Episode description

When I started researching the plant/person connection for my book, Growing Joy, something that surprised me was how limited my view of the plant/person relationship was to sight and taste. I knew I could enjoy looking at my plants and when appropriate, eating the ones I grew, but I realized that I was disconnected from my other three senses when it came to my plant collection. This conversation with Marc Hachadourian is all about our senses and feelings with plants - taped live at the New York Botanical Garden! We share simple and efficient ways to engage all your senses in the garden in this special ep. Let's get to it!

Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness (and Plants) by Maria Failla, Illustrated by Samantha Leung

so you don't miss the amazing episodes we have coming up!

• [01:15] Updates on Growing Joy
• [02:06] What to expect from this episode
• [02:31] Why you should visit New York Botanical Garden (or your local botanical garden!)
• [04:18] Upcoming exciting live Growing Joy events
• [06:15] Who is Marc and how did he become the plant parent he is today?
• [07:40] A little introduction about Maria and Growing Joy
• [09:34] An excerpt from Growing Joy’s chapter “Plant Seeds of Delight”
• [12:14] How to overcome our fear of failure and explore our sense of wonder in the garden
• [15:33] How plants and gardening deepen our connection to ourselves
• [17:22] Marc shares a story of gratitude in NYBG after the lockdowns
• [21:54] An exercise of mindfulness to reconnect with our senses while in the garden
• [23:56] How Marc engages his sense of touch in the garden
• [27:01] Why temperature is an important component of plant care
• [28:25] How plants stimulate our sense of smell; different common smells from plants
• [31:45] How smell can indicate what’s good and what’s bad in the garden
• [33:55] Why smell is the strongest of the senses
• [35:39] An excerpt on taste from Growing Joy
• [37:25] How to make use of your sense of taste better
• [39:09] The foolproof way to grow your garden!
• [40:37] Fertilizers and plant foods for all types of plant parents
• [43:14] How growing our own food and tasting our hard work reconnects us to loved ones
• [45:44] How to engage your sense of hearing in the garden
• [49:29] Marc’s favorite sounds growing up and exploring rainforests
• [50:35] Why we shouldn’t underestimate the power of silence
• [55:29] The beginning of Growing Joy, “Open Your Eyes”
• [58:44] Why Marc believes observation is the most important skill
• [01:01:06] How plant care enriches our empathy towards the world
• [01:02:58] Live audience question: What orchid varieties are recommended for indoor growth and how do you keep orchids healthy?
• [01:04:16] Marc’s review of Growing Joy
• [01:05:32] Why our interaction with colors matters to our wellbeing
• [01:08:08] Live audience question: Why did the color of my rose change when I moved it?
• [01:09:22] Live audience question: What are the best tips for growing roses?
• [01:10:51] Live audience question: How do plants improve our environment?
• [01:12:10] Mama Failla takes the mic and shares an easy yet most thoughtful gift idea (from plants!)
• [01:16:30] Words of gratitude from Maria
• [01:18:56] A few simple tips to engage with your plants and with yourself more

• Terrain by Anthropologie
• One Square Inch rainforest audio
• The Sound Tracker, Gordon Hempton’s website
• New York Botanical Garden

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