Nature as Medicine: What 2,200 Studies Taught Dr. John La Puma About Getting Outside

When winter sets in and our gardens go dormant, that 'green itch' doesn’t go anywhere! In this Best of Growing Joy replay, I’m revisiting my conversation with returning guest Perla Sofía Curbelo-Santiago, certified horticultural therapist and author of Verdura: Living a Garden Life, all about indoor plant projects for stress relief and mental health. Perla shares her genius tiny barefoot garden, a shallow pot of fragrant thyme you can rest your feet on for a little grounding when it’s too cold to go shoeless outside (an idea I’ve used ever since). We also cover creating a miniature garden escape, gardening for your inner child, and why just 15 minutes with plants can lift your mood for days. In this episode, we learn: [01:53] Rebranding of my YouTube Channel [02:43] Introducing Perla Sofia Curbelo-Santiago aka Agrochic! [04:24] How did Perla develop her passion for gardening and plants? [07:05] How did Agrochic start? [09:38] How did Perla balance Spanish and English content? [11:32] What does her plant collection and garden look like? [15:08] Make meditation more relaxing and meaningful with Wind River’s Meditation Chimes! [16:51] Learn how to grow cut flowers with The Cut Flower Handbook’s beautiful illustrations! [18:41] Why are people drawn to nature and plants right now? [21:08] Seeking simplicity to escape social media overstimulation [22:08] Perla’s interesting success stories about bringing plants into clients' lives [29:17] What is nature’s role in mood and healing? [30:42] Concept of gardening as a means to reconnect with one's inner child [34:18] Rediscover a sense of “awe” and childlike wonder [38:21] What is Perla’s barefoot garden project all about? [45:02] How do you create a miniature garden for yourself? [50:34] Get Perla’s book and follow her on social media!

Have you ever picked up a plant at the garden center and wondered how the houseplants even get here? I didn't think about it much until I was invited to speak at Cultivate, one of the biggest horticulture industry conferences, and I spent the whole time walking the halls. I'd been caring for plants for years. But I had no idea how much love and time go into getting one plant onto a store shelf. So I asked my friend Justin Hancock to walk us through it. Justin is a horticulturist at Costa Farms, the largest houseplant grower in the world. We talked about plant hunters, secret R&D areas in greenhouses, years of testing, and literally millions of cuttings before a plant ever makes it onto a store shelf! Let's dive in!

If you're already dreaming about your 2027 garden, I fully support you! But I also want to encourage you to take a beat... because the best thing you can do for next year's garden is to properly put your garden to bed for winter right now. So here's one of my favorite conversations for the Best of Growing Joy series. It's with author and garden influencer Resh Gala, and it's all about what she does at the end of the growing season to feed the soil, support wildlife, and make spring gardening so much easier. We cover compost, cover crops, what to leave behind, and what to clean up during your fall garden cleanup. And Resh shares the one crop you should plant before winter so you can enjoy it in the spring. In this episode, we learn: [05:19] Resh's gardening journey and how understanding soil quality led to her success [07:53] How does Resh balance gardening, extending the growing season, and self-care in her small backyard garden? [09:37] Creating a greenhouse effect in snowy conditions with bent metal or PVC pipes [11:24] Why preparing and “putting to bed” gardens for winter is important [13:20] What are the sustainable gardening practices for winter that you should know about? [16:57] Importance of adding compost to garden beds before winter to improve soil health [19:13] What should be done in spring to prepare the soil for planting? [20:18] Nourish your garden with Espoma Organic's diverse range of organic composts [22:19] Gift a touch of harmony this holiday with Wind River Wind Chimes [25:10] Why cover crops are a valuable addition to regenerative gardening and soil enrichment [28:54] Why it’s easy to grow garlic during winter (keeps pests away, resilient, and is a gardener’s favorite!) [32:09] Why is it important to reflect on the gardening season as part of self-care in plant care? [34:09] Resh’s favorite list of what to grow in preparation for the next garden season (tomatoes and cucumber varieties) [39:59] What kinds of flowers does Resh like to grow in her garden to attract pollinators? [48:19] Pre-order Resh's upcoming book Vegetable Gardening Made Easy later this year [50:52] Where can you find Resh on social media?

This might be uncomfortable to ask you, plant friends, but when was the last time you had an original thought? Meaning, it shouldn’t be something you heard from a podcast, Instagram, or even ChatGPT. I’ve been itching to ask this question since coming back from maternity leave. And even when I sat down to write this, I caught myself scrolling, trying to find more about how to stop doing exactly that. This might be a little different from what we always talk about, but I figured it's something we can all have a conversation about. Let's dive in!

The first time I visited Arizona, I could not believe my eyes. I could not believe that, as someone who spent my life growing up in the Northeast, an arid desert like Arizona exists! The southwestern climate is so wild because I don't understand how a desert garden could look and feel lush and magical, just like a tropical oasis, but it can. It's all about desert landscaping with low-water plants and native desert plants that are built to grow on less. So I visited the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, Arizona a couple of years ago, and I got to interview Tina Wilson, their Director of Horticulture, who gave us this crash course on how to landscape in the desert. So for this episode of the Best of Growing Joy series, I wanted to bring back this conversation for any of our listeners living in arid desert areas in the Southwest. Because plant friends, there are gorgeous drought-tolerant plants and smart drip irrigation systems that will bring pollinators and gorgeous beings to your southwest garden, so it grows well instead of just looking fried! In this episode, we learn: [04:58] How Tina Wilson became Director of Horticulture at Desert Botanical Garden [06:13] Tina's duties as Director of Horticulture [08:04] Unique vegetation in Arizona [10:02] What is desert landscaping? (and its 3 characteristics!) [13:08] Gardening zones in the Southwest [14:06] Key factors to consider when landscaping in the desert [14:42] Right plant at the right location! [15:51] What are the plants recommended for desert landscapes? [16:46] The impact of the southwestern sun on plants [18:17] Protecting plants from sunburn with shade cloth [19:16] What is a plant palette? [21:08] Where to find the best bamboo bedding for health and comfort? [23:36] Want to grow fresh berries in your own garden? [25:09] The importance of water conservation and irrigation in the desert [26:22] Why reduce grass/turf in desert landscapes? [29:24] The process of renovating a yard: soil profiling and testing [31:07] Why are native desert plants so well-suited to desert conditions? [33:34] An overview of desert plants' root systems [34:17] How a Saguaro cactus stays upright despite its shallow root system [35:53] Exploring water harvesting techniques [37:02] What are some of the drought-tolerant plants? [40:20] Tina's favorite pollinator-attracting plants [42:04] Maria's experience at the New York Botanical Garden [42:39] Join Desert Landscape School now for an exceptional learning experience. [45:26] Is there a season for growing food in the desert?