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Feeling hopeless? Try growing flowers. Here's how.

Feeling hopeless? Try growing flowers. Here's how.

Author: Maria Failla- Happy Plant Lady and Author of Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness June 9, 2026 Duration: 1:01:09
Growing Joy with Plants - Wellness Rooted in Nature, Houseplants, Gardening and Plant Care
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Aren't flowers just the perfect little pockets of joy? I have been following Claudia from In the Garden with Claudia on Instagram for over a year now, and I live for her cut flower garden stories! I’ve been feeling a little humbled by my own garden setbacks in South Florida recently. So when I finally got her on the podcast, I thought we were going to do a straight-up how-to on growing flowers. And we did, kind of. But this conversation turned into what flowers can actually do for you! Claudia has turned her space into a garden with thousands of blooms that make me excited for my next garden season. I hope this helps you find your own smile as big as the one Claudia put on my face! Let's jump in!

 

In this episode, we learn:

  • [03:40] Meet Claudia, the queen of backyard cut flower joy!
  • [04:56] How she turned her backyard into a cut flower garden
  • [07:31] She was a pre-dental student!? (a career pivot)
  • [09:49] What her first couple of seasons gardening looked like
  • [14:08] Why Claudia chose a production-style layout over traditional garden design
  • [15:29] Fuel your garden mornings with the caramel-tasting bioactives in Manukora Honey!
  • [17:15] Building her dream garden on a budget!
  • [19:53] Claudia’s experience from disliking to growing dahlias
  • [22:38] How to seed start indoors (Claudia grows 4000+ seeds!)
  • [26:09] My biggest pain point right now
  • [28:21] What is Claudia’s cut flower planting strategy for dahlias?
  • [31:03] How she spaces and organizes her dahlia beds
  • [32:08] Our favorite Espoma Organic products!
  • [34:27] How and when to fertilize dahlias throughout the growing season
  • [35:46] How to set up irrigation for cut flowers
  • [36:38] Daily maintenance routines for better airflow and pest defense
  • [38:28] Why you should deadhead your flowers for more blooms
  • [39:50] How to manage and share excess flowers?
  • [42:18] Selling her first massive bouquets at the office!
  • [44:41] How to structure a flower CSA (Community Supported Agriculture)
  • [48:03] What are Claudia’s joyful practices in her garden?
  • [50:59] How the ‘In the Garden with Claudia’ YouTube channel started
  • [54:52] Claudia’s dream of scaling up to a Washington flower farm
  • [56:58] Where to find Claudia’s social media and upcoming resources!

 

Mentioned in our conversation:

 

For Claudia's tried and tested methods of growing cut flowers,

check out the full show notes and blog here!

 

Follow Claudia:
YouTube
Instagram
Facebook
TikTok

 

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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There’s a quiet, accessible kind of wellness waiting for you on a windowsill or in a patch of soil. Growing Joy with Plants explores that very idea, moving beyond basic tips to examine how our relationship with the natural world directly nurtures our mental and emotional health. Hosted by Maria Failla, a self-proclaimed Happy Plant Lady and author of "Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness," this podcast feels like a warm conversation with a knowledgeable friend. Maria guides you through the practicalities of keeping your houseplants alive and thriving, but the discussion always circles back to the deeper connection-how the simple acts of watering, repotting, or simply observing growth can become anchors of calm in a hectic day. Each episode digs into how gardening and engaging with nature, even in small urban spaces, offer tangible tools to manage feelings of anxiety and overwhelm. This isn't about achieving a perfect indoor jungle; it's about finding moments of peace and genuine happiness through the process of care. The underlying message throughout the podcast is a powerful and gentle reminder: tending to your plants is fundamentally an act of tending to yourself. You’ll come away with not just better plant care knowledge, but a refreshed perspective on cultivating joy in your daily routine, learning that the serenity you might seek on vacation can be rooted right in your own home.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

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