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

Have you fallen down the greenhouse rabbit hole yet, plant friends? If you've had plants for more than a year, you're probably like me, who's started Googling "how to put a greenhouse in my backyard" already. And I learned that a greenhouse isn't a big plant shelf but a structure, and it's probably the largest single purchase you'll make as a plant parent. I'm in Zone 10b in Florida and I still haven't built mine. So I asked Leslie Halleck, a favorite podcast guest, a long-time friend, and someone who has a master's in greenhouse production and a new book called Home Greenhouse Revival, what to figure out first. And I think she also holds the guest record for most appearances on the show! Let's dive in!

In this episode, we learn:
[02:06] Meet Leslie Halleck
[02:33] Moving her whole life and business from Texas to Oregon
[03:29] Why the Pacific Northwest is a ‘horticultural mecca’ for gardeners
[04:42] Lelie’s new 6-acre property (what she calls folia forest farm)
[06:49] What does her "pocket farming" look like?
[09:03] Why are greenhouses trending?
[12:51] What is the biggest greenhouse mistake?
[14:13] Why cooling a greenhouse is so much harder than heating one
[15:29] Manukora Honey
[17:47] Hoop house vs. glass house
[18:47] What are the elements that make up a greenhouse?
[21:21] Greenhouse framing materials and glazing!
[22:43] Is there a beginner-friendly greenhouse?
[25:04] What Leslie thinks about thrifted/DIY vintage window greenhouses
[27:41] How to pick the right greenhouse size?
[29:48] Greenhouses as the expensive part of a cheap hobby
[30:33] Using multiple greenhouses to zone temperature and humidity
[32:47] What about a half-empty greenhouse?
[33:26] What is AOI (angle of incidence)? How roof pitch and sun angle affect how much light gets in
[35:49] Inside the plant profiles (PPFD, DLI, photoperiod, fertilizer PPM, and VPD)
[39:21] How does pest management in a greenhouse work?
[43:33] Leslie's dream greenhouse for her new property (and why she's leaning Venlo)
[48:23] How greenhouse pricing and options have changed and where to find good manufacturers
[50:26] Why you want someone local who knows your climate and orientation
[51:29] Starting small without setting yourself up to fail (and reviving a greenhouse that already flopped)
[54:10] Where to find Leslie, the book, her gardener's round tables, and her UCLA courses!

Mentioned in our conversation:
By Leslie Halleck:Home Greenhouse Revival
Plant Parenting
Gardening Under Lights

The Gardener's Roundtable
Episodes:331: What is Forest Bathing: Exploring Forest Therapy with ANFT
250: The Business of Horticulture with Leslie Halleck
222: Humidity and Houseplants with Leslie Halleck
208: DIY Houseplant First Aid Kit with Leslie Halleck
204: How to Identify Houseplant Disease with Leslie Halleck
173: Seed Starting Basics with Joe Lamp'l

Prime Video: Clarkson's Farm

For Leslie's expert greenhouse advice,
check out the full show notes and blog here!

Follow Leslie:
Website
Shop
Facebook
X
Pinterest
YouTube
Instagram

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

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How can we use flowers to further connect with nature and with the world? My mom once photocopied an entire flower dictionary for me from the thick pages of The Language of Flowers. I loved that she did it, but then I never really used it because it was too dense and there were a lot of meanings nobody says out loud anymore. But then I’ve thought deeply about it. I've grown dahlias my whole life. I have four hibiscus in my front lawn now. What if those choices were saying something? So I sat down with Mary Kelava, a former florist and author of A Bouquet of Words, to finally learn the language of flowers as a gardener. Come learn with me!



In this episode, we learn:

[01:27] Meet Mary Kelava!

[02:12] How she became a florist and a flower language expert

[03:41] Two types of flower books you’re bound to read!

[06:08] My mom’s photocopied dictionary part of ‘The Language of Flowers’

[07:41] Where does the language of flowers come from?

[10:21] How did the Victorian era understand the language of flowers?

[11:38] What the flowers you're drawn to might be telling you

[12:46] Why color, personal memory, and fragrance matter as much as the meaning

[15:03] Espoma Organic

[16:54] Leslie Halleck's new book, Home Greenhouse Revival

[18:30] Kate Middleton's wedding bouquet, Queen Elizabeth's funeral flowers, and a Lego hibiscus

[20:16] Do flower colors carry meanings of their own, or is it just color psychology?

[21:46] What zinnias mean, and how to handle flowers bred in every color

[22:58] What the research for her book ‘A Bouquet of Words’ looked like

[23:57] Do flower meanings hold up across cultures?

[25:35] How to start learning the language of flowers easily

[27:02] How to build a themed garden with meaning using easy-to-grow flowers

[28:29] Planning a flower memorial garden for a pet

[31:01] How to write notes that go with the bouquet

[32:29] Bringing this to the florist (or to the $6.99 Trader Joe's flowers)

[34:46] Bouquet recipes for housewarmings, Christmas, and new babies

[36:26] What are some birth month and zodiac flowers?

[37:02] Get well flowers, and giving hydrangea to someone who's persevered

[37:50] Why Mary assigns a signature flower to her closest friends

[38:34] What flowers to give someone in grief?

[40:49] Where to find Mary and A Bouquet of Words!



Mentioned in our conversation:

A Bouquet of Words by Mary Kelava

Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

Episode 339: How to Grow Sweet Peas, The World's Most Nostalgic Flower with Marryn Mathis



To grow flowers that have meaning to you,

check out the full show notes and blog for Mary's recommendations!



Follow Mary:

Website
Instagram
Blogs



Thank you to our episode sponsors:

Espoma Organic

Visit espoma.com to find your local Espoma dealer or check my Amazon storefront.

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.

What if the fewer the plants, the bigger the impact? Right now my house is a construction zone, and my plants are on their own. I have an eight-week-old baby, a '70s house we gutted mid-pregnancy, and a carpeted garage. So yes, a few plants have died. But something else is happening too! My taste is changing. I'm letting go of a lot of little plants, and I want one big beautiful plant for my bathroom instead. In fact, my friend Samantha Hermann of @houseplusplant and I are both in a transitional season of life. She’s moving into a house she designed around her plants... and cutting her collection from 300 to about 100. Here's what she taught me. Let's dive in!

 

In this episode, we learn:

[01:42] Grab a mini course for whatever your plants need right now with the Growing Joy Academy!

[02:57] Welcome back, Samantha of @houseplusplant

[04:05] How much did her plants influence her home design aesthetic?

[06:07] Instagram vs. reality: where do plant people actually keep their plants?

[07:36] Cutting her collection from 300 plants down to 100 (intentional vs. collector)

[10:11] Why she's only keeping big statement plants now

[12:03] The guilt of letting a plant go

[15:23] Manukora Honey

[19:22] What is she most excited about in the new house?

[22:20] Renovating a 1970s house while I’m pregnant!

[24:33] Collecting pieces with a story instead of getting them off Amazon

[25:29] What are some plant styling rules for a calm home?

[28:21] Treating a statement plant as art!

[30:19] What makes a plant grouping actually work?

[32:33] Does the rule of threes work for plants?

[33:54] Why there's always a hoya in her groupings

[36:49] Blooming houseplants that don't get enough credit!

[37:49] The custom window shelves she's sad to take down

[40:00] How to build grow lights into your house (outlets, dimmers, timers, and hiding cords)

[42:16] Why spreading plants throughout your home makes you enjoy them more

[45:20] What makes her book House + Plant different and QR codes to her DIYs

[47:28] Pre-orders, the October 6th release, and where to find Samantha!

 

Mentioned in our conversation:

Growing Joy Academy

House Plus Plant Equals Home by Samantha Hermann

Beautiful Views Shelves

Soltech Highland™ LED Track Light System (Use Bloom15 for 15% off)

SANSI LED Grow Lights Collection for Indoor Plants

Episode 235: How to Care for a Lot of Plants (AKA Have a Large Plant Collection) with Samantha of @houseplusplant

 

For Samantha's amazing tips on how to do more with fewer plants,

check out the full show notes and blog here!

 

Follow Samantha:

Website
Instagram
YouTube
TikTok
Facebook

 

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.

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

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

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.