The Power of a Therapeutic Garden to Help Us Feel Better

07/25/23 • 42 min

2 Listeners

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

Gardening has long been known for its therapeutic advantages and as a place of calm and peace in the middle of a hectic schedule. Garden therapy can relieve stress and enhance our mental and emotional health. In this episode, we'll look at 9 gardening practices that can help you develop a deeper connection with nature—and yourself.

In this episode, we learn:

[05:11] Therapeutic benefits of gardening during tough times
[09:40] How gardening can help you with focus and monotasking
[10:55] The connection between gardening and mindfulness
[12:55] 9 therapeutic garden activities for a more joyful gardening experience
[13:01] #1 Turn your garden visits into a self-care reflection moment
[17:08] Where can you find the best tone fertilizers for your indoor and outdoor plants?
[21:09] Engage your 5 senses!
[21:18] #2 Sight (being fully present in the beauty of nature)
[22:53] #3 Smell (enjoy aromas and incorporate them into daily routines)
[24:56] #4 Sound (especially bird songs!)
[26:54] #5 Touch (trace leaf outlines and feel their textures)
[28:38] #6 Taste (try your homegrown produce!)
[29:56] #7 Affirmations (to your plants and yourself)
[33:24] #8 Grow flowers
[35:39] #9 Look for plant/life parallels

Mentioned in our conversation:

Merlin Bird ID
GJWM Episode 186 The History Of Houseplants With Jane Perrone
GJWM 188 The Art Of Aromatic Gardening With Amy Of NYC Aromatica

For a closer look into these therapeutic gardening practices,

check out the full show notes and blog here!

Thank you to our episode sponsors:

Espoma Organic

Ensure a thriving garden with the right products! Espoma Organic is dedicated to making safe indoor and outdoor gardening products for people, pets, and the planet. They have an amazing variety of high-quality, organic potting mixes, garden soil, fertilizers, and pest control products that are organic and eco-friendly. To top it all off, they have a huge sustainability commitment with a 100% solar powered plant, zero waste manufacturing and eco-friendly packaging.

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

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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Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

In this episode, we learn:

[05:11] Therapeutic benefits of gardening during tough times
[09:40] How gardening can help you with focus and monotasking
[10:55] The connection between gardening and mindfulness
[12:55] 9 therapeutic garden activities for a more joyful gardening experience
[13:01] #1 Turn your garden visits into a self-care reflection moment
[17:08] Where can you find the best tone fertilizers for your indoor and outdoor plants?
[21:09] Engage your 5 senses!
[21:18] #2 Sight (being fully present in the beauty of nature)
[22:53] #3 Smell (enjoy aromas and incorporate them into daily routines)
[24:56] #4 Sound (especially bird songs!)
[26:54] #5 Touch (trace leaf outlines and feel their textures)
[28:38] #6 Taste (try your homegrown produce!)
[29:56] #7 Affirmations (to your plants and yourself)
[33:24] #8 Grow flowers
[35:39] #9 Look for plant/life parallels

Mentioned in our conversation:

Merlin Bird ID
GJWM Episode 186 The History Of Houseplants With Jane Perrone
GJWM 188 The Art Of Aromatic Gardening With Amy Of NYC Aromatica

For a closer look into these therapeutic gardening practices,

check out the full show notes and blog here!

Thank you to our episode sponsors:

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

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

Previous Episode

undefined - Overwatered vs Underwatered Plants, How Much Light Do Indoor Plants Need and More Common Houseplant Problems: Grow Better with Leslie

Overwatered vs Underwatered Plants, How Much Light Do Indoor Plants Need and More Common Houseplant Problems: Grow Better with Leslie

Do your plants get enough water and light? These questions are typically asked, and the answer is often "It depends." But this answer is more meaningful than you might think, which will be explained in today's episode of our new series, "Grow Better," featuring Leslie Halleck. As a certified horticulturist with extensive experience in plant care, Leslie is here to share her insights on the subject of overwatering and underwatering, offer valuable insights into the optimal light requirements for plants, and explore the common challenges plants encounter.

In this episode, we learn:

[07:04] Who is Leslie Halleck and what is her background in plant care?
[08:24] How has social media impacted plant parenthood and gardening? (aka green guilt)
[10:32] Why losing plants is normal even for horticulturalists
[12:06] Why do plants need time to adapt when moving from a greenhouse to our homes?
[16:51] How are watering and light related in plant care?
[20:39] Where can you find stylish grow lights with full spectrum warm white light?
[25:04] How relative humidity affects houseplants
[27:24] Other key challenges that gardeners face with outdoor plants
[31:52] How can you tell if a plant is dying?
[38:10] How does excessive light affect plants? What is phytotoxicity?
[41:18] Other effects of low light on plants
[41:54] Signs and symptoms of overwatering and underwatering in plants
[48:10] What causes leaf drop?
[51:35] What are the key indicators and signs of nutrient deficiency in both houseplants and garden plants
[57:06] How can you distinguish between healthy and unhealthy yellow or pink foliage on plants like Cissus discolor that lack green leaves?
[01:00:05] Why it is important to know the plant's environment and care habits
[01:03:03] When is the right time to dispose of a plant?
[01:10:30] Where can you find Leslie Halleck on social media?

Mentioned in our conversation:

For an in-depth look on overwatering vs underwatering,

check out the full show notes and blog here!

Thank you to our episode sponsor:

Soltech Solutions

Bring the beauty of nature into your home. Soltech Solutions makes the grow lights you’ve heard me talk about for years: whether you are looking for a pendant light, track lighting, or a simple bulb to screw into any standard light fixture, Soltech has got you covered. They offer quality products with great customer service, free shipping, and a 5-year warranty. Keep the sun shining and the plants green inside your home with Soltech Solutions.

Check them out at soltechsolutions.com and get 15% off with code "bloom15".

Follow Leslie:

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

Next Episode

How They Built a Million Dollar Company: Plantrepreneur Profile with Soltech

Soltech has achieved remarkable success in recent years, growing from a small startup to a million-dollar business. For long-time listeners, you probably bought their grow lights already using my coupon code Bloom15, and I’m sure you love them as much as I do! And for those who haven’t, join me in this episode as we talk in-depth with Soltech’s founders and my dear plant friends—Chris, Mike, and Paul—about their remarkable journey, the challenges they overcame, and the strategies that propelled them to the pinnacle of success.

In this episode, we learn:

[06:13] Get to know the three people behind SolTech
[09:33] What is it like to create a multi-million dollar plant brand?
[11:28] Which came first, their friendship or the business?
[12:19] What role did plants play in their college lives?
[12:58] When did they realize the untapped potential and demand for high-quality grow lights
[15:58] The tale of Soltech grow lights
[19:17] Where can you find premium, handcrafted wind chimes that are perfect for gifting?
[24:03] Difficult sacrifices the founders had to make
[25:45] Living together and building Soltech
[26:52] What was their method of accountability and reinforcement for their shared vision?
[30:48] Reassuring signs of progress amid challenges and doubts
[34:19] How did community development become integral to Soltech?
[37:34] Low-cost strategies that resulted in significant results
[44:02] House plant grow lights vs. cannabis cultivation lights
[45:26] Why is manipulating the photosynthetic spectrum important in creating a full spectrum grow light?
[47:02] Why different plants require different colors in the spectrum
[49:12] New product launching soon: Grove LED bar light
[54:27] Tips for installing a grow light and ideal plant distance
[58:38] Obstacles and teachable moments
[01:08:13] What were some notable moments or achievements in the past year that Soltech's founders go "holy shit"?
[01:16:38] Where can you find Soltech on social media?

Mentioned in our conversation:

PRE-ORDER THE GROVE GROW BAR!

Curious about the ups and downs of starting a plant business?

Check out the full show notes and blog here!

PRE-ORDER THE GROVE GROW BAR!

Thank you to our episode sponsor:

Wind River Chimes

Bring more peace, serenity, and magic into your home with chimes. Wind River is a Virginia-based company creating premium handcrafted and hand-tuned wind chimes for over 35 years. If you are looking for a new way to grow joy in your life and find a moment of peace, a Wind River chime is the perfect addition for your home or garden. Plus, it's a perfect personalized gift for your loved ones!

Visit windriverchimes.com and use code GROWINGJOY to receive free engraving on all Corinthian Bells wind chimes.

Follow Soltech Solutions:

PRE-ORDER THE GROVE GROW BAR!