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How to Make Plant Care Less Stressful

How to Make Plant Care Less Stressful

Author: Maria Failla- Happy Plant Lady and Author of Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness March 31, 2026 Duration: 1:01:21
Growing Joy with Plants - Wellness Rooted in Nature, Houseplants, Gardening and Plant Care
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2026 is the year of ease, joy, and low-maintenance plant care! It’s time that plants make us feel good instead of dread every time we walk past them. Something’s off if plants are stressing you out. So I invited my friend Cassidy Tuttle from Succulents and Sunshine back on the podcast because if there’s anyone who embodies easy plant care, it’s her! We talked about what’s actually happening in our plant lives right now: having too many plants, letting some go, and redefining what our collections look like. Listen in!

 

In this episode, we learn:

  • [03:49] Meet my friend Cassidy from Succulents & Sunshine!
  • [04:50] Cassidy’s latest projects: the Cheerful Plants app and Snappy Pots
  • [06:28] How her relationship with plants changed over the years
  • [08:39] What other low-maintenance plants is she experimenting with?
  • [09:45] Cuttings vs established plants
  • [11:25] My unexpected reality of growing plants in Florida!
  • [13:30] Why we now concentrate plants in specific zones of the house
  • [15:30] Get 3x the antioxidants of regular honey with Manukora!
  • [17:11] Post-pandemic shifts in plant culture
  • [19:41] Why whimsical is the 2026 plant trend at the Northwest Flower & Garden Show
  • [22:11] What does plant number mean to Cassidy?
  • [25:43] Pros and cons of grouping succulents in arrangements
  • [28:26] Reducing your plant collection
  • [31:59] Choosing how you want your collection to grow (fewer big plants vs. many small ones)
  • [33:59] How Cassidy reworks her watering systems and setups to save time and effort!
  • [37:03] What tools are worth upgrading for your plant care?
  • [40:08] Why you should cull your plant accessories too!
  • [44:02] Where you keep your plants in your house matters
  • [44:42] Why you should stop buying more plants when you don’t need them
  • [45:55] Comparison & social media plant envy
  • [48:15] What is the Cheerful Plants app all about?
  • [51:11] Why AI plant care apps often fail
  • [54:06] Breakdown of Cheerful Plants app features!
  • [56:59] Where to try the app and how the pricing works
  • [58:18] Where to find Cassidy, her course, and future offerings!

 

Mentioned in our conversation:

 

For Cassidy's other low-maintenance plant care tips,

check out the full show notes and blog here!

 

Follow Cassidy:

Website
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube
Pinterest
Books
Membership

 

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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