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

Natural light for indoor plants is one of the most misunderstood parts of plant care. Most plant parents think their homes are bright enough for houseplants… but the truth is, we often overestimate how much light our plants are actually getting.

So we all know that the concept of bright indirect light is kind of a disaster. It’s one of the most confusing things in indoor plant care, and most plant parents wildly overestimate how much light they have in their homes.

That’s exactly why I’m so excited to bring back this two-part series on natural light for indoor plants from the Best of Growing Joy collection.

In this episode, I’m joined by my dear friend, horticulturist and lighting expert Leslie Halleck, author of Gardening Under Lights, one of the best resources for understanding grow lights and indoor plant lighting. But before we even talk about grow lights, we need to understand something even more fundamental: how light actually works for plants.

In this conversation, Leslie and I get into the nitty-gritty of what light really means for houseplants, why the phrase “bright indirect light” causes so much confusion for plant parents, and how to actually measure light for your plants at home.

There’s also a free download in the show notes that walks you through three days of measuring the natural light in your home, so you can finally understand what your plants are really getting.

 

In this episode, we learn:

How Leslie came to be the lighting expert she is now

Measuring and understanding NATURAL light 101

The difference between the volume of light vs the brightness of light

What PAR is and why it is important for understand our natural light in our apartments

The most brilliant metaphor for light that will make even the science inept person understand light, photons and photosynthesis

How the direction your window faces affects the amount of light in your apartment, and a good rule of thumb to live by

What the heck “bright indirect light’ actually is!

Practical steps to understanding “bright indirect light” for your specific surrounding

How many feet away from your windowsill does “bright light” turn to “medium light” and then turn to “low light”

Why we overwater our plants (spoiler alert… it’s often because of your lighting conditions)

If sunbeams that move throughout your apartments make a different for your plants

Why experimenting with plant placement and light is crucial

 

Mentioned in our conversation:

Soltech (Use code bloom15 for 15% off!)

Gardening Under Lights; The Complete Guide for Indoor Growers

 

Are you sure your plants are actually getting enough light?

Check out the full show notes and blog to learn how to measure the natural light in your home!

 

Follow Leslie

Website

Instagram

Twitter

Pinterest

Facebook

 

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

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Are you tired of the boom-and-bust cycle of traditional gardening? Imagine a world where your garden is a source of joy and sustenance all year round! Join me, in this enlightening episode of Growing Joy with Plants, where I chat with the incredibly knowledgeable gardening expert, Charlie Nardozzi. Together, we dive deep into the realm of low maintenance gardening and explore innovative techniques that not only simplify your gardening experience but also promote sustainable practices.

Charlie takes us on a journey through his childhood, sharing his cherished memories of gardening with his Italian grandparents. His passion for plants blossomed into a successful career as a horticulturist and author, and today, he’s here to help us shift our gardening mindset. Forget the traditional methods that often lead to plants dying or battling plant pests; it's time to embrace low maintenance gardening strategies that yield continuous harvests!

In this episode, we discuss the concept of a continuous vegetable garden that allows you to enjoy fresh produce throughout the growing season. Charlie introduces us to the wonders of perennial vegetables and self-sowing plants, which can transform your garden into a thriving ecosystem with minimal effort. We also touch on the ecological benefits of diverse planting, ensuring that your garden not only flourishes but also contributes positively to the environment.

Throughout our conversation, Charlie shares invaluable tips on mindful gardening, including how to effectively manage scale insects, rid of gnats, and tackle common plant diseases. Whether you're a seasoned plant parent or just starting your journey into home-based wellness, this episode is packed with practical advice on watering tips, humidity for plants, and propagation tips that will elevate your gardening game.

So, if you're ready to cultivate a joyful living space filled with abundant blooms and delicious harvests, tune in to this episode of Growing Joy with Plants! Let’s dig into the world of low maintenance gardening together!

In this episode, we learn:low

[01:27] How Charlie Nardozzi became a continuous vegetable garden expert

[04:56] What “continuous gardening” really solves

[05:50] What are self-sowing vegetables?

[07:51] How I used basil for succession planting!

[08:28] Manually scattering seeds vs true self-sowing

[09:40] What perennial edibles are most gardeners overlooking?

[13:00] Growing wine cap mushrooms as a perennial!

[14:08] What mulch and organic matter do wine caps need to fruit?

[14:49] Manukora

[16:32] Other ways to grow mushrooms at home!

[17:02] How your hardiness zone changes what counts as a perennial

[18:28] What are some of the best self-sowing edibles to start with?

[19:34] When to let volunteer tomatoes grow and when to pull them

[20:26] Where seed saving and self-sowing overlap

[22:10] What Charlie’s garden actually looks like now

[23:19] No-dig raised beds and mimicking nature for less work

[24:08] What are Charlie’s favorite plant combinations for a bed?

[26:14] Can you grow a mostly perennial food garden?

[27:22] Why Jerusalem artichokes (sunchokes) are an underrated perennial staple

[29:05] Making garlic and potatoes “perennial” through selective saving

[30:36] Practical tips for saving seeds, curing garlic, and overwintering tubers

[32:16] Why labeling matters and how to use mystery seeds

[32:39] Creating a polyculture bed

[33:43] Where to find Charlie, his book, and what he's got coming up!

 

Mentioned in our conversation:

Charlie’s gardening books mentioned:

The Continuous Vegetable Garden

The Complete Guide to No-Dig Gardening



 

For Charlie's low-maintenance gardening guide,

check out the full show notes and blog here!

 

Follow Charlie:

Website
Instagram
YouTube
Facebook
Pinterest
Other books
Webinars

 

Thank you to our episode sponsor:

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! 

 

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.

Hands down, without a doubt, incorporating indoor plants into my office has been the single best thing I’ve done for my mental health during the workday. And at this point, plant friends, if you or someone you love is working without plants in the workplace, we need to talk.
Because this is not just about aesthetics.
This is about biophilic design and workplace wellness. It is about the science that proves how plants and productivity are connected. Study after study shows that having office plants can reduce stress, increase focus, support creativity, and help regulate mood. Bringing nature indoors is not a trend. It is a practical, research-backed way to support your well-being while you work.
We are more screen addicted than ever. Most of us spend the majority of our day indoors, in offices or at home, staring at computers. That constant directed attention leads to fatigue.
So I’m bringing back an episode from the archives of Growing Joy Best Of series, recorded during the pandemic when many of us were redesigning our work-from-home spaces. And it feels even more relevant now. Creating a workspace filled with indoor plants for office wellness is one of the simplest ways to practice home-based wellness and bring small moments of calm into your day.
Most of the world spends the majority of their life at work. So in today’s episode, I’m sharing the science behind biophilic design, the connection between plants and productivity, and simple strategies to help plant parents and plant lovers transform their workspace into something that feels energizing, restorative, and joy-filled.
 
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:
Check out the full blog post here!
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!
Growing Joy YouTube video Houseplant Tour: My Restorative Plant Corner // Why Plant Care Truly is Self Care
Growing Joy Episode 108: 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
Maria's planty wfh set up on IG
 
If you could redesign your workspace using biophilic design, what would you add first?
Check out the full show notes and blog for simple, science-backed ways to bring nature into your office!
 
 
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.

I’ve been waiting a very long time to write these words. I’m pregnant!!! And we’re having a baby boy! His nickname is Polpettino (which means ‘little meatball’ in Italian) because my husband Billy is fourth-generation Irish, and this baby is going to come out the most Irish kid you've ever met, so he's getting to be Italian while he's still in there. And we love him so much already. But before we get to the joy, I need to take you through the full story. Because this pregnancy didn't just happen. It was fought for. It was grieved for. It’s pregnancy after loss, after two years of grief, fear, therapy, IVF, and learning how to hold joy and sorrow in the same body. Welcome to my pregnancy journey!

 

In this episode, we learn:

[01:39] OMG, Plant friends, I’m pregnant with a baby boy!

[05:04] How I moved through seasons of grief, waiting, and hope

[06:26] Fear, numbness, and how this episode serves as my exposure therapy

[07:49] Sharing your personal stories of grief with me

[09:01] Why I reject the polished version of pregnancy that social media portrays

[10:08] My first pregnancy and a missed miscarriage before Christmas

[15:23] Manukora

[16:59] Espoma Organic

[19:12] My second pregnancy and how that loss hit me differently

[20:17] Why I think nature is brutal

[21:10] How we decided to move forward with IVF!

[21:36] How I found out I had endometritis

[23:22] How do you treat endometritis? (Please share this with every woman in your circle!)

[24:30] The patience and waiting for the IVF process itself

[26:07] What my fears are while pregnant with my third child

[28:47] My first trimester and what that meant for my work and identity

[29:27] How I still ran Growing Joy while sick

[31:11] Coming out of winter!! Spring is here! I'm finally ready to plan for our future [32:11] Growing Joy redefined and how I imagine motherhood inside this plant community

[33:27] The micro and macro of seasons and how time reshapes everything

[34:16] Four Christmases later…

[36:15] What's coming next? Gender reveal, house renovation, and what Growing Joy means now!

 

Mentioned in our conversation:

Instagram: @growingjoywithmaria

Submission form for your own "Winter"

Growing Joy Episode 294: I Found 22 Ducklings on My Roof: A Nature-Curious Story of Trust and Transformation

 

For the full story of my pregnancy journey,

I share it in the show notes and blog.

 

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!

Espoma Organic

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

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

When I first started gardening, the second someone mentioned hardiness zones or frost dates, my eyes would immediately glaze over.
I had no idea what my USDA hardiness zone was. I didn’t know how to find my last frost date. I didn’t understand what “Zone 6B” or “Zone 10A” even meant for my plants. I had lived in the same place my entire life and somehow never once looked at a zone map. I didn’t think it mattered.
Now, after years of gardening (and now living in South Florida in zone 10B), my hardiness zone and frost dates are second nature to me. But whenever I talk to new gardeners and say, “Oh, I’m in zone 10B,” I see that same glazed-over look. And I get it. Words like USDA hardiness zone, frost dates, and microclimates sound technical and overwhelming. They’re not exactly things we learned in school.
But understanding your gardening climate is one of the most important things you can do as a plant parent.
Knowing your hardiness zone tells you what plants can survive your winters. Knowing your first and last frost dates helps you time your seed starting and planting correctly. And understanding microclimates can help you push your zone just enough to grow something you didn’t think was possible.
So in this Best of Growing Joy replay, I’m bringing back my conversation with Rochelle Greayer of Pith + Vigor. This episode was recorded when I had just moved to the Catskills and was planning my very first outdoor garden. We break down what hardiness zones actually mean, how to find your frost dates, what those little A and B letters stand for, and how to use all of it to confidently plan your first garden.
 
In this episode, we learn:
[04:46] What Maria has in store for fellow novice gardeners like her this summer!
[05:40] How Rochelle went from flying aircraft and satellites to a full-time garden designer
[08:34] What Rochelle loves about garden design—and Maria’s luxury spa biophilic experience
[10:00] The many careers you can get into if you want to pursue a plant profession
[11:26] Do plants really clean the air in your apartment? Maria discusses this hot topic circulating in the plant community
[13:10] The topics that Maria wants to understand about outdoor gardens
[13:49] What are hardiness zones? What are the pros and cons of the USDA Hardiness Zones?
[17:23] The difference between the USDA hardiness zones and the American Horticultural Society (AHS) Heat Zones
[18:39] What does a plant’s hardiness mean?
[19:20] Once you know your hardiness zone, how do you apply that information to your outdoor garden?
[21:11] Does hardiness matter for annual plants?
[21:58] How do frost dates differ from hardiness zones? What are frost dates actually for?
[23:10] Why it is important to know frost dates—beware of last frost!
[25:54] What’s more important between hardiness zone and frost dates?
[29:48] How to plan your garden with your hardiness zone and frost dates information
[31:02] Frost date hack: you can extend your growing season inside!
[32:31] Understanding how a plant supports itself during growing season
[35:06] What are the Sunset climate zones?
[36:58] Listener question #1: How much does microclimate affect your predicted garden zones? What is a microclimate?
[39:31] How do you know if you have a microclimate in the garden?
[41:06] Listener question #2: What methods can be used to push gardening zones, if a plant is hardy just outside your gardening zone?
[41:43] Why it’s important to pay attention to the environments in your garden
[44:44] Listener question #3: Have the zones changed because of climate change?
[46:49] Rochelle’s favorite piece of advice for those who want to try out garden design
[48:57] Rochelle’s gardening course for homeowners looking into improving their gardens
[50:26] The cool history behind Pith + Vigor’s name
[53:23] Maria’s plans for this seed season and how she’s applied this conversation to her garden planning
 
Mentioned in our conversation:
USDA Hardiness Zone Map
Frost Dates Calculator
The Old Farmer’s Almanac
 
What’s your USDA hardiness zone, and what are you planting this season?
Check out the full show notes and blog to find your zone and plan your garden with confidence!
 
Follow Rochelle
Website
Instagram
Classes
 
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.