday.

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

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

First, you've got to understand what your magic number is—the magic amount of days that you can leave your plants and have them be okay.

Your magic number will depend on your plants and your plant-parenting style. I’d say mine is around 7 to 10 days, but I keep it low-maintenance with hardy plants like monsteras and pothos. If you’re more of a mindful plant parent and have ferns, calatheas, or other high-maintenance plants, your number might be closer to three or four days.

If you're taking a week to 10 days of vacation, you're probably better off than you think. Here are the key steps to take before you leave:

Deep Watering: Sometimes we're giving a little bit less water because we know that we're going to come back to them, but that shouldn’t be the case. Give your plants a deep watering before you go.

Moss on Top: I like to dampen some moss and place it on top of the soil. This helps slow down water evaporation and keeps the soil nice and moist for way longer.

Move Away from Windows: If you give plants less light, they will use less water, so placing them away from windows can keep them from drying out too fast. Plus, it prevents any shock from drafty holiday weather.

Group Your Plants: Put all your plants together in one general place to create this little microclimate as they transpire. (I swear by this trick!)

Prune Before You Go: Cut off any yellowing or browning leaves before you leave. This way, when you get home, if you see leaves that have yellowed or browned, you know it happened while you were gone and can troubleshoot accordingly.

For those longer vacations or if you’re someone who travels a lot, here are a few self-watering options that are game-changers:

Self-Watering Planters: These are a lifesaver! I used Crescent Garden TrueDrop planters for my outdoor herbs this summer, and they made it so much easier to enjoy my travels without constantly thinking about my plants.

DIY Water Wicking: Grab some cotton rope, put one end in a water glass, and the other end in the soil. The string absorbs the water and slowly releases it into the soil.

Watering Globes and Stakes: These are little ceramic or glass stakes that slowly release water into the soil over time.

If you're traveling for longer than 10 days, don't just abandon your plants! A lot of us have invested hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars into our plant collection. So it makes sense to pay a plant sitter $20 a week to come in and water.

Here’s what I’ve learned about prepping a plant sitter:

Be Clear About Watering: Explain the difference between plants in cachepots and those with drainage holes. I had a friend overwater some of mine once because I wasn't able to point out the difference.

Group the Plants: This simplifies things for the sitter. Put all your plants in one spot, so they’re easy to find and water.

Create a Simple Guide: You don’t need a whole manual, but leaving a few basic notes can really help. Label plants by care needs if that makes it easier for your sitter.

If you've grouped your plants and covered your plants in moss, you're going to undo whatever you did before your vacation and check for any signs of stress (yellowing/wilting/etc). Put them back in their original spots and make sure they’re back in the light if you reduced the light while you were gone for them to start photosynthesizing again.

Also, trust that if you have a plant loss, life goes on. You can take cuttings. You can ask for cuttings of plants you've lost from plant friends, and know that it's important to get out there and enjoy a vacation and travel. Plants are amazing additions to life, but if you have to choose between living your life and keeping your plants alive, I hope you choose the former. And I hope wherever you're going, it's filled with so much love, so much joy, and so much support.

As the winter season slowly but surely approaches, ensure your plants are still getting enough light indoors! Soltech Solutions offers grow lights with full-spectrum white light that mimics the sun to keep your plants happy and healthy: whether you are looking for a pendant light, track lighting, or a simple bulb to screw into any standard light fixture, Soltech has got you covered. They offer quality products with great customer service, free shipping, and a multi-year warranty. Keep the sun shining and the plants green inside your home with Soltech Solutions.

Check them out at soltechsolutions.com and get 15% off with code “bloom15”.

Bring the gift of peace, serenity, and magic 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 an amazing gift that can help you or your loved ones grow joy and find a moment of peace, a Wind River chime is the perfect option. Plus, you can engrave the wind sail on the wind chime with meaningful dates, names, or phrases!

Visit windriverchimes.com and use code GROWINGJOY to receive free engraving on your chosen wind chimes.

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

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The post Vacation Proof Your Plants, Ep 264 appeared first on Growing Joy with Maria.

Why are plants the perfect holiday gift? Plants symbolize so many things such as growth, life, and connection, so it only makes sense that we want our giftee to feel this. And unlike typical presents, if you pick just the right plant for whoever you’re gifting it to, trust that this will continue to grow and evolve long after the holiday season is gone—making them think of you every time they look at it. But if you’re not careful (and well-informed), that gift could turn into a time bomb of wilting leaves and shattered dreams. And before you know it, your giftee is calling themselves a plant killer. So this episode is all about a holiday houseplant gift guide that avoids the classic plant gifting pitfalls.

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

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

The biggest mistake I see people make is not understanding the lighting environment and the lifestyle of whoever you're gifting a plant to. If you're gifting a plant to someone who's never had one before, they're not going to reorganize their whole life around it.

If you’re gifting someone you’ve never met before and you don’t know if they’re going be the type to water it only once a month, it’s going to be really hard to pick the right plant to give to that person. So, you need to be thoughtful about this by getting to know their plant parent personality!

Here are some of my favorite ways to make plant gifts extra special:

Personalized terrariums are so easy to do! You can check out my Youtube video where I walk you through how to make one if you’re curious. In it, I made a terrarium for my sister-in-law who's obsessed with gnomes and works as an elementary school teacher. I filled it with cute little gnomes, fairy garden elements, and some gorgeous humidity-loving plants like fittonias.

If you’re somewhat crafty, try wrapping your plant's roots in moss to create a kokedama. It's an ancient plant art from Japan. You can hang it or sit it as a centerpiece—it doesn’t matter because it’s gonna look aesthetic either way.

No need to go all out – even just finding a pot that matches your friend's style or making a cute care card can totally make the gift feel more special.

And if you really want to go all out, you create a plant parent starter kit with a cute watering can, some fertilizer, and maybe even a copy of my book.

Which plants would make the best gifts? Here’s a quick rundown by personality type to help you pick the perfect gift for everyone on your list:

If they're a mindful plant parent, you must give them ferns. They're low light tolerant and they love to be watered. The Bird's Nest Fern, especially the Hurricane variety from Proven Winners, is gorgeous and relatively forgiving.

If you have a curious collector in your life, aka someone who’s already into plants and is kinda the geeky type, I am recently falling in love with this new variety of philodendron called Prismacolor Splash Dash. It’s a variegated plant that will surely add something special to their collection.

If you have a design-based plant parent, a terrarium could be really cool, or like a Monstera adansonii. They would probably appreciate one big cool statement plant.

For low-maintenance plant parents, if you're really just shot in the dark and not sure what to gift, go with pothos, philodendron, dracaena, or something that you know is really, really hardy that can still grow with minimal care and lower light levels.

These are people who grow indoors, but they want to grow food or things that they can use. They want their plants to get even more bang for their buck than just aesthetics. They're all about that plant-to-table life, even if their “farm” is just a sunny windowsill! Something like Anthurium andraeanum would be perfect for them.

Plant people are kind people—and the world could use more of us. Start them young, gift plants to kids in your life, gift plants to non-plant people in your life, and maybe your plant gift will inspire a new plant parent to stay connected, send updates, and share their plant stories with you.

If you want to have success with houseplants, you’ve got to have two things: the knowledge to care for them successfully and healthy plants. Meet my new favorite houseplant grower: Proven Winner’s leafjoy. With only the best plant genetics grown in a state-of-the-art, European greenhouse, you will not be disappointed in the variety and quality of your favorite plants from Proven Winner’s leafjoy. This company has taken the guesswork out of plant shopping with plant tags that include scientific names and care guides, as well as color-coded collections for the different areas of your home that you want plants in!

Find plant joy in leafjoy. Head to provenwinners.com to find your local leafjoy dealer and let me know which plant you take home on socials!

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

Tiktok: @growingjoywithmaria

Subscribe to the Growing Joy Youtube channel! /growingjoywithmaria

Website: www.growingjoywithmaria.com

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The post Give the Gift of Growth // Holiday Houseplant Gift Guide, Ep 263 appeared first on Growing Joy with Maria.

Christmas and the holiday season are coming! Which “festive” plants should you grow and how can you help them stay alive? For many people, nothing makes the holidays lovelier than getting a beautiful poinsettia or holiday cactus during this time. But there’s absolutely nothing worse than seeing the holiday plant that you fell in love with just wither before your very eyes because they need a different care than you’re used to. So today we’ll talk about how to care for classic holiday plants with horticultural expert Farid Khalil from Mahoney's Garden Center.

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

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

Poinsettias are probably the most recognizable holiday plant. In warmer climates, they are outdoor plants, sometimes growing up to 8 feet tall! The red, white, or pink leaves you see aren’t flowers—they’re actually bracts (colored leaves)—and the shorter days of fall and winter cause these leaves to change color.

Care Tips for Poinsettias:

Note: Poinsettias are not toxic to pets and children. The white milky sap they produce may cause a little stomach upset if consumed in large amounts, but it’s not poisonous at all.

Holiday cacti (Christmas cactus or an Easter cactus) are fun plants because they’re often passed down from generation to generation. They’re long-lasting, and I’ve seen people come into stores with their great-grandmother’s Christmas cactus asking for help repotting because it’s become so large.

Care Tips for Holiday Cactus:

Note: Holiday cacti are adaptable so don't worry if they stay in the same spot for years – they actually prefer not being moved around!

This plant usually breaks hearts during the holiday season because while it looks like a mini Christmas tree, it’s actually a tropical plant, so it grows up to 200 feet and not ideal indoors.

Care Tips for Norfolk Island Pine:

In the last five years, Cyclamen has become a major item in the houseplant world. It's gaining huge popularity right now, not only in the States but in Europe in particular. What makes cyclamen special is its timing—they thrive during fall and winter when other plants struggle.

Care Tips for Cyclamen:

This one has a natural pyramid shape that makes it look like a small Christmas tree. But what I think makes it better though is the citrusy smell that you can never get enough of.

Care Tips for Lemon Cypress:

There’s a holiday plant for everyone, plant friends. You just need to know what these plants need and also choosing one that matches your home environment and style. If you’re ever in Massachusetts, you’ve got to check out Mahoney’s Garden Center.They have seven locations across the state, and they offer an amazing selection of plants, including the holiday favorites we talked about today.

As the winter season slowly but surely approaches, ensure your plants are still getting enough light indoors! Soltech Solutions offers grow lights with full-spectrum white light that mimics the sun to keep your plants happy and healthy: whether you are looking for a pendant light, track lighting, or a simple bulb to screw into any standard light fixture, Soltech has got you covered. They offer quality products with great customer service, free shipping, and a multi-year warranty. Keep the sun shining and the plants green inside your home with Soltech Solutions.

Check them out at soltechsolutions.com and get 15% off with code “bloom15”.

With over 3 million copies sold, the icon book Square Foot Gardening is getting an upgrade with a brand new 4th edition with new plans, options, and advice that herald a modern approach to this tried-and-true method! Enjoy small-space gardening with no digging, no tilling, no fertilizing, no machinery or heavy tools—and less watering, waste, and weeding! Take the guesswork out of every step, even for beginners, and grow food in a low-maintenance and lower-cost way with this handy guide.

Grab the 4th edition of Square Foot Gardening at your favorite local bookstore, bookshop.org, Barnes and Noble, quarto.com or amazon.com.

If you want houseplants that thrive all year round, set them up for success with high-quality soil, fertilizer, potting mixes and more! 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 top it all off, they have a huge sustainability commitment with a 100% solar-powered plant, zero waste manufacturing, and eco-friendly packaging.

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

Follow Mahoney’s Garden Center:

Website

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

Tiktok: @growingjoywithmaria

Subscribe to the Growing Joy Youtube channel! /growingjoywithmaria

Website: www.growingjoywithmaria.com

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The post Poinsettia/Christmas Cactus/Norfolk Pine Care with Farid of Mahoney’s Garden Center, Ep 262 appeared first on Growing Joy with Maria.

What plants are great in low-light homes? That’s one of the most common plant questions that I get asked a lot. It’s popular because a lot of us don’t have those floor-to-ceiling windows that we often see on Pinterest and Instagram. The majority of us just have normal, low-light homes. Even my new house in Florida is actually extremely low-light! But of course, we all want our indoor garden to grow well, no matter what our lighting circumstances are. So here’s another Proven Winners episode to teach you how to choose the right low-light plants for your space and all the tips you need to know to make sure you’re taking good care of them.

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

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

Is a low-light plant even real? Low light ≠ a plant that grows in no light. That’s a misconception that most people have. Every plant needs just a little bit of light because how would photosynthesis happen if they don’t get the energy they need to create their food? This is simple middle school biology if you remember.

So if light = food for plants, no light = no food for plants (aka very unhappy or probably dead plants). So low-light really means a low-light tolerant plant—a plant that can grow with just a little bit of light to make their food.

Low-light plants are some of the best houseplants on the market because they are so versatile. When you buy a low-light tolerant plant, it means that it tolerates low light, but many actually love high light.

It’s a great gift to someone if you have zero knowledge about their indoor environment. It’s also a plus if you just want to redecorate your home and move things around (and be able to move your plants).

Take the snake plant, for example. They’re quite infamous as the plant that’s hard to kill. While it's famous for surviving in dark corners, I have seen them used as hedges in full sun in California, and they’re even blooming—something rarely seen indoors. So it turns out that they actually love bright light. So they’re low light tolerant (hardy), but they grow so much in bright light.

For Mindful Plant Parents (people who often like to take care of plants):

For Low-Maintenance Plant Parents:

And if you want more information, you can check out Proven Winners leafjoy® H2O® Collection

There are two things I want you to keep your eyes out for when you bring your low-light plant home.

If you're dealing with a truly dark space like a windowless bathroom, I suggest two things:

Just because you have low light doesn’t mean that you can’t take care of plants! Remember that no matter what your home condition is, even if you're living in a basement and you got very little light, there are plants that will grow in your home.

If you’re not sure which plants are best for you, I invite you to take my Plant Parent Personality Test. It’s fun, quick, and will give you a curated list of plants perfect for your personality and home environment.

If you want to have success with houseplants, you’ve got to have two things: the knowledge to care for them successfully and healthy plants. Meet my new favorite houseplant grower: Proven Winner’s leafjoy. With only the best plant genetics grown in a state-of-the-art, European greenhouse, you will not be disappointed in the variety and quality of your favorite plants from Proven Winner’s leafjoy. This company has taken the guesswork out of plant shopping with plant tags that include scientific names and care guides, as well as color-coded collections for the different areas of your home that you want plants in!

Find plant joy in leafjoy. Head to provenwinners.com to find your local leafjoy dealer and let me know which plant you take home on socials!

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

Tiktok: @growingjoywithmaria

Subscribe to the Growing Joy Youtube channel! /growingjoywithmaria

Website: www.growingjoywithmaria.com

Pinterest: @growingjoywithmaria

The post The Best Low Light Plants for Dim Spaces, Ep 261 appeared first on Growing Joy with Maria.

Are you struggling to keep your houseplants alive? You might be one of many aspiring plant parents who find themselves in this annoying cycle, and you wonder why you can't seem to keep even the “easiest” plants alive. The problem is not finding the “right beginner plant” but understanding your own plant parent personality. So in this episode, I’ll tell you the five distinct plant parent personalities and how they can help you choose the right plants for your lifestyle.

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

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

Each one of us has different styles when it comes to fashion, hobbies, and even caring for our plants.

Over the years, I have talked to thousands of other plant lovers and noticed that five personalities tend to stand out. One of my conclusions is that once you start to understand yours, that will help you select the plants that complement your lifestyle. That should save you time, money, and especially disappointment.

So do you want to know which type of plant parent you are? I’ve created a free, two-minute Plant Parent Personality Test that provides a personalized list of plants to try based on your results. I suggest you answer this first before proceeding to read the rest.

So, the majority of my audience—or the largest of all five personality types—is the Mindful Plant Parent. If you listen to this podcast, you probably appreciate the mindfulness elements that plants bring to your life.

You’re nurturing your plants and nurturing yourself while doing it. You find joy in watering, admiring, and engaging in a self-care plant care practice. You also may tend to overwater—maybe even becoming a “helicopter plant parent.”

For you, I’d recommend moisture-loving plants like ferns, marantas, or maybe even an orchid that you can spritz regularly. Connect your plant care routine to your self-care routine. You can even do a practice from my book. For example, if you see a heart-shaped leaf, think of it as a reminder to be thankful.

Challenge: Sometimes, you might be a little too attentive, leading to overwatering.

This is kind of me right now. You’re busy, you travel, or maybe you have kids or pets, and you want to enjoy plants without too much extra responsibility. You believe in their benefits, but you don’t want them to add stress to your life.

So I suggest plants like snake plants, ZZ plants, rubber plants, or succulents—plants that are super chill and can go weeks without water. Try self-watering planters, so you can set it and forget it. It’s okay to let go of plants if you feel spread too thin.

Challenges: Underwatering.

If plants are like Pokémon to you and you’ve got to catch ‘em all, you might be a Curious Collector Plant Parent! You’re all about experimenting with different plants, pots, and growing media, and you love learning new things. Curious collectors often get super into their collections and can totally feel that “plant parent overwhelm.”

For you, I recommend focusing on a specific type, like pink plants, variegated varieties, or even cacti. Still, don’t forget to go on a “plant pause” when needed so you don’t feel overwhelmed.

Challenges: Avoiding overwhelm.

So the design-based plant parent is all about the vibe. You’re probably a Pinterest-type of person who’s all about aesthetics (not that I’m generalizing or anything). But you bring plants home for the vibe and you choose based on which complements your interior design. So think of plants with structural elements like fiddle leaf figs, monstera, and of

Are you drawn to Pinterest-worthy rooms with plants? If you’re all about aesthetics, you might be a Design-Based Plant Parent. You bring plants home for the vibe, choosing ones that complement your interior design. Think of plants with structural elements like fiddle leaf figs, monstera, or the oh-so-stylish ZZ Raven.

Challenges: Sometimes, you might select a plant based on looks rather than its actual needs.

For urban farmer plant parents, you’re growing plants for more than just looks—you want harvest! You take great pride in growing your own food and enjoying the process of preparing it, whether it is from herbs, tomatoes, or even mushrooms.

You may struggle with light if you live in an urban setting, so also invest in grow lights. Hydroponic planters are also something you can try, especially if you’re short on space. I suggest going for plants that you love to eat and use, and then consider trying new things like mini citrus trees.

Challenges: Dealing with limited sunlight.

Whatever your plant parent personality may be, I hope this helps you find plants that bring you joy! It’s free and only takes a couple of minutes. This was really a brainchild of mine, and I’m so happy that it can help you become a better plant parent!

As we get deeper into the fall season, ensure your plants are still getting enough light indoors! Soltech Solutions offers grow lights with full-spectrum white light that mimics the sun to keep your plants happy and healthy: whether you are looking for a pendant light, track lighting, or a simple bulb to screw into any standard light fixture, Soltech has got you covered. They offer quality products with great customer service, free shipping, and a multi-year warranty. Keep the sun shining and the plants green inside your home with Soltech Solutions.

Check them out at soltechsolutions.com and get 15% off with code “bloom15”.

If you want houseplants that thrive, set them up for success with high-quality soil, fertilizer, potting mixes and more! 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 top it all off, they have a huge sustainability commitment with a 100% solar-powered plant, zero waste manufacturing, and eco-friendly packaging.

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

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

Tiktok: @growingjoywithmaria

Subscribe to the Growing Joy Youtube channel! /growingjoywithmaria

Website: www.growingjoywithmaria.com

Pinterest: @growingjoywithmaria

The post This Trick Will Save You 100s at the Garden Center // Plant Parent Personality, Ep 260 appeared first on Growing Joy with Maria.

Have you ever felt lost while experiencing change? In fact, I've been thinking a lot about the concept of transplant shock lately, as it has been a beautiful metaphor for what I am personally going through right now after moving 1,500 miles from New York to Florida. It's a plant-life parallel that gave me so much comfort and guidance during this season of discomfort and change, and I have a feeling that it will resonate with many of you. So in this episode, we’re talking about “transplant shock” and the change and the lessons we can learn during challenging times.

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

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

Change can be interpreted in many different ways. Maybe you're like me and you've moved homes. Maybe you're going through a breakup, starting a new job, or suffering a loss. There are so many different things that can trigger change, and change affects us in any capacity.

These changes can uproot us and cause stress, similar to how a plant experiences transplant shock when moved to a new environment. We had to move quickly when my husband got a new job and felt uprooted. And this term “uprooted” comes from plants being taken out of their soil. Then when replanted, they often experience transplant shock. 

Just like a plant dealing with transplant shock, I have been keeping this parallel really close to my heart while I deal with some big changes.

Transplant shock in plants happens when they are moved from one environment to another, which disturbs their root system. Roots are important for water and nutrient absorption, and when they are disturbed, it affects the plant's ability to take up essential elements like water and nutrients, which leads to symptoms like wilting, yellowing leaves, and stunted growth.

To revive a plant from transplant shock, you can follow these steps:

Doesn’t this sound a lot like life?

Speaking of life, when we go through big changes like moving or a new job, it takes us time to adjust too. So when we look at transplant shock for humans, let's go back to the original symptoms for a plant and what that could look like as a human. Symptoms might include exhaustion (wilting), feeling like you’re tired/bored with old routines (yellowing leaves), or feeling stuck (stunted growth).

So if you are a human going through transplant shock, here are the things you need to do:

Just like a repotted plant might suddenly get access to new nutrients, try to look for the positive aspects of your new situation. For me, moving to Florida has given me easier access to socialization, which I lacked in my isolated home in New York. In Florida, we're so much closer to everyone. I'm eight minutes from my sister, and it’s very easy for me to get in my car and go to a Starbucks and work for half a day.

For those of you who have recently moved, I wanted to talk about all of the different things that I'm doing to establish my roots faster, to establish community, to feel anchored, and to feel secure as quickly as possible so that I can flourish in Florida and don't sit in this state of transplant shock for the next six months.

We all are going to go through transplant shock at some point in our lives, plant friends. It's hard, it's not fun, but there's so much potential for growth on the other side. Give yourself grace, be patient, and trust that you're not alone.

If you've recently moved like me, ensure your plants are getting enough light in their new environment! Soltech Solutions offers grow lights with full-spectrum white light that mimics the sun to keep your plants happy and healthy: whether you are looking for a pendant light, track lighting, or a simple bulb to screw into any standard light fixture, Soltech has got you covered. They offer quality products with great customer service, free shipping, and a multi-year warranty. Keep the sun shining and the plants green inside your home with Soltech Solutions.

Check them out at soltechsolutions.com and get 15% off with code “bloom15”.

It's never too early to plan for the next gardening season, and I've got the perfect planning partner for you. Tiny Farm Planner by Jill Ragan serves as a guidebook, record keeper, and task tracker for small-scale farmers and backyard gardeners everywhere. This book is divided into seasonal sections, not calendar dates, so you'll easily be able to track everything from planting dates to chore lists to plant yields to harvest times, no matter what climate and zone you grow in. The Tiny Farm Planner is a complete system for recording all the data, thoughts, and inspiration you need to keep your garden productive and healthy from year to year.

Pick it up at your favorite local bookstore, bookshop.org, Barnes & Noble, quarto.com or amazon.com.

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

Tiktok: @growingjoywithmaria

Subscribe to the Growing Joy Youtube channel! /growingjoywithmaria

Website: www.growingjoywithmaria.com

Pinterest: @growingjoywithmaria

The post How Plants Teach Us to Adapt to Change: Finding Your Roots After a Big Move, Ep 257 appeared first on Growing Joy with Maria.