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

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

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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 sponsor:

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.

 

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.

What if the most relaxing time for you in your garden isn't during the day, but after dark? In those cool summer nights when garden chores aren't practical because you can't see very well, we have a unique opportunity to ease burnout, support mental health, and deepen your connection to plants and nature. So I'm joined by a friend, Perla Sofia Curbelo-Santiago, a repeat guest and the author of Verdura, to talk about her new take on garden breaks after dark. And we discuss how to create simple, mindful rituals that help plant parents unwind, reset, and find joy in the garden in the evening, in even just 10 minutes. Let's get started!

 

In this episode, we learn:

[01:39] Catching up with Perla Sofia Curbelo-Santiago and the Northwest Flower and Garden Show!

[03:43] What Perla has been up to since publishing her book, Verdura

[05:13] How do garden breaks improve employee well-being?

[09:15] Perla’s personal wake-up call with burnout and

[10:22] Why we need to stop feeling guilty about taking breaks

[14:05] Why shifting your garden break to the evening is an overlooked opportunity

[14:58] Experience single-origin honey with 3x more antioxidants with Manukora!

[16:43] How experiencing complete darkness after Hurricane Maria inspired Perla’s night sky gardening

[18:36] How our artificial outdoor lighting negatively affects pollinators and migrating birds

[19:01] Why it’s actually easier to relax in your garden at night than during the day

[21:12] Simple ways to light your outdoor spaces without disturbing local wildlife

[25:14] How to safely plan your paths and prepare for your first garden break after dark

[28:48] What should you actually do during a 5 to 15-minute nighttime garden break?

[33:25] How to take a meaningful nature break when winter weather keeps you indoors

[36:43] How one client uses her garden's evening soundscape to decompress after a long workday

[41:21] Where to find Perla, AgroChic, and her resources online!

 

Mentioned in our conversation:

Growing Joy Episode 225: Indoor Plant Projects for Stress Relief with Perla Sofía Curbelo-Santiago

¡Verdura! – Living a Garden Life: 30 Projects to Nurture Your Passion for Plants and Find Your Bliss by Perla Curbelo-Santiago

 

For Perla's mindful gardening insights,

check out the full show notes and blog here!

 

Follow Perla:

Website – Spanish
Website – English
Instagram
Facebook
Twitter/X

 

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

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.

What if herbs go beyond the small, contained, and kitchen-window plants we use them for? Herbs could do so, so much more! In this episode, I sit down with Sue Goetz, a garden designer, author, and herb obsessive, to explore the many different ways we can use our favorite herbs in our garden landscape. She has a five-foot rosemary hedge in her backyard and uses chamomile between her stepping stones. She also grows lavender, sage, and catmint as full-on landscape plants that feed her, scent her garden, attract pollinators, and keep deer out. So not only do herbs have flavor, fragrance, and medicinal properties, they’re also low-maintenance once established. Let's dive in!

 

In this episode, we learn:

[01:38] Meet garden designer and author Sue Goetz!

[02:09] How Sue developed a passion for plants

[05:07] Why herbs are the most "generous" plants

[06:28] Why scent is the most underutilized sense in our gardens

[08:57] How to start treating herbs as large landscape shrubs, trees, and hedges

[10:45] Which herbs are best for replacing large plants/hedges?

[12:23] How to get large creeping and upright rosemary hedges

[15:09] Invest in quality soil and compost to build your garden’s foundation with Espoma Organic!

[16:33] What are some deer-resistant herbs that we can use as protectors?

[19:02] Which smaller herbs work best for edging borders and invisible fences

[20:24] Is Alyssum an herb?

[20:48] Landscape herb sun needs and chamomile ground cover

[24:37] How chives double as a sturdy pollinator magnet and an easy DIY gift

[26:25] How can we use herbs as landscape plants to attract more pollinators?

[29:04] Why you might be killing your lavender and how it actually wants to be treated

[32:10] How to pair landscape herbs together (and which aggressive spreaders belong in pots)

[34:34] Why you should grow what you love and then try one "crazy" experiment

[38:55] How to use colored basil for landscape pop and cut flower arrangements

[41:21] Simple ratio for mixing your own herbal bath salts from the garden

[44:26] Where to find Sue, her blog, and her themed container herb gardening book!

 

Mentioned in our conversation:

Complete Container Herb Gardening by Sue Goetz

Crescent Garden Self-Watering Elevated Planter

 

For Sue's recommended herbs for garden landscaping,

check out the full show notes and blog here!

 

Follow Sue:

Website
The Herb Lover's Garden
Instagram
Facebook

 

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.