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

If you're looking for your garden to be a little more curated, calm, and cohesive (put together in a way that just feels right) what if you've been looking for advice in the wrong places? What if you shouldn't be looking at a garden designer at all, but instead at an interior designer to give you garden design tips that help pull everything together?

I'm bringing this one back as part of the Best of Growing Joy series a conversation I had a couple of years ago with Kelly Wilkniss, an interior designer, avid gardener, and co-host of the Decorating Tips and Tricks podcast. Kelly uses her interior design principles in the garden, and I still use the concepts we talked about in my own garden and houseplant collection today.

We cover how these beginner-friendly garden design principles can completely change and improve your plants and your outdoor space, and you'll walk away with practical tips to create flow, balance, beauty, and calm in your garden.

In this episode, we learn:

[04:50] How has Kelly’s gardening passion intersected with her interior design career?

[07:16] What inspired Kelly to do an all-white garden

[08:45] What is Kelly’s interior design style?

[10:30] Kelly’s opinion on modernizing antiques

[12:01] How did she transition from being a lawyer to an interior designer?

[14:08] Where can you find stylish lights for upgrading indoor plant environments?

[16:04] Where to find a personalized Mother's Day gift that includes handcrafted wind chimes

[20:31] Tip #1 Take a photo of interior and exterior spaces (it promotes a cohesive design flow!)

[21:56] Tip #2 Limit your color palette

[25:18] Tip #3 Create a flow

[33:49] A must-have book for outdoor living area design ideas with mix-and-match suggestions and before-and-after pictures

[35:10] Tip #4 Plant in odd numbers

[37:55] Tip #5 Layering!

[40:44] Tip #6 Balance and scale

[44:26] Tip #7 Visual noise

[48:48] Tip #8 The touch of black

[52:08] Tip #9 Not having an ugly storage

[01:00:13] Where can you find Kelly on social media?

 

Mentioned in our conversation:

Growing Joy Episode 145: Interior Design Trends and Houseplants With Betsy From Affordable Interior Design

Wayfair sheds

Growing Joy Episode 180: Minimalism and Plants With Stephanie of Sustainable Minimalist

 

Which of the 9 interior design tips are you most excited to try in your garden?

Check out the full show notes and blog for Kelly's beginner-friendly garden design principles!

 

Follow Kelly:

Website

Podcast

Book

Instagram

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

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Have you ever heard of the hügelkultur gardening method? I first heard the word ‘hügelkultur’ a couple of years ago while visiting The Lodge at Woodloch's organic farm. They had this beautiful setup where they grew the food that the spa guests would eat. And in the middle of it all was this raised bed that looked like it was mid-construction. It was a hügelkultur bed. Since then, I kept hearing that word, especially among organic growers! So for this episode, I sat down with Sarah Wagstaff of SUOT Farm (Small Units of Time). Sarah is a full-time flower farmer, and her entire farm is built on hügelkultur! Come learn with me!

 

In this episode, we learn:

[03:09] Meet flower farmer Sarah Wagstaff from SUOT Farm!

[03:45] How Sarah's childhood and family inspired her love for growing plants

[05:55] Why Sarah decided to build her entire flower farm using hügelkultur

[07:27] What is hügelkultur and where did it originate?

[09:30] How long does it take for woody debris to break down before you can plant?

[12:49] Can you plant into a new hügelkultur mound immediately?

[14:53] Build a healthy soil foundation for your garden with Espoma Organic!

[17:00] How to properly layer greens and browns to create compost in place

[19:23] How to use the 180-degree topography of a mound to maximize growing space

[21:43] How tall should you actually build a hügelkultur bed?

[24:20] Till vs. no-till: Which protects soil decomposers for long-term soil fertility?

[27:35] How spent mushroom blocks can add extra nutrients and mycorrhizae

[28:53] Scaling hügelkultur down for small containers and porch gardening

[29:41] Common mistakes when building your first hügelkultur bed

[32:49] Adapting hügelkultur to your specific climate

[33:43] Why Sarah doesn't use additional fertilizers on her hügelkultur beds

[35:28] Why hügelkultur is a perfect solution for gardeners stuck with sandy/poor soil

[37:31] How Sarah grows flowers year-round in Zone 7B

[39:24] How to continually add scraps/compost while your hügelkultur beds are growing

[41:41] How SUOT Farm has evolved over the last 10 years

[44:10] Where to find Sarah, her CSA, and her hügelkultur PDF!

 

Mentioned in our conversation:

SUOT's free downloadable PDF: Hugelkultur Planning Tool

Growing Joy 246: What is Regenerative Gardening and Permaculture? with Stephanie Rose of Garden Therapy

Growing Joy 178: The Mushroom Miniseries: Mushrooms 101 Plus the Answer to "What is the Mushroom Growing in My Houseplant!"

 

For Sarah's guide on hügelkultur for small gardens,

check out the full show notes and blog here!

 

Follow Sarah:
Website
Instagram
Facebook
Shop
Bouquet Subscription

 

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

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Calathea is one of the most gorgeous and often most disappointing houseplants a new plant parent can bring home. If you've ever taken a beginner plant shopping, you already know: they walk straight to the calatheas. Can you blame them? These plants look like they were literally hand-painted by Mother Nature.

But calathea care is pretty tricky. The leaves curl. The edges go crispy and brown. The humidity demands feel impossible. Suddenly, your most beautiful plant becomes your most dramatic one.

That's why I brought Mark Hachadourian, Director of Glasshouse Horticulture at the New York Botanical Garden, to cover how to care for calatheas and prayer plants, troubleshoot the most common problems, and actually keep them alive.

In this episode, we learn:

What Marc does for the NYBG

What plants fall under the Marantaceae Family

Prayer Plant, Calathea and Stromanthe- their differences and similarities

Why do the leaves fold up and down as in “prayer”

Why the bottoms of many Marantaceae are purple

Why the tips brown and how we help avoid this

Why humidity is so important for the Marantaceae family

Marc answers a collection of listener questions

 

Mentioned in our conversation:

New York Botanical Garden

 

What do you think is the #1 reason calatheas are so hard to keep alive?

Check out the full show notes and blog for Mark's expert Calathea troubleshooting guide!

 

Follow Marc & NYBG:

Website

Instagram

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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Does this design decision bring me closer to nature? When I started renovating our new home a few months ago, I wasn’t going to make a single design choice without asking this question. This lens is called biophilic design, and I actually had an episode about it before! But to talk about it more, I’ve invited Oliver Heath, an architect, designer, and thought leader in biophilic design. Oliver is based in England, studied at the Bartlett School of Architecture, runs his own biophilic design consultancy, and has spent decades translating this science from large-scale commercial buildings into something the rest of us can actually use. He also wrote a book called Design a Healthy Home. Let's dive in!

 

In this episode, we learn:

[02:46] How did Oliver discover biophilic design?

[05:30] Is biophilic design taught in architecture school?

[07:34] How Oliver’s consulting firm applies nature to large commercial spaces

[10:05] Why happy people are more productive

[11:47] How biophilic design is trickling down to residential housing and communities

[13:52] What is the true definition of biophilic design?

[15:10] Espoma Organic

[17:31] The "always on" urban environments

[19:09] How nature affects property values, crime rates, and education

[24:41] The three key elements of biophilic design

[27:04] The true foundation of designing a space

[29:41] How to approach indoor airflow, fresh air, and scent

[31:32] Moving beyond technical checklists to the sensory quality of a building

[32:31] How to make your home more biophilic

[34:31] Tips for managing artificial light and circadian rhythms at home

[40:00] Picking colors based on positive nature experiences? (Ecological Valence Theory)

[44:02] Incorporating ‘haptic invitations’ and natural materials into your spaces

[45:34] How an autistic school in London used biophilic niches to create a safe sensory environment

[48:22] How to safely incorporate the sound and feel of water indoors

[51:55] Check out Oliver’s book ‘Design a Healthy Home’

[53:45] Check out Oliver’s online course!

[55:36] Oliver’s favorite biophilic features in his own home

[57:08] Where to find Oliver, his book, and the Biophilic Design School!

 

Mentioned in our conversation:

Design A Healthy Home by Oliver Heath

Oliver Heath Design School

The Hackney Garden School Project

International WELL Building Institute

Seattle Spheres

Lumie® | Wake-Up Light Alarm Clocks for Better Sleep + Waking

 

Incorporate nature into your home with easy but key biophilic tips from Oliver,

check out the full show notes and blog here!

 

Follow Oliver:
Website
Instagram
LinkedIn

 

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

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What if your houseplants are doing so much more than just looking pretty on your windowsill? What if they’re actually communicating, sensing their environment, and responding in ways we’re only beginning to understand?

In this Best of Growing Joy replay, I sit down with Paco Calvo and Natalie Lawrence, co-authors of Planta Sapiens, to explore plant intelligence, plant behavior, and the big question: do plants have feelings and some form of plant consciousness?

We talk about how plants sense their surroundings, how they “decide” where to grow, and what our human-plant connection can teach us about slowing down and reconnecting with nature.

If you’ve ever wondered whether your plants notice you, or what’s really going on inside your favorite vining houseplants, this conversation will totally change how you see every plant in your home and garden!

 

In this episode, we learn:

[06:32] Who is Professor Paco Palvo?

[07:01] Why is MINT Lab in the philosophy department instead of the plant science department?

[09:28] Who is Natalie Lawrence? 

[10:00] The relationship between animals and plants: biophilia

[13:34] What is anthropophilia?

[16:26] What role do houseplants play in our relationship with nature?

[18:04] How humans have shaped the phenotype, or characteristics, of plants through agriculture

[20:09] What special message would you engrave on your wind chime?

[22:40] The best way to sleep better and feel calmer naturally in no time!

[25:58] Different types of intelligence displayed by plants

[26:39] How do we see from a plant’s perspective?

[27:27] Tip 1: Observe the plants’ behavior through time-lapse photography

[27:45] Tip 2: Monitor the plants’ electrophysiological states

[28:14] Tip 3: Observe the plant holistically through naked eyes (the most important!)

[32:41] Melatonin synthesis in plants: what we can learn 

[34:57] How vines (climbing plants) have evolved to locate host trees through senses like “sniffing”

[36:59] Where to get the best quality and variety of seeds for ease of planting experience this year!

[38:35] Sourcing a wide variety of high-quality soil, fertilizer, potty mix, and more!

[40:24] What are some of the ways vines (climbing plants) can find their host trees?

[42:04] Are plants smarter? (Hint: It’s not what you think!)

[44:07] What are the limits of technology when it comes to understanding plant intelligence?

[46:56] Do plants have feelings? 

[50:24] Do plants understand music?

[53:35] What is plant blindness?

 

Mentioned in our conversation:

Planta Sapiens: The New Science of Plant Intelligence, book by Paco Calvo and Natalie Lawrence

MINT Lab / Minimal Intelligence Lab

How society makes monsters, TEDx talk by Natalie Lawrence

BBC Wildlife – Natalie Lawrence 

BBC Woman's Hour “The unicorn – a symbol of our times?” with Natalie Lawrence

Natalie Lawrence on Aeon Magazine

 

Do you think your houseplants can actually sense what’s happening around them?

Check out the full show notes and blog for a deeper look at plant intelligence and consciousness!

 

Follow Paco:

MINT Lab

Follow Natalie:

Website

X

Linkedin

 

 

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.