Bloom And Grow Radio

Take the Bloom and Grow Radio 2020 Listener Survey!  It’s always a pleasure to have my #plantfriendIRL Danae from Folia Collective back on the show. Danae is a beloved guest of BAGR from her episode on How to Start a Plant Shop. The Folia Collective shops are in Los Angeles and she has created an epic planty brand for herself and her shops that filled with the most gorgeous, varied plants and beautiful plant accessories.  Danae has always had an unbelievable eye for design and style and so it makes complete sense that she was tapped to write her new book which just came out:Houseplants for All: How to Fill Any Home with Happy Plants  This is a really unique book at the intersection of Plant Care and Plant Styling. I’m so excited about and Danae was nice enough to join me for a conversation around Plant Styling. I… am not so gifted with an eye for design, so this conversation was super informative and left me with lots of great ideas for projects and guidelines for our future home.   In this episode we learn:

Plant Friends WELCOME to the 100th episode of Bloom and Grow Radio. Wow, I can’t believe we are here. 100 episodes over 3 years, when I really thought we might not get past episode 10. I’m humbled, proud and incredibly honored to have been through this journey alongside you. If you’ve been listening, you’ll know that this podcast was such an insane surprise for me. I’m a professional musical theater performer with a degree is in opera, I’ve spent my life as a plant killer, and now here I am, publishing this episode in celebration of 100 times we as a community have shown up to learn and grow together and nerd out about plants and plant care. What?! I’m so thankful to this community for supporting the show with your listens, shares, contributions and engagement. Beyond thankful. So today is going to be a celebration of just that- this beautiful community.   Speaking of community here are some resources I've made for our community to use!   The 2020 Bloom and Grow Radio Listener Survey - Please take 5 minut

So thrilled to welcome back Lisa from the Houseplant Guru for an EXTENSIVE chat about the wonderful world of ferns. We discuss why and how they are finicky and how to successfully care for them. We also discuss a fun variety of ferns to try for different personalities and answer a whole bunch of listener questions! Lisa has just published her FOURTH book Houseplant Party, filled with fun planty DIY projects for every type of person! In this episode we learn: Why Ferns are considered finicky Where ferns live in nature and how that affects their ability to thrive indoors How to best replicate their environment indoors Lisas humidity hacks to help ferns thrive Basic fern care: light, water, humidity How to fertilize ferns How to deal with mealybugs and scale with Ferns How "systemic pest control" actually works (I had not idea!) What are SPORES How to identify common fern pests Best ferns for different personalities Lisas favorite ferns to try Staghorn ferns Best watering cans to use Mentioned in this

Hi Plant Friends! I cant believe the 100th episode of Bloom and Grow Radio is around the corner! Many of you have been around since episode 1, and I'm so honored to have learned alongside you in this three year journey! The 100th episode will be my top 10 lessons learned from 100 episodes! I want this episode to be all about our community and these 100 episodes of learning, so I'd like to feature YOU and hear what YOU have learned from the 100 episode catalogue!   I'd love you to call in and answer the following question to get featured in the 100th episode!   What has been your favorite episode of BAGR and how did it help you and/or what is the top thing you've learned from listening to an episode BAGR?   How fun will it be for our community to share their most important lessons with each other? The episode itself will turn into a community sourced, education tribute to all of our amazing guests.   Here are the instructions for calling in! INSTRUCTIONS:   1) Call (203) 998-0394 2) Say and Spe

Plant friends: big announcement, WE’VE MOVED. I’ve been returning to the concept of pruning as I go through many unforeseen changes in life these days, the biggest being that Billy and I have moved out of our tiny NYC apartment in search of adventure and more space. Today I share the science behind pruning, and how it’s been helping me stay present and trust these sudden changes will all work out. I hope it helps you in your transitions and changes of 2020 as well!   My NYC Apartment Tour! 100+ Plants in less than 500 square feet! https://youtu.be/-ahLE_zusrI   FOLLOW MARIA AND BLOOM AND GROW RADIO: Take the Plant Parent Personality Test!:  Unlock your Plant Parent Potential by taking the test below and get curated recommendations for plants, projects and resources inspired by your lifestyle. Support Bloom and Grow Radio by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon! Instagram and Facebook: @BloomandGrowRadio Subscribe to the Bloom and Grow Youtube Show! /Bloomandgrowradio Website: www.bloomandgrowradio.com Join the

I am SO very excited to welcome Dr Elle Barnes, my teacher for my Intro to Plant Science with NYBG. HOLY MOLY this episode was so fun to record. I took the Intro to Plant Science Course with the NYBG virtually via Zoom during this period of social distancing and what I learned throughout the course blew my mind. Intro to Plant Science might be my most favorite class I’ve taken at NYBG yet. We dive into the basics of all of the processes that make our plant babies thrive and there is just so much to learn. Dr Barnes did such a good job at breaking down difficult plant science topics so even I could understand them that I was having major “aha! moments” every class. I started a running list at the bottom of my notes document titled “aha moments” so I could always refer back to them. That list has now turned into this episode! In today’s chat, I go through the “aha moment” list with Dr Barnes and ask her to help me explain all of these fundamental principals that have helped me understand plant care on such a de

I’m thrilled to welcome Nadia of Urban Farm Sista to the show today to discuss garden pests and her mission with the Agricademy. Nadia is the plant lady behind several amazing businesses and planty projects including the Urban Farm Sista Educational Social Media Platforms, Quiwi Produce and Agricademy. She graduated from Ohio State in 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in Agriculture where she majored in Animal Sciences/minored in Entomology. Entomology is bugs, plant friends and today we do a DEEP DIVE into the common garden pests and insects that we struggle with and learn how to identify and treat them. I appreciate this conversation with Nadia because she helps us zoom out and understand our gardens as a full ecosystem. In gardening, it's always important to "zoom out" and see the larger picture, this conversation very much illustrates that! Check out the Bloom and Grow Youtube Show!   What we learn: How Nadia became the founder of Quiwi Produce, the Agricademy and Urban Farm Sista Why Nadia chose

I’m  so thrilled to invite my Soil Science teacher Dr. Anna Paltseva to join us today for a nerdy conversation about soil science and drainage. I took her Soil Science 101 class virtually with the NYBG this year and learned so much. I look at soil and the earth differently after this course. What we learned is way too much to cover in one episode, so today Dr Paltseva and I hone in on drainage for houseplants: why it’s important, the science behind it and how we can achieve it for our houseplants.  I think one of my top 5 proudest moments over the 95 episode span of BAGR is the "lightbulb moment" we have in this conversation while discussing capillary action. But I’ll let you hear it in your own time in the midst of the episode. If you want more: I made a super nerdy youtube video companion to this episode. I show you some visuals to further explain what we discussed in our interview and show you the experiments I did for my presentation on drainage. Speaking of the NYBG, they have created an incredib

On the heels of the #amplifymelanatedvoices initiative, we take pause to reflect on the national and international conversation happening around the Black Lives Matter movement. We hear excerpts from two episodes with two beautiful Black Plant People, Christopher from PlantKween and Colah from Black in the Garden, share inspiring stories about how the Plant Community rallied to raise money and support the Black Lives Matters Movement, hear what Maria and Bloom and Grow's commitments are and end with a special poem and time for reflection.  Featured  Voices, Resources and Inspirational Stories of the Plant Community Stepping Up to Support Black Lives Matter Follow Christopher AKA PlantKween on Instagram: @plantkween Follow Colah and Black in the Garden: on Instagram @blackinthegarden  and subscribe on iTunes: Black in the Garden Podcast Ross Gay: A Small Needful Fact  https://www.rossgay.net/about Summer Rayne Oakes #PlantOneForward resource for Black Owned Plant Shops - this can be added to, so many sure

So thrilled to be welcoming Becca de la Plants and  SO MANY of our favorite plant-tubers to the show today on an epic cross media collaboration! I have become very curious about the Plant-tube, the Planty corner of Youtube, and decided to do a deep dive by reaching out to YOUR favorite plant-tubers to get answers to my questions! This is a two part episode hosted on the Bloom and Grow Radio Podcast and Youtube Show. Todays podcast episode has special guest Becca de la Plants for a conversation on all things youtube: history, the differences in the plant-tube sect of the youtube space, maintaining a channel, growing one, monetization and etiquette. THEN we have a beautiful montage of 11 plant-tubers sharing why they love their channels and the plant-tube community and why (you'll be surprised at how varied their answers are!). THEN on the Bloom and Grow Youtube Channel, we have a video with all 13 of us sharing How to Sow, Grow and Nourish a Plant-tube Channel with tips for creating your OWN channel if you

Today we welcome back Marc Hachadourian from the New York Botanical Garden to the show! You might remember Marc from Episode 50: Maranta, Calathea and Stromanthe 101 where he gave so many amazing tips and tricks for caring for this finicky but beautiful group of plants. Now he is back for an in depth review of the world of Begonias! He gives us the history of these plants and tips and guidelines to keep these gorgeous creatures thriving in our homes. As you’ll learn in the episode, I’ve always been a bit scared of Begonias, but after this episode, I’ve found myself cruising online plant shops for an Angel Wing Begonia… I found a Red Ruby Begonia which I’ve ordered off of amazon and will do an unboxing of when it arrives, but if you have the inside scoop on where I can get an Angel Wing Begonia… let me know on the post for the podcast episode on IG! Marc Hachadourian is the Director of Glasshouse Horticulture and Senior Curator of Orchids at the New York Botanical Garden. His amazing plant brain, friendly pers

So excited to welcome my MOM back to Bloom and Grow Radio today! It feels very fitting to have her joining us so close to Mother's Day! You might remember her from Episode 20: Talking Tomatoes when she gave us her Italian secrets to tomato gardening, and now she's back to talk about what she's learned with 5 years of edible landscaping under her belt (and a lifetime of general gardening experience). She shares her top 10 tips for Edible Landscaping and Gardening with our audience today and has a LOT to share. In this episode we learn: My Mom's history as a plant lady Her garden growing up with my Italian Grandparents Her tip for how to memorize your houseplant names Her process for evaluating her new house and figuring out how to start a garden on new land How she chooses plants for her garden How she grew the "Failla Farm" section by section over 5 years Mom's top 10 tips for edible landscaping and beginning gardeners! Read the top 10 tips on the blog! https://bloomandgrowradio.

I’m so excited to finally welcome Jane Perrone of On the Ledge Podcast to the show. Jane and I have both been podcasting for almost three years now and, if we do say so ourselves, are the OG houseplant centered podcast on the airwaves. It’s only taken three years and a pandemic to make our schedules clear enough to pull our heads out of the production of our own shows to finally visit each other shows, so we thought it would be fun to interview each other on our shows in the same week. So if you are interested in hearing Jane interview me you can check out her channel, and if you are a new listener of Jane’s coming here to hear her interview, welcome! In this episode we learn: If Jane Perrone and I view each other as competition How we feel about being the OG houseplant podcasters How Jane's family has reacted to her plant collection One particular topic that Jane wants to set the record straight about How both Jane and Maria have developed their knowledge of plant care Jane's favorite houseplant of

So excited to welcome Toby Adams, the Director of the Edible Academy for the New York Botanical Garden onto the show to talk all things vegetable gardening! The NYBG Edible Academy is a state-of-the-art educational facility featuring hands-on activities and innovative programs that help children, families, teachers, and the general public learn about growing and preparing vegetables, fruit, and herbs while encouraging a lifelong interest in gardening, nutrition awareness, and environmental stewardship. Toby has worked at the NYBG for almost 20 years, and has a passion for helping people understand how to grow food- as you’ll see in our interview. We don't talk a lot of about herbs because I've already done an Herb Garden 101 episode with a horticulturalist from NYBG on another episode! If you are interested in growing herbs check out Episode 22: Windowsill Herb Gardening 101 I’ve been taking a lot of online courses in this time of isolation and spending a lot of time focusing on what I will grow on my

Today's episode is simply me sharing things that are inspiring me in this weird time for our country. There is so much to be scared of, but so much to be thankful for and inspired by. A lot of people are feeling helpless and alone, and this is a list of ways that you can help those in need and yourself in the Age of Corona! Resources Mentioned in Today's Episode: #PlantOneForward Initiative Summer Rayne Oakes' #plantoneforward initiative: Summer Rayne is encouraging everyone in our community to support local growers and plant shops by sending one plants to one person who could use cheering up in this moment: a loved one, a plant friend, or maybe even someone you've lost touch with. If you can afford to, this is a great way to help our beloved plant shops (and the growers that supply them) stay in business. I sent a thank you plant from @plantsbypost From Summer Raynes' Blog post: "If even 100 of us do so, we’ll positively affect the lives of 300 people (you, the person who owns the sho

My Fiance, Billy, joins me today to give you the inside scoop on what the last year has looked like for us. As most of you know I left home for an entire year to travel with Cats the Musical, and Billy was left to care for all of our 150 plants all by himself. This was a HUGE undertaking for him, as I was the "primary caretaker" for our plants when we lived together, so we break down exactly how both of us went into this new phase of life and lessons learned along the way. Thank you to Billy, my partner in plants and partner in life, who greets every challenge with an open heart and open mind. I'm so thankful to have you to grow through life with. In this episode we learn: Billy's reaction to me leaving him with our 150 plants for tour for a year Billy's journey warming to my passion for plants when it began An overview of our "plant pause" How Billy managed caring for our 150 plants on his own while I toured the country with Cats Maria's strategies for helping Billy learn how

Brittany Gowan, the plant lady behind @ihavethisthingwithurbanjungles on IG and the Pause with Plants Podcast has been a #plantfriendIRL for a while now and a lovely lady. She has been practicing and teaching her Pause with Plants Method and we thought today would be the perfect time to discuss how to use plants to reduce stress. There has never been a better time than to have houseplants and practice houseplant care than now, when many of us are confined to our homes in the midst of this pandemic! It's important to understand tools and techniques for us to use our houseplants to reduce our stress. I've never been more thankful for my houseplants than the last 8 days of quarantine! This talk with Brittany inspired my to do a planty workout you can find on my IGTV. I hope it inspires you to bring a little calm into your "work from home" days!    In this episode we learn: How Brittany became the plant lady she is now and why she started Pause with Plants How to incorporate plants into your ment

I’m excited to have another podcaster join me today on the podcast! Today we welcome Colah B Tawkin of the Black in the Garden Podcast who created the podcast to bring more of a voice and presence for the stories and voices of Black Gardeners and Plant People. Today, in a belated Black History Month episode (since I didn’t air the podcast last month) Colah shares amazing stories about some historic  black gardeners and plant people, we discuss her top 5 favorite houseplants that originate in Africa and Colah highlights some beautifully diverse gardeners doing amazing things in the plant space who we need to know about! This conversation was eye opening, enlightening and inspiring and I’m thankful to Colah for sharing all of this amazing information! I hope you find this information as interesting as I did and that maybe you find a new person on IG to follow or make your #plantfriendIRL!   In this episode we learn: About Colah and her plant lady journey and why she created the Black in the Garden Podcast Abou

African Violets are having a comeback, plant friends! You heard it here first. I know a lot of people feel like African Violets are their "grandma's houseplants", but this flowering gesneriad brings cute fuzzy leaves and bright, multi-colored blooms to the tropical landscape of our urban jungles. What's not to love! They can sometimes be thought of as finicky, so Lisa the "Houseplant Guru" joins me to walk me through every step to African Violet success! Lisa is the author of Grow in the Dark: How to Choose and Care for Low Light Houseplants and Houseplants: The Complete Guide. I love her books (and the episode we did previously on Low Light Plants) and I love her! Have you checked out the new Bloom and Grow Radio Youtube Channel? If you like this content, you’ll love the fun videos I’m making- this week I released a moss pole tutorial video that pairs with episode 42 of the podcast with Tylor from Arium Botanicals. You can also find planty home makeovers, behind the scenes tours of ca

Thrilled to be bringing you the audio from the Live Taping on Herbal Mixology done in 2019 in Dallas at the Gardenuity HQ! The entire evening was built around my two favorite things: herbs and drinks! We had an amazing panel of female founders talking about how liquor and spirits are made (spoiler alert, they come from plants!), how to incorporate herbs and veggies into our cocktails and how to grow and select those plants! It's an amazing conversation with amazing women I'm thrilled to introduce you to! Meet the panelists Donna, Claudia and Chris! Donna is the co-founder of Gardenuity: a company that ships container gardens right to your door. They take the stress and hustle out of growing your own food. Whether you are looking for a kitchen herb garden, peppers, tomatoes, carrots or a variety of seasonal herbs and vegetables, Gardenuity will make growing them to harvest super simple. They have a cocktail herb garden which Billy and I have had for a couple of years that would be a fun purchase if you