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

Propagation is your best friend as a plant parent. It's a free way to make more of the plants you already have, and watching new roots grow is so much fun! But there's more to it than sticking a pothos in a glass of water, not to mention that if you get the humidity wrong, you’ll get mold. So I invited over my go-to propagation nerd, Lindsay Sisti, to guide us through the different ways you can propagate successfully. She’s a propagation expert, plant breeder, and author of The Ultimate Guide to Houseplant Propagation. She’s been in the podcast before, and we've both survived mold cleanup in our own homes. Listen in!

 

In this episode, we learn:

[02:22] Welcome back, Lindsay, my propagation nerd and friend of the pod!

[04:28] What tropical houseplants are found in the rainforest?

[06:00] Why your heating/AC sucks the humidity out of your home

[10:00] Why growing houseplants indoors in Florida is hard!

[10:56] When does humidity become a big aspect of plant keeping? (common plants vs. the divas)

[14:51] Experience the richness of single-origin honey with 3x more antioxidants with Manukora!

[16:36] Why filling your house with humidifiers isn't realistic

[17:45] Lindsay's black mold nightmare in her 100-year-old home!

[21:20] How humidity travels through your HVAC and grows mold where you'd never expect

[23:29] Humidity hacks that fail (sorry!)

[25:09] Why misting is mostly pointless and when it causes problems

[28:31] IKEA grow cabinets 101: the MILSBO, Rust-Oleum, and building your glass box

[33:40] Choosing grow lights: Barrina, Monios, and T8 vs. T5

[35:53] Why you need fans and airflow (transpiration and guttation explained)

[40:18] What prop boxes are and why they root plants better than a glass of water

[43:21] Building a prop box (containers, sphagnum moss, and the "wrung-out sponge" rule)

[46:30] Lindsay's layered setup!

[49:44] Do you really need to "burp" your prop box?

[52:31] How to rebuild Raffi the Rhaphidophora from node cuttings

[58:16] Should you let cuttings callus first? Variegated vs. non-variegated

[1:01:16] Mold vs. algae, and the diluted hydrogen peroxide fix

[1:03:18] Final steps: lid on, into the window, and when to transplant

[1:06:56] Can you crowd the nodes?

[1:08:11] Why are prop boxes low stakes?

[1:09:43] Where to find Lindsay and her propagation book!

[1:11:21] Update: how Raffi's prop box actually turned out

 

Mentioned in our conversation:

The Ultimate Guide to Houseplant Propagation by Lindsay Sisti

IKEA MILSBO

Barrina Grow Light

Monios-L Grow Lights

LECHUZA-PON

 

For Lindsay's different propagation methods,

check out the full show notes and blog here!

 

Follow Lindsay:

Website
Instagram
YouTube
TikTok

 

Thank you to our episode sponsors:

Manukora

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!

ZenAI

Visit zen.ai to start your first vibecast for free.

 

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

Pinterest: @growingjoywithmaria

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Have you ever thought about growing your own luffa? Someone sent me a packet of luffa seeds about four years ago. I think I won them in a giveaway, and they just... sat there. I never planted it because something about luffa felt kinda different. It's not your classic garden edible, and I couldn't picture how it worked. So I invited Janice Cox over to talk about growing luffa! Janice is a garden and natural beauty expert, and she's written a whole workbook on this plant. Now I can't stop thinking about growing luffa, harvesting it, and figuring out what to make with it. Turns out it's way simpler than I built it up to be in my head. Learn with me!

 

In this episode, we learn:

[01:47] Meet Janice Cox, the luffa queen!

[02:34] What is luffa, and why does it have so many surprising uses?

[04:10] How Janice backed into gardening through natural beauty writing

[05:57] Why clean beauty pushed her toward aloe vera and label-reading in the US

[10:12] How luffa went from ancient Egypt to WWII oil filters

[12:18] Turning a luffa harvest into soap, crafts, and pet toys

[15:29] Feed your midsummer garden with Espoma Organic!

[17:47] What does luffa need to grow? (full sun, pollinators, and a trellis)

[19:54] Male vs. female flowers and hand-pollinating your luffa

[22:06] What the luffa growth stages look like and how to know when to harvest

[25:24] Water and light requirements for luffa

[26:44] How do you process your luffa? (peeling, saving seeds, and cleaning for gifts)

[29:09] Direct sowing vs. starting luffa seeds indoors

[30:58] How to slice, flatten, and sew with dried luffa

[33:59] What are the different luffa varieties?

[35:52] What are the most common mistakes first-time luffa growers make?

[38:30] Why luffa makes a great gift and a full-circle, sustainable plant

[40:15] Luffa seed tips: nicking, soaking, and testing for viability

[42:06] Where to find Janice, her books, and her guides

 

Mentioned in our conversation:

Growing Joy 310: Digital Detox: What 3 Days in Nature Taught Me (and How You Can Recreate It at Home)

Growing Joy 319: How to Preserve Food From Your Garden with Staci and Jeremy Hill

Janice Cox’s books:

Natural Beauty At Home Handbook

Beautiful Luffa

Beautiful Roses

Beautiful Lavender

Beautiful Flowers



 

For foolproof luffa growing tips,

check out Janice's guide in the full show notes and blog!

 

Follow Janice:

Website
Instagram
Blog
Books

 

Thank you to our episode sponsors:

Espoma Organic

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

ZenAI

Visit zen.ai to start your first vibecast for free.

 

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

Pinterest: @growingjoywithmaria

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

Philodendron might just be the most underrated genus in the houseplant world, and plant friends, it's completely beginner-friendly! This isn't a plant you bring home from the garden center only to watch it shrivel, brown, and die within a week. It gives you trailing vines, climbing drama, bold pops of color, and incredible leaf shapes. It's one of my all-time favorites, and it's the star of today's episode of our Best of Growing Joy series.

We're breaking down everything you need to know about philodendron care, aka this iconic houseplant genus that's been beloved for decades and never goes out of style. Today's episode covers philodendron light requirements, philodendron watering tips, and the best philodendron varieties to add to your indoor plant collection.

You'll also learn how philodendron grow in the wild and discover which variety might just become your next plant obsession.

In this episode, we learn:

[03:50] Philodendron high-level overview

[09:38] Care #1: Light

[13:43] Care #2: Water

[15:38] Care #3: Soil

[16:05] Care #4: Humidity

[17:08] Care #5: Fertilizer

[17:39] Troubleshooting philodendron issues

[19:10] Thank you Proven Winners leafjoy™ for sponsoring this episode!

[21:01] Heartleaf Philodendron (Philodendron hederaceum)

[22:21] Philodendron ‘Brasil'

[22:37] Philodendron ‘Lemon Lime' (as seen on my podcast art!)

[24:13] Prismacolor™ Brandtianum

[25:16] Philodendron atabapoense

[26:05] Philodendron ‘Silver Sword' (Philodendron hastatum)

[27:11] Prismacolor™ Philodendron Fozzie™

[28:38] Philodendron ‘White Wizard' (Philodendron erubescens)

[30:18] ‘Prince of Orange' Philodendron

[32:08] Prismacolor™ Sun Red Philodendron

[32:33] Philodendron ‘Pink Princess'

Mentioned in our conversation:

Prismacolor™ Sun Red – Philodendron hybrid

Prismacolor™ Atabapoense – Philodendron hybrid

Prismacolor™ Brandtianum – Philodendron hybrid

Prismacolor™ Florida Green – Climbing Philodendron

Prismacolor™ Fozzie – Fuzzy Petiole Philodendron

Prismacolor™ Gloriosum – Creeping Philodendron

Prismacolor™ Hastatum – Silver Sword Philodendron

Prismacolor™ Pink Princess – Philodendron hybrid

Prismacolor™ Rojo Congo – Philodendron hybrid

Prismacolor™ Sun Red – Philodendron hybrid

Prismacolor™ White Wizard – Philodendron hybrid

Prismacolor™ Lemon Lime – Philodendron hybrid

What's your go-to philodendron, and how long have you had it?

Check out the full show notes and blog for all my favorite philodendron varieties!

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

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

What if your backyard could feed you for decades with way less work than a tomato patch? You can achieve this with fruit trees! I met arborist Allen Taylor at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show earlier this year. He's the founder of Conservation Tree Care, and he shares how to grow fruit trees in your own backyard with confidence and patience. I'm a homeowner now, and I am so excited to finally have fruit trees of my own!

 

In this episode, we learn:

[01:52] Meet Allen Taylor, founder of Conservation Treecare!

[02:17] What is forestry, and how did Allen get into it via a college course?

[03:22] How arboriculture differs from forestry (individual trees vs. whole ecosystems)

[04:45] The Overstory and tree climbers who work up in the canopy

[09:37] How his passion for large trees relates to small fruit trees

[10:51] Seattle's century-old orchard trees!

[12:32] What are the two starting points for fruit trees? (assessing a bare site vs. inheriting mature trees already there)

[14:07] Why you also have to think about harvest volume you can handle

[15:02] Check out The Essential Guide to Ecological Gardening by the American Horticultural Society!

[16:17] Set your fruit trees up right from planting with Espoma Organic!

[18:21] Why it's okay to treat a fruit tree as a low-maintenance shade tree (that happens to fruit)

[19:38] What makes something an "orchard" vs. just having a tree?

[22:30] Why fruit exists (spreading seeds) and how domestication changed fruit itself

[24:10] Fruit tree timeline! What age of wood trees fruit on?

[26:55] Which fruit trees are most popular by region, and why local zone/climate matters so much?

[29:19] Why local extension services and nurseries beat big box stores for picking trees

[31:41] What does the yearly care for fruit trees look like (pruning, planting, harvest windows)?

[34:17] Planting and transplant shock!

[35:52] Fruit trees planting basics: hole size, soil, mulch, watering to establishment

[39:03] Sun and site selection (full sun, flat ground, and thinking about ladder access)

[42:38] Why you should prune fruit trees compared to other edibles

[43:58] Why does dormant pruning work with the tree's stress response?

[46:14] Should you remove blossoms in year one, or just leave the tree alone and wait?

[47:33] Pruning vs. training explained

[48:59] Pruning intensity tips

[52:10] What are the top beginner mistakes you commit with trees?

[57:10] The 3 types of pruning cuts (removal, reduction, heading) and how the tree responds to each

[59:06] Why fruit trees are a great gateway into caring about trees generally

[59:51] Allen's favorite fruit tree and the joy of sharing homegrown harvests with neighbors!

[1:01:33] Where to find Allen, Conservation Treecare, and his work at the Amazon Spheres

 

Mentioned in our conversation:

Robert Jan Van Pelt’s Books

The Overstory by Richard Powers

 

For Allen's fruit tree tips,

check out the full show notes and blog here!

 

Follow Allen:

Website
Instagram

 

Thank you to our episode sponsors:

Quarto

Grab the Essential Guide to Ecological Gardening at quarto.com and wherever books are sold.

Espoma Organic

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

ZenAI

Visit zen.ai to start your first vibecast for free.

 

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

Pinterest: @growingjoywithmaria

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

Did you know plants for your home office can do more than just look nice? Office or work from home, they can boost your focus, spark creativity, lift your mood, and cut your stress. It's been proven over and over.

So today, for the Best of Growing Joy series, I'm digging into the archives and refreshing an old solo episode from the middle of the pandemic. Fair warning, you'll hear me talk about work from home a lot, since that's all we were doing back then. Our community got really creative with their setups too.

This one's all about biophilic design, something I keep coming back to this year since I'm renovating my own home through that lens. We'll get into easy ways to turn your desk into a plant-filled workspace that actually helps your productivity and your mental health.

Think about it, work is a huge chunk of our life. Nine to five, five days a week. So why not spend it surrounded by plants? That's what this episode is about: making your workday more joyful, more relaxing, and more productive. I hope it helps.

In this episode, we learn:

[02:07] Why Bloom and Grow Radio is doing an episode on #plantywfh spaces

[04:39] Check out Maria’s Planty WFH space tour

[05:03] What to expect from this episode on work from home setups and biophilic design

[06:50] The AMAZING and unbelievable benefits of engaging with plants and biophilic design, according to 14 Patterns of Biophilic Design

[07:27] What is biophilia, the idea behind it, and the important figures behind this wonderful hypothesis

[09:24] The psychological role of plants in our creativity

[10:09] How being around nature and scenery affects patient recovery, as studied by Dr. Ulrich in 1972 to 1981

[11:13] A review of direct versus involuntary attention based on studies by Stephen R. Kellert and Rachel Kaplan

[13:41] Biophilic Pattern #1: Visual Connection with Nature

[13:54] Planty WFH Tip #1: Put your desk near a window

[14:15] Planty WFH Tip #2: Put plants within the eyeline of your desk

[14:33] Planty WFH Tip #3: Have a green wall in your office

[14:56] Planty WFH Tip #4: If you can’t have real plants, pictures of plants will do!

[15:09] Biophilic Pattern #2: Non-Visual Connection with Nature

[15:26] Planty WFH Tip #5: Play nature sounds like the one-square inch forest silence in the Olympic National Park, bird songs, or waves

[16:36] Planty WFH Tip #6: Have different plant scents nearby, or you can use a diffuser like Maria!)

[16:53] Biophilic Pattern #3: Non-Rhythmic Sensory Stimuli

[17:09] Planty WFH Tip #7: Set up bird feeders or pollinator-attracting plants, or take care of rare-blooming plants for a nice surprise

[17:39] Biophilic Pattern #4: Thermal and Air Flow Variability

[17:59] Biophilic Pattern #5: Presence of Water

[18:07] Planty WFH Tip #8: It’s your humidifier’s time to shine! Maybe a tiny fancy plug-in fountain?

[18:40] Biophilic Pattern #6: Dynamic and Diffuse Light

[18:52] Planty WFH Tip #9: Install a grow light with a timer, and have a more sustainable work hours setup!

[19:12] Planty WFH Tip #10: Reduce your blue light intake and light candles after a long day of work

[19:33] Biophilic Pattern #7: Connection with Natural Systems

[19:47] Biophilic Pattern #8: Biomorphic Forms and Patterns

[19:56] Did you know there are interesting and precise angles in nature?

[20:35] Biophilic Pattern #9: Material Connection with Nature

[21:07] Planty WFH Tip #11: Add accents in your home office like wood grains, fossil textures, and bamboo rattans

[21:30] Planty WFH Tip #12: Try a natural color palette of greens and browns

[21:50] How Maria and Billy managed their storage during their move

[24:52] Biophilic Pattern #10: Prospect

[25:04] Why it’s important to change the focus of your eyes every once in a while

[25:18] Biophilic Pattern #11: Refuge

[25:19] Why Maria recommends a planty screen-free space

[26:10] Biophilic Patterns #12: Mystery and #13: Risk and Peril

[26:20] The biggest rule of thumb of biophilic designs for Maria

[27:06] If you can’t have real plants, download the Bloom and Grow Radio’s free and gorgeous watercolor of prickly pear cactus in various states of bloom!

[28:03] Planty WFH Tip #13: Envelop your space in plants (if you can!)

[28:32] Maria’s planty WFH tips and ideas based on her own WFH setup

[30:04] The best plants for low-light home offices

[31:13] Are you blessed with a high-light office situation? Maria recommends these plants that love abundant light

[31:36] Planty WFH Tip #14: Install grow lights to incorporate more plants

[32:44] Planty WFH Tip #15: Tiny space? Go vertical!

[34:21] Maria’s biggest takeaways from 14 Patterns of Biophilic Design and her top advice on #plantyWFH setups

[36:26] Finding joy and awe in your #plantyWFH as a small break from your work day

 

Mentioned in our conversation:

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

Check out Maria's #plantywfh office tour on youtube!

BAGR YouTube video Houseplant Tour: My Restorative Plant Corner // Why Plant Care Truly is Self Care

BAGR Episode How To Use Plants To Create Restorative Environments With Anne Meore From NYBG

14 Patterns of Biophilic Design by William Browning, Catherine Ryan, and Joseph Clancy

Hoh Rainforest Audio

Biophilia by Edward O. Wilson

Frederick Law Olmsted

View Through a Window May Influence Recovery from Surgery by Roger Ulrich

Stephen R. Kellert

Attention Restoration Theory: Exploring the Role of Soft Fascination and Mental Bandwidth by Rachel Kaplan

What Was That Like Podcast by Scott Johnson

 

Which biophilic design tip are you most excited to try in your workspace?

Check out the full show notes and blog for my plant-filled home office setup!

 

 

 

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

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