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

When I got engaged, I figured choosing wedding flowers would be the easy part. I'm a plant person, right? Wrong. Wedding florals are an entire world of their own, and I was lucky to have a florist who walked me through all of it and built the floral landscape of my dreams.

That florist is Corina of The Botaniste, and in this Best of Growing Joy episode, she's sharing the wedding flower crash course I wish I'd had from day one.

We get into how to choose blooms that actually hold up and don't wilt (spoiler: several of my first picks were a hard no), why conditioning matters more than expensive stems, how to work with seasonal availability instead of fighting it, and how to lean on greenery to stretch your budget. Corina also covers the trends she's seeing, how to talk to a florist even if you don't know a single flower name, and how to repurpose arrangements so they outlast the ceremony.

And if a wedding isn't in your future, don't skip this one because it all applies to backyard bouquets and dinner party tables too!

In this episode, we learn:

[02:22] Introducing Corina

[04:16] What to expect of the last episode of My Botanically Inspired Wedding Series

[09:29] Corina shares her experiences planning wedding florals with couples

[10:33] Why Pinterest is every bride’s best friend AND worst enemy

[11:52] How Corina became a plant lady and how she started The Botaniste

[17:29] Corina’s biggest influences in floral styling

[18:18] What are current and upcoming trends for wedding flowers?

[19:46] What elements are there in a tablescape?

[22:28] Is there a difference between wedding flowers and event flowers?

[26:14] Maria shares her decision-making process with her wedding florals

[28:02] How flowers elevate any event

[29:26] How to preserve your wedding flowers

[31:00] What are the best and the worst flowers to have at your wedding?

[34:01] Which flower is an alternative to peonies?

[35:54] New rose varieties to try in your wedding flowers

[39:27] How to condition cut flowers

[41:23] How to keep cut hydrangeas from wilting

[42:58] Where to get the best organic indoor and outdoor gardening products

[44:12] Planning to grow from seeds this coming garden season?

[48:15] How to work with florists and where to start with your wedding flower planning

[52:33] Building a trusting relationship with your wedding florist

[55:08] Corina’s advice for couples planning to DIY their wedding

[58:51] Maria’s garland and greenery vision

[01:00:40] How to style a wedding with greenery

[01:03:38] Incorporating bud vases in your wedding

[01:07:55] Adding statement greenery to your wedding venue and reception

[01:12:49] What you should know about greenery

[01:14:38] Corina’s ultimate tip for wedding planners and contractors

[01:15:15] Corina’s current favorite flowers and combinations

[01:17:00] What Maria loved about blushing bride protea

[01:18:08] Where you can hire Corina as your florist

[01:20:25] Maria’s Wedding Series reflections

 

Mentioned in our conversation:

Check out Corina's video on how to arrange a big bridal bouquet!

Lush Magnolia Flower Preservation artist

DIY Wedding Copper Arbor blog

BAGR Episode: 3 Plant Inspired DIY Wedding Ideas that Live on After the Big Day

BAGR Episode: 26 Ways to Incorporate Plants Into Your Wedding

BAGR Blog: 26 Ways to Incorporate Plants Into Your Wedding

 

What flower would you love to have in your wedding bouquet?

Check out the full show notes and blog for the blooms that actually hold up on your wedding day!

 

Follow Corina:

Website

Instagram

Facebook

Yelp

 

 

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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Is it possible to tell time with your garden? Apparently, birds and plants can tell us what time of day it is! When we recorded this episode, I was in my third trimester, so sometimes I would be up at 2 AM whether I liked it or not. Which was how I found out that the birds in my Florida backyard start up around 4! For a while, I'd check my phone to see how close we were to sunrise. Now I learned to listen. That's the idea behind The Fullness of Time by Cathy Haynes. It's a book I read about how to tell time without a clock, instead using birdsong, blooms, shadows, and stars. It touched the gardener in my soul, and I knew I needed to have Cathy on the podcast to talk about all of the different ways our ancestors kept time in their gardens and in nature. Come learn with me!

 

In this episode, we learn:

[02:07] Meet Cathy Haynes!

[03:12] What is The Fullness of Time book about?

[04:05] The evening primrose in her London backyard that started all of this!

[05:55] How does gardening change your sense of time?

[07:17] How did ordinary people tell time before clocks?

[09:26] Cock crow, midnight spirits, and what each part of the day means!

[11:42] Reading a clock vs. actually sensing time

[12:20] What is the ornithological clock (how to tell time through birds)?

[15:24] Espoma Organic

[17:00] Learning to pick out the individual singers in the dawn chorus

[17:36] Merlin app to learn birdsong

[18:38] What third-trimester insomnia taught me about the 4 AM birds

[21:53] What is this Linnaeus’s flower clock?

[23:55] Did the Bern Botanical Garden get a living flower clock to work?

[26:30] Daisies, chicory, and the timekeeping plants hiding in pavement cracks

[28:40] Which time-telling plants can you add to your own garden?

[30:59] Why mature sunflowers stop following the sun and just face east

[33:26] How did our ancestors use shadows to tell time?

[35:21] Ancient scratch sundials on churches and Icelandic hills!

[37:37] Light pollution and how to adapt to the sun in a city

[39:32] Can you tell the time by the stars?

[41:42] What are some simple ways to get started with your time garden?

[44:52] Where to find Cathy and The Fullness of Time!

 

Mentioned in our conversation:

The Fullness of Time: Marking the Day by Birdsong, Blooms, Shadows, and Stars by Cathy Haynes

Merlin Bird ID

Collins Bird Guide App

A Botanical Timekeeper - The Flower Clock

Growing Joy Episode 186: The History of Houseplants with Jane Perrone

 

Interested in tracking time with your local birds and flowers,

check out the full show notes and blog here!

 

Follow Cathy:

Website
Instagram

 

Thank you to our episode sponsor:

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.

We're going back to basics today on how to propagate pothos, plant friends! It's one of the simplest things you can do as a plant parent. And pothos is probably the easiest plant to propagate, which is exactly why it's where you should start. I just want you to do it right the first time because one success is what turns this into a lifelong habit. So I brought propagation expert Lindsay Sisti back on the podcast to walk through pothos propagation from the very beginning. Join us as we talk beginner-friendly propagation tips, how to root pothos cuttings in water, light and watering, and why making that first cut actually helps your plant grow. Let's prop!

 

In this episode, we learn:

[02:51] Meet Lindsay Sisti and her challenge for you!

[04:24] Why pothos is the best plant to learn propagation on

[06:00] Why your pothos cutting speeds up your other props

[07:02] Plant anatomy 101: What do you need to know before you cut?

[09:11] Why you should leave the leaves on your cuttings

[10:19] Internodes vs. nodes (aka plant knuckles)

[13:31] Node cuttings vs. tip cuttings, and what "sterilized shears" really means

[15:30] Manukora Honey

[17:16] Espoma Organic

[19:54] What is a petiole and why will a single pothos leaf never root?

[21:22] Leaf removal and water setup!

[23:12] Why cutting back a balding pothos makes it bushier (apical dominance explained)

[26:57] Do pothos cuttings need to callus first?

[27:55] What rooting hormone actually does, and the tradeoff of changing your water

[30:36] The different methods of propagating different types of vining plants like pothos

[31:44] Sphagnum, fluval stratum, and perlite (why water still wins for pothos)

[35:02] Can you root bare nodes with no leaves? Plus prop box basics

[37:40] Does cinnamon work as a rooting hormone?

[38:56] Why the thrift store is the best place to find propagation vessels

[40:15] Root length sweet spot!

[41:25] Potting up: indoor mix, extra perlite, and starting small

[47:03] Why light matters while rooting

[48:19] Propagation walls and test tube shelves

[51:30] Thrifted candelabras, champagne racks, and DIY propagation stations

[53:27] Where to find Lindsay, her book, and all of her propagation resources!

 

Mentioned in our conversation:

Growing Joy 129: How to Root Bare Nodes or "Wet Sticks"

Growing Joy 350: Propagation Tips For Plant Parents That Actually Work: Prop Boxes, Ikea Grow Cabinets and How to Avoid Mold Damage

Growing Joy 309: How to Propagate an Alocasia Corm

Growing Joy 289: How to Propagate Plants in Fluval Stratum

The Ultimate Guide to Houseplant Propagation by Lindsay Sisti

Clonex Rooting Gel

 

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!

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.

When it comes to killing plants, it's not a matter of if... it's a matter of when.

And killing a plant doesn't mean you're bad at plants. It just means you're a plant parent. But so many of us carry real shame around plant death. One loss, and we decide we're a plant killer and quit for good.

In this Best of Growing Joy series episode, I'm bringing back my conversation with Cassidy from Succulents and Sunshine about the guilt that comes with plant death, especially with succulents. They get sold as easy care plants. They're not.

We get into why even plant experts lose plants, how to know when to treat versus when to toss, and why your plant number shifts with the seasons of your life.

In this episode, we learn:

[00:00] Does being a plant parent mean you’re also a plant killer?

[05:24] Who is Cassidy and how she became the plant parent she is today

[06:00] What is Succulents and Sunshine about?

[10:55] Cassidy's take on how plant parents handle plant death

[12:45] Trying to keep an echeveria succulent alive

[14:36] When to toss vs. treat your plants [it's simple!]

[16:24] The importance of a plant care routine

[18:34] Why it’s important to know your plant number

[19:27] Emotional attachment to our plants [feat. Maria's lime tree story]

[22:20] Maria's experience with generational plant gifts

[25:45] What Cassidy learned from every plant failure

[25:52] Tip #1 Be more attentive to your plants

[26:18] Tip #2 Different plants require different care

[27:41] Tip #3 Don't be too hard on yourself; plants die in the wild too

[28:43] Where to get plant seeds that are guaranteed to last longer

[30:40] Get quality grow lights that will last and look stunning next to your plants

[32:31] Why most of the plants we have aren’t designed to live in our homes.

[34:39] Why Haworthia is most suitable as your indoor succulent

[36:37] Should you try to grow the same plant again or let it go completely?

[41:20] What are some ways to reduce your plant collection?

[44:13] Learning to let go of dying plants

[48:32] The mental cost of holding onto something that no longer serves you

[51:23] What are the two options when you kill a plant?

 

Mentioned in our conversation:

Snappy pots

Smart Passive Income

Hygrometer

Lomi composter

 

Have you ever killed a plant that someone special gave you?

Check out the full show notes and blog for a gentler way to think about losing your heirloom plants!

 

Follow Cassidy:

Website

Instagram

Facebook

YouTube

 

 

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.

We often talk about garden-to-table, but what about garden-to-glass? AKA how to grow plants for garden inspired cocktails, and all the ways to turn a harvest into something delicious, regardless if you drink alcohol or not. I spent a full year not drinking, first through fertility treatments and then through pregnancy. And I learned that the mocktail section of most menus is a trap. Everything is so sweet that you finish it in about 90 seconds. And then I met Belinda and Venise at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show. They're sisters, they're plant ladies, and they run a garden-to-glass syrup company called Simple Goodness Sisters. They also wrote the book called Drink Your Garden. In this episode, they share different ways you can enjoy your garden harvest in easy yet delicious cocktail and mocktail recipes. Let's dive in!

 

In this episode, we learn:

[02:46] Meet Belinda and Venise of Simple Goodness Sisters!

[03:26] How did their syrup business begin?

[06:29] Venise's homesteading story

[10:49] What the farm grows for the business vs. for their families

[13:52] What counts as a cocktail garden?

[15:29] Home Greenhouse Revival by Leslie Halleck

[17:07] How to use edible flowers

[18:18] Which edible flowers are easiest to grow?

[21:33] What actually belongs in a cocktail garden

[22:41] Why purple sage and mojito mint taste better in drinks

[23:49] Rows vs. interplanting, reusable mulch

[27:05] Building a bar cart from your garden

[29:32] Why they wrote the book they couldn't find

[30:34] What is a syrup and how do you make one?

[32:06] Their favorite syrups

[36:09] What is a shrub and how do you drink it?

[38:57] Beet shrub showstopper

[40:05] How to make a blue mocktail for a baby shower

[40:48] Tinctures vs. bitters

[42:42] How an infused spirit becomes a liqueur

[44:59] Buzz button gin, cherry bourbon, and Midnight at the movies

[49:03] Travel syrups hack!

[52:06] Cordials, and balancing sweet, sour, bitter, and spirit

[53:00] What to gift a gin-obsessed dad, and why you might just dislike tonic

[55:00] How to make your own compound gin at home

[56:38] Garnishing like a container garden (thriller, filler, spiller, and powdered rims)

[58:30] Braided chives, pickled garnishes, and drinks you can snack on

[1:00:10] Where to find Belinda, Venise, the book, and the Farm Club subscription box!

[1:02:47] The herbal lemonade and blue spritz I served at my baby shower

 

Mentioned in our conversation:

Join the Cocktail Farm Club - Simple Goodness Sisters

Drink Your Garden: Recipes, Stories and Tips from the Simple Goodness Cocktail Farm by Belinda Kelly and Venise Cunningham

USDA Organic Blue Spirulina Powder

Organic Apple Cider Vinegar | Bragg

Herb Garden Syrup (Lemon Herb)

 

For Belinda and Venise's scrumptious cocktail recipes,

check out the full show notes and blog here!

 

Follow Simple Goodness Sisters:

Website
Instagram
YouTube
Recipes

 

Thank you to our episode sponsor:

Quarto: Home Greenhouse Revival by Leslie F. Halleck

Home Greenhouse Revival is available for pre-order now at quarto.com and launches in September. Pre-order your copy 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.