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Fern Care Guide: Easy Care Ferns for Plant Parents: Best of Growing Joy Replay

Fern Care Guide: Easy Care Ferns for Plant Parents: Best of Growing Joy Replay

Author: Maria Failla- Happy Plant Lady and Author of Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness June 25, 2026 Duration: 51:00
Growing Joy with Plants - Wellness Rooted in Nature, Houseplants, Gardening and Plant Care
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Ferns are some of the most gorgeous houseplants you can grow... and one of the oldest plants on the planet. They're basically living dinosaurs. But if you've ever watched a maidenhair fern grow in a sidewalk crack, only to crumble the second you bring it indoors, you know exactly why ferns have a reputation for being impossible to keep alive.

Most people aren't failing at ferns. They're just growing the wrong fern for their home.

In this episode, I'm bringing back one of my favorite interviews from the archives with my friend Lisa from The Houseplant Guru. Lisa is a lifelong plant expert who has successfully grown ferns for years, even in a Midwest home that's about as far from a tropical rainforest as you can get.

We're talking about how to keep your ferns healthy, how to actually get them to grow, why you keep finding crispy fronds all over your floor, and how to choose the right fern for your lifestyle and your home conditions. Spoiler: it's almost never going to be the maidenhair fern... unless you're growing it under glass.

In this episode, we learn:

  • [02:03] Meet houseplant expert Lisa!
  • [03:27] Lisa’s 60-year-old heirloom Boston fern and why ferns get a bad rap
  • [06:05] Where do ferns grow naturally?
  • [08:53] Is there something about ferns' root systems that makes them more finicky?
  • [10:51] How to choose the right window and light placement for ferns
  • [12:28] How to fertilize ferns without burning their roots?
  • [14:40] How to water ferns correctly?
  • [20:53] How to safely treat pests and scale on sensitive leaves
  • [23:55] What are spores, stolons, and how do ferns actually reproduce?
  • [29:05] Maidenhair ferns
  • [29:56] What are the best ferns for your home?
  • [30:54] What does Lisa recommend with brown fronds?
  • [34:20] Unique collector ferns to add to your collection!
  • [38:20] How to care for staghorn ferns
  • [41:36] How to properly water a bird’s nest fern without rotting the center
  • [44:23] Tips for raising tree ferns and baby mother ferns using closed glass terrariums
  • [46:53] Where to find Lisa, her resources, and her books!

 

Mentioned in our conversation:

 

Which fern are you most excited to try in your home?

Check out the full show notes and blog for Lisa's easy-care fern guide!

 

Follow Lisa:

Website

Books

Instagram

Facebook

 

 

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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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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