Here’s a special late-night edition of Growing Joy with Plants: After Dark where I spill the planty tea and share a cocktail with my two incredible plant friends, Agatha Isabel and Kamili Bell Hill. You might know Kamili as @plantblerd on Instagram and Agatha as @agathatisabel on Instagram. They've been my real-life plant friends for years, and we recently had a blast at the New York Botanical Garden Orchid Show—and had a sleepover at Kamili's house the night before, which resulted in this episode! This is a candid chat as we dish the dirt on everything from embarrassing plant parent moments to the real talk about representation in the plant community.

Prepare to have a giggle, feel seen, and join our late-night planty party.

 

In this episode, we learn:

• [00:53] Growing Joy After Dark: Real conversations about plant parenthood
• [02:18] Plant connections and friendships!
• [05:36] What has their collection looked like over time?
• [11:18] What is the dark side of plant collecting?
• [13:37] Make any summer occasion unforgettable with a personalized Wind River Wind Chime!
• [15:11] Use Espoma Organic's safe, high-quality potting mixes and fertilizers to start your houseplants!
• [20:29] What are their favorite plant species?
• [23:33] Plant care tips and humidity hacks
• [26:24] Grow houseplants even in low-light spaces with Soltech's aesthetic grow lights!
• [27:57] What is the balance between the joy and stress of plant care?
• [30:56] How do they take care of their plants when they travel?
• [32:42] Resilient plants and hoyas
• [33:25] Some plant disaster stories
• [37:16] What's the craziest plant experiment they’ve done?
• [39:34] What are the signs of being a true “plant parent”
• [44:03] What is “Houseplant Hookups” all about?
• [48:20] What is “Happy Plants, Happy You” all about?
• [51:21] Where to find Agatha and Kamili on social media

 

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The Evolution of Plant Parenthood

Many of us began our plant journeys with tiny, adorable baby plants. That’s because we LOVE to watch them grow leaf by leaf, and we celebrate literally every new sprout. But as Kamili pointed out, there’s been a big shift for a lot of us towards what she calls “big leaf energy.”

It’s not just about aesthetics, though. We’ve learned throughout our plant care journey that bigger plants often have an easier time adjusting to our homes. They’re definitely more resilient and can handle the sometimes less-than-ideal conditions we put them in.

Agatha shared how her approach has changed too. She's learned to prioritize plants that actually work well in her environment, rather than struggling with plants that are not suited to her space. It's all about finding that sweet spot between what you love and what will survive in your home.

 

The Realities of Plant Care

Plant parenthood isn’t all rainbows and butterflies. Who knew that being a plant parent could lead to plumbing issues? Kamili confessed to clogging her drains multiple times with soil. Agatha even had to spend $5k to fix her apartment due to humidifiers damaging her floor (and almost broke up with her partner). So you really gotta be careful when rinsing out those pots!

We also had a debate about humidifiers. While they're often praised as “must-haves” for plant parents, we all agreed that they're not always the best solution.

Kamili pointed out that in her home with high ceilings and plaster walls, running humidifiers could actually damage her house. That’s why she has to stick with pebble trays.

 

Plant Community and Representation

Things got a bit more serious during our chat when we started talking about the plant community and representation issues. Kamili shared her experience of starting her Plant Blerd account and realizing how few people of color were visible in the online plant world at the time, saying that it seemed like “there were no non-white people collecting plants.”

This led to a powerful discussion about the importance of diversity in the plant community and the need to understand the origins and history of our houseplants. Agatha emphasized how crucial it is to know where our plants come from, not just for better care, but to appreciate their cultural significance.

When in doubt, think about their origin. Why is that Calathea difficult? Because it's this imperfect balance of the sun that we wanna give it versus the shade and the humidity that it wants.

 

Plants as a Gateway to Personal Growth

Self-care is not selfish. The better you are to yourself, the better you can do for other people. We realized how much our plants have taught us about self-care and personal growth. Kamili even spoke about how plants helped her “save something for myself” as a wife and mother.

We all agreed that there's something truly special about the time we spend with our plants. It's meditative, it's nurturing, and it's a way to focus on something life-giving rather than life-draining.

 

Plant Content Creation and Books

Of course, we couldn't help but chat about our experiences as plant content creators. Agatha shared the inspiration behind her book, “Houseplant Hookups,” which creatively uses dating profiles to teach about plants while talking about the importance of prioritizing your needs.

Kamili talked about her book, “Happy Plants, Happy You,” which goes beyond just plant care to explore personal growth. It's not only a guide for growing your plants, it's also a guide for growing yourself.

 

Keep on Growing

As our chat wound down (and the clock struck almost midnight!), we reflected on how much joy our plants bring us, even with all the challenges. There’s always more to learn and grow when it comes to plants, no matter how long you have been taking care of them.

So, plant friends, keep experimenting, keep learning, and most importantly, keep growing—both your plants and yourself. And if you enjoyed this after-hours peek into our plant lives, let me know! Maybe I can convince Agatha and Kamili to join me for another late-night chat someday.

 

 

Mentioned in our conversation:

• The Orchid Show: Florals in Fashion | New York Botanical Garden
• Summer Rayne Oakes
• Bad Seeds on Apple Podcasts
• Bad Seeds on Spotify
• Happy Plants, Happy You by Kamili Bell Hill
• Houseplant Hookups by Agatha Isabel

 

Thank you to our episode sponsors:

Wind River Chimes

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Visit windriverchimes.com and use code GROWINGJOY to receive free engraving on your chosen wind chimes.

Espoma Organic

If you want thriving houseplants, set them up for success with high-quality soil, fertilizer, potting mixes and more! Espoma Organic is dedicated to making safe indoor and outdoor gardening products for people, pets, and the planet. They have an amazing variety of high-quality, organic potting mixes, garden soil, fertilizers, and pest control products that are organic and eco-friendly. To top it all off, they have a huge sustainability commitment with a 100% solar-powered plant, zero waste manufacturing, and eco-friendly packaging.

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

Soltech Solutions

As we enjoy the summer sun, ensure your plants are also getting enough light indoors! Soltech Solutions offers grow lights with full-spectrum white light that mimics the sun to keep your plants happy and healthy: whether you are looking for a pendant light, track lighting, or a simple bulb to screw into any standard light fixture, Soltech has got you covered. They offer quality products with great customer service, free shipping, and a multi-year warranty. Keep the sun shining and the plants green inside your home with Soltech Solutions.

Check them out at soltechsolutions.com and get 15% off with code “bloom15”.

 

 

 

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