Let Nature Be Your Garden Designer

Let Nature Be Your Garden Designer

Author: Maria Failla- Happy Plant Lady and Author of Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness June 23, 2026 Duration: 47:12
Growing Joy with Plants - Wellness Rooted in Nature, Houseplants, Gardening and Plant Care
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What if we don't design or control our gardens, but instead collaborate with them? I moved from the lush woods of Zone 5B to a front yard full of sand in Zone 10B Florida and felt like I had no control over my garden design. It was frustrating! So I sat down with Evan Meyer of Bloedel Reserve, a 140-acre garden and wild lands complex on Bainbridge Island just outside of Seattle, to help me feel more grounded in my new garden. Evan has spent his career working across the states studying restoration ecology, native plants, and conservation horticulture. We talked about co-designing with nature, as he believes we should move away from the "God complex" of traditional garden design and let Mother Nature be our co-designer. Listen in!

 

In this episode, we learn:

  • [01:57] Meet Evan Meyer, Executive Director of Bloedel Reserve!
  • [05:15] What Evan learned about ecological horticulture across different climates
  • [10:15] Why individual home gardens have a larger ecological footprint than public parks
  • [12:19] How the plant supply chain keeps most landscapes generic
  • [15:43] Experience single-origin honey with 3x more antioxidants with Manukora!
  • [17:28] Prep your kitchen for garden harvest season with Caraway Cookware!
  • [18:53] Why are more gardeners actively seeking out native plants?
  • [21:45] How to co-design your home garden with nature
  • [22:06] If a tree falls, leave it!
  • [24:42] Why you should read your local ecology
  • [25:46] Let’s reframe garden "problems" as opportunities
  • [29:10] More examples from Bloedel that home gardeners can actually steal
  • [30:06] How does Bloedel's moss gardener curate rather than plant?
  • [31:44] Retrain your eyes to find dormant plants and deadwood beautiful!
  • [34:35] Practical steps for learning your local wild ecology
  • [37:58] How an ecologically minded front yard builds neighborhood community
  • [39:07] The rise of whimsy in garden design and why we're craving that feeling right now
  • [40:13] What to expect when you visit Bloedel Reserve!

 

Mentioned in our conversation:

 

Interested in doing a collab with your garden?

Check out the full show notes and blog here for Evan's advice!

 

Follow Evan & Bloedel Reserve:
Evan's LinkedIn
Website
Facebook
Instagram

 

Thank you to our episode sponsors:

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!

Caraway

Visit carawayhome.com and use promo code BLOOM at checkout for an additional 10% off your order.

 

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

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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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