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Permaculture for Plant Parents: The Simple Gardening Method That Gives Back

Permaculture for Plant Parents: The Simple Gardening Method That Gives Back

Author: Maria Failla- Happy Plant Lady and Author of Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness April 14, 2026 Duration: 47:27
Growing Joy with Plants - Wellness Rooted in Nature, Houseplants, Gardening and Plant Care
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My goal this year is to find more ease and joy in my garden! I love my plants, but I don’t want my yard to feel like another job. And when I realized that was a theme that was gonna keep coming up, I knew I needed to do an episode on permaculture. So I invited my plant friend, Brandy Hall. She’s a permaculture designer and has helped me see it as a simple, practical way to garden. She calls herself a garden editor for homeowners, which means she helps people like us turn regular lawns into regenerative spaces that get better over time.

 

In this episode, we learn:

  • [02:45] Meet Brandy Hall of Shades of Green Permaculture!
  • [03:23] How did she become the permaculture expert that she is today?
  • [04:38] What pesticide exposure did to her family and why it changed everything
  • [08:24] How travel, farm life, and construction work pulled Brandy into this career
  • [10:51] Permaculture vs regenerative gardening vs rewilding vs ecological landscaping
  • [12:50] Is permaculture growing your own food?
  • [14:44] What are the three pillars of a regenerative landscape?
  • [14:55] Pillar #1 Restore water cycle
  • [15:11] Pillar #2 Soil fertility
  • [15:46] Espoma Organic
  • [17:22] Pillar #3 Building plant communities
  • [18:00] Applying permaculture to real neighborhoods
  • [21:19] How modern development broke the natural water cycle
  • [23:42] What permaculture does differently with water
  • [26:22] The biggest water management mistakes homeowners make
  • [27:23] How to work with your downspouts and rain gardens to manage water
  • [28:19] Why the soil is your best water storage system
  • [30:19] How much water actually falls on your roof
  • [31:55] What does a permaculture site consultation actually look like?
  • [33:23] How to “read” your own space
  • [34:47] How to choose plants for permaculture
  • [36:02] Native vs non‑native plants
  • [37:39] How to make a permaculture garden look aesthetic (even in an HOA)
  • [40:00] How Brandy designs beautiful & productive beds
  • [41:10] Where to start if you're new to permaculture
  • [42:53] Brandy's online course, The Regenerative Backyard Blueprint
  • [44:10] Where to find Brandy, her book, and her resources

 

Mentioned in our conversation:

 

For Brandy's recommended permaculture habits,

check out the full show notes and blog here!

 

Follow Brandy:
Website
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube

 

Thank you to our episode sponsor:

Espoma Organic

Visit espoma.com to find your local Espoma dealer or check my Amazon storefront.

 

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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