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

When winter sets in and our gardens go dormant, that 'green itch' doesn’t go anywhere!
In this Best of Growing Joy replay, I’m revisiting my conversation with returning guest Perla Sofía Curbelo-Santiago, certified horticultural therapist and author of Verdura: Living a Garden Life, all about indoor plant projects for stress relief and mental health.
Perla shares her genius tiny barefoot garden, a shallow pot of fragrant thyme you can rest your feet on for a little grounding when it’s too cold to go shoeless outside (an idea I’ve used ever since). We also cover creating a miniature garden escape, gardening for your inner child, and why just 15 minutes with plants can lift your mood for days.
In this episode, we learn:
[01:53] Rebranding of my YouTube Channel
[02:43] Introducing Perla Sofia Curbelo-Santiago aka Agrochic!
[04:24] How did Perla develop her passion for gardening and plants?
[07:05] How did Agrochic start?
[09:38] How did Perla balance Spanish and English content?
[11:32] What does her plant collection and garden look like?
[15:08] Make meditation more relaxing and meaningful with Wind River’s Meditation Chimes!
[16:51] Learn how to grow cut flowers with The Cut Flower Handbook’s beautiful illustrations!
[18:41] Why are people drawn to nature and plants right now?
[21:08] Seeking simplicity to escape social media overstimulation
[22:08] Perla’s interesting success stories about bringing plants into clients' lives
[29:17] What is nature’s role in mood and healing?
[30:42] Concept of gardening as a means to reconnect with one's inner child
[34:18] Rediscover a sense of “awe” and childlike wonder
[38:21] What is Perla’s barefoot garden project all about?
[45:02] How do you create a miniature garden for yourself?
[50:34] Get Perla’s book and follow her on social media!

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

Is your green thumb getting restless this winter?
Check out the full show notes and blog for indoor plant projects that ease stress while your garden sleeps!

Follow Perla:
Website – Spanish
Website – English
Instagram
Facebook
Twitter/X


Follow Maria and Growing Joy:
Order my book: Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness (and Plants)by Maria Failla, Illustrated by Samantha Leung
Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Party Community Platform & App AKA the plantiest and kindest corner of the internet! Get your FREE 2-week trial here!
Take the Plant Parent Personality Quiz (Get the perfect plants, projects and educational resources for YOUR Lifestyle)
Support Bloom and Grow Radio by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon!
Instagram: @growingjoywithmaria
Tiktok: @growingjoywithmaria
Subscribe to the Growing Joy Youtube channel! /growingjoywithmaria
Website: www.growingjoywithmaria.com
Pinterest: @growingjoywithmaria

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You probably spend most of your day inside. Most of us do... about 93% of our time, actually. Not to mention you’re definitely on your phone all the time. This is a health risk! To explain how harmful this habit is, I invited my dear friend Dr. John La Puma to explain what these habits might be doing to our brain and heart. He was on the show before, where we talked about culinary medicine and gardening! John is a board-certified internist, a trained chef, and he runs an organic regenerative farm in Santa Barbara. He also read 2,200 studies to understand why being outside feels so good. What he found became his book, Indoor Epidemic, which became the focus of our conversation, and how we are so starving for nature. Listen in!

In this episode, we learn:
[02:31] Sign up for my Growing Joy newsletter on Substack!
[03:10] Welcome back, Dr. John La Puma!
[04:50] How a doctor and chef became a nature as medicine expert
[06:46] Why does nature feel good?
[07:38] Buying an abandoned plant nursery and reading 2,200 studies
[09:19] How his work shifted from ecotherapy to the indoor epidemic
[11:21] How blue light at night affects your heart health (and what to use instead)
[14:31] What is the indoor epidemic?
[16:20] Get a daily dose of antioxidants and immune support with Manukora Honey!
[18:09] How hinoki oil and forest bathing help improve immunity and blood pressure
[21:14] Why 17 minutes outside a day is all you need (optimizing the 7%)
[23:04] Light first, coffee second…?
[26:38] Why sunglasses and windows block morning light
[28:12] Why burnout is really digital overload
[29:07] What is a zeitgeber?
[30:15] How CO2 buildup indoors affects your brain
[31:50] How awe and sunsets calm the vagus nerve
[34:40] Attention restoration theory (why nature rests your brain)
[36:24] Why you need to put your phone down outside
[38:26] Plant blindness and how to find nature in the city
[40:37] How does gardening help improve mental health and dementia?
[43:28] Can light therapy help with seasonal depression? (10,000 lux study vs. Prozac)
[46:30] John’s number one morning routine protocol!
[49:14] How to get kids off screens and outside
[50:55] Where to find John, Indoor Epidemic, the free toolkit, and the Nature Number quiz!

Mentioned in our conversation:
Indoor Epidemic by Dr. John La Puma
Dr. John on The Oprah Winfrey Show
Growing Joy 131: Culinary Medicine from Our Gardens with Dr John la Puma

You only need 17 intentional minutes of outdoor time,
check out the full show notes and blog on how it works!

Follow John:
Website
Blog
Books
Facebook
Instagram
YouTube
TikTok

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, a guidebook, and an onboarding call with Manukora's clinical specialist, PLUS $75 worth of free gifts!

Follow Maria and Growing Joy:
Order my book: Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness (and Plants) by Maria Failla, Illustrated by Samantha Leung
Take the Plant Parent Personality Quiz (Get the perfect plants, projects and educational resources for YOUR Lifestyle)
Support Growing Joy with Maria by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon!
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.

Have you ever picked up a plant at the garden center and wondered how the houseplants even get here? I didn't think about it much until I was invited to speak at Cultivate, one of the biggest horticulture industry conferences, and I spent the whole time walking the halls. I'd been caring for plants for years. But I had no idea how much love and time go into getting one plant onto a store shelf. So I asked my friend Justin Hancock to walk us through it. Justin is a horticulturist at Costa Farms, the largest houseplant grower in the world. We talked about plant hunters, secret R&D areas in greenhouses, years of testing, and literally millions of cuttings before a plant ever makes it onto a store shelf! Let's dive in!

In this episode, we learn:
[01:33] Come hang out with me over on Substack!
[02:58] Welcome back, Justin Hancock!
[05:19] Why the horticulture industry is so grounded and generational
[06:30] What has Justin’s experience in the horticulture industry been like?
[07:38] Why many horticulture businesses are passed down through generations
[09:29] How a plant gets from discovery to your local garden center
[11:12] What is a plant hunter, and how do you become one?
[12:14] What makes a good new houseplant
[14:00] How long does a plant spend in R&D before it hits shelves?
[14:11] How growers forecast plant trends years ahead of social media
[15:51] Meet the plant rebels who changed history in Rebel Gardeners by Camilla Anderson!
[17:43] Plant hunting vs. plant breeding
[19:35] Why aureums are so shy to flower…
[20:52] What happens after a plant passes R&D? (propagating from one cutting to thousands)
[22:40] Costa's five-point testing process and why variegated plants are so tricky to produce
[24:40] The other roles that touch plants before they reach the garden center
[25:19] How Costa is making its potting mixes more sustainable and locally sourced
[26:33] How many plants make it out of R&D (and the Monstera subpinnata that flopped)
[28:37] How tissue culture fits into plant hunting and production
[29:33] What is tissue culture, and how is it different from growing from a cutting?
[30:53] Should everyday plant parents buy tissue culture plants?
[34:01] When trends move faster than production: the pink princess philodendron
[36:12] What's hot right now and the new genera coming out of R&D
[38:55] Inside Justin's book, The New Complete Guide to Houseplants
[40:40] Bonus plant profiles and signed copies when you pre-order through Costa Farms!
[42:31] Rapid-fire questions: underrated & overhyped houseplants
[44:00] The plant Justin always kills, and the one he grows best!
[45:30] The one thing he wishes every person understood about their houseplants

Mentioned in our conversation:
 The New Complete Guide to Houseplants by Justin Hancock
Mike Rimland (Plant hunter at Costa Farms)
Monstera Bulbasaur
Growing Joy 357: Motherhood, Seasons of Life and Changing Plant Passions with Becca De La Plants
Growing Joy 300: Exploring the Different Types of Pothos: From Marble Queen to Albo to Climbing Giants with Justin of Costa Farms

Where do your favorite houseplants come from?
Check out the full show notes and blog to find out!

Follow Costa Farms:
Website
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube
TikTok
Pinterest
LinkedIn

Thank you to our episode sponsor:
Quarto: Rebel Gardeners by Camilla Anderson
Grab your copy of Rebel Gardeners at quarto.com, wherever books are sold, or through your local bookstore.

Follow Maria and Growing Joy:
Order my book: Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness (and Plants) by Maria Failla, Illustrated by Samantha Leung
Take the Plant Parent Personality Quiz (Get the perfect plants, projects and educational resources for YOUR Lifestyle)
Support Growing Joy with Maria by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon!
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.

If you're already dreaming about your 2027 garden, I fully support you! But I also want to encourage you to take a beat... because the best thing you can do for next year's garden is to properly put your garden to bed for winter right now.
So here's one of my favorite conversations for the Best of Growing Joy series. It's with author and garden influencer Resh Gala, and it's all about what she does at the end of the growing season to feed the soil, support wildlife, and make spring gardening so much easier.
We cover compost, cover crops, what to leave behind, and what to clean up during your fall garden cleanup. And Resh shares the one crop you should plant before winter so you can enjoy it in the spring.
In this episode, we learn:
[05:19] Resh's gardening journey and how understanding soil quality led to her success
[07:53] How does Resh balance gardening, extending the growing season, and self-care in her small backyard garden?
[09:37] Creating a greenhouse effect in snowy conditions with bent metal or PVC pipes
[11:24] Why preparing and “putting to bed” gardens for winter is important
[13:20] What are the sustainable gardening practices for winter that you should know about?
[16:57] Importance of adding compost to garden beds before winter to improve soil health
[19:13] What should be done in spring to prepare the soil for planting?
[20:18] Nourish your garden with Espoma Organic's diverse range of organic composts
[22:19] Gift a touch of harmony this holiday with Wind River Wind Chimes
[25:10] Why cover crops are a valuable addition to regenerative gardening and soil enrichment
[28:54] Why it’s easy to grow garlic during winter (keeps pests away, resilient, and is a gardener’s favorite!)
[32:09] Why is it important to reflect on the gardening season as part of self-care in plant care?
[34:09] Resh’s favorite list of what to grow in preparation for the next garden season (tomatoes and cucumber varieties)
[39:59] What kinds of flowers does Resh like to grow in her garden to attract pollinators?
[48:19] Pre-order Resh's upcoming book Vegetable Gardening Made Easy later this year
[50:52] Where can you find Resh on social media?

Mentioned in our conversation:
Building and Installing a Low Tunnel Hoop House — Resh Gala
Growing Joy Ep 168 Grow Your Own Tea: Intro To Herbalism With Juliet Of Chestnut School Of Herbal Medicine
Growing Joy Ep 199 How To Grow Garlic With Jill Winger
Growing Joy Ep 200 Common Houseplant Pest Identification And How To Get Rid Of Fungus Gnats, Spidermites, Scale, White Flies And Mealybugs
Sundried Cherry Tomatoes — Instagram Reel
Tomato crops
Cucumber crops
Pre-order Resh Gala’s book, Vegetable Gardening Made Easy

Are you already dreaming about next year's garden?
Check out the full show notes and blog for why putting your garden to bed for winter is the best thing you can do!

Follow Resh:
Website
Instagram
YouTube
Hundred Tomatoes


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.

This might be uncomfortable to ask you, plant friends, but when was the last time you had an original thought? Meaning, it shouldn’t be something you heard from a podcast, Instagram, or even ChatGPT. I’ve been itching to ask this question since coming back from maternity leave. And even when I sat down to write this, I caught myself scrolling, trying to find more about how to stop doing exactly that. This might be a little different from what we always talk about, but I figured it's something we can all have a conversation about. Let's dive in!

In this episode, we learn:
[02:04] Why is it so hard to hear yourself coming out of maternity leave?
[04:49] How it's possible to go a whole day without one original thought
[07:33] What is information overload?
[08:24] Why do self-help, wellness, and meditation apps sometimes add to information overload?
[09:56] Why we need space and the ability to get bored again
[11:40] “Look at a plant before you look at a screen”
[12:33] How did trading coffee with my phone for coffee with my plants change my mornings?
[15:35] Have you tried single-origin Manukora honey?
[17:21] Make fertilizing and mixing chunky soil simple with Espoma Organic!
[19:21] Why plants are such a gentle place to put your attention
[20:21] What is attention restoration theory? (Directed vs. involuntary attention)
[22:36] How a 40-second green roof microbreak improved focus
[24:35] Why I'm telling you to turn off this podcast…
[25:55] Check out my Substack!
[26:14] Back to the original question:  when was the last time you had an original thought?

Mentioned in our conversation:
Growing Joy episodes:322: From Plant Care to Nature Therapy: A Solo Heart to Heart
310: Digital Detox: What 3 Days in Nature Taught Me (and How You Can Recreate It at Home)
192: How to Overcome Burnout Through The Healing Power of Nature

2015 Study: 40-Second Green Roof Views Sustain Attention
Subscribe to my Substack

Are you up for my no-screen mornings challenge?
Check out the full show notes and blog for more details!

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
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.