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I’m Maria, the "Plant Killer Turned Plant Lady" with a mission to help you care for plants successfully, grow your indoor jungles, and cultivate more joy in your life. I've got tons of content for you here on the blog, on the Bloom and Grow Radio Podcast, and Bloom and Grow Youtube Show to help you keep blooming and keep growing.

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The Role of Nature in Personal Growth with Garden Marcus, Ep 270

What role do you think nature plays in your life? For me, it has always been a deeper way to improve my mental, physical, and emotional health. In fact, it’s not just me who thinks this way. The minute I hopped into the digital recording studio, I knew that my guest was someone very similar to me! I’ve been following Marcus Bridgewater, better known as Garden Marcus, for years, and I’m so happy to say that he surpassed my dreams of what this conversation on plants and wellness could have been.

In this episode, we learn:

[02:12] Who is Marcus from Garden Marcus?
[04:49] Something we have in common!
[09:03] How did Garden Marcus get started?
[12:50] How did Marcus first start gardening?
[17:01] Our crazy plant parent stories
[18:56] Community and isolation
[20:37] Why we need more green spaces
[27:41] How to be a more “grounding” person
[30:08] How disconnected is the world from nature?
[33:08] Exploring plant life parallels
[36:37] How to understand “feelings”
[39:35] How to awaken to nature’s presence
[43:27] How Marcus’s book came to be
[46:11] Mind, body, and spirit
[47:32] What it means to be “community loyal”
[48:23] Garden Marcus vs. Marcus Bridgewater
[51:04] Check out Seasons of Growth: The New Journal
[53:30] Where to follow/find Garden Marcus

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Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness (and Plants) by Maria Failla, Illustrated by Samantha Leung

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Humans and Plants

Every single second, we're in a reciprocal relationship with our plants. Marcus calls this the “constant exchange” that happens between us and plants. We're breathing out what they need, and they're breathing out what we need.

But we've become so disconnected from this relationship in our modern world. We've created these boxes we call buildings, where plants are often seen as potential “infection risks” rather than the life-giving beings they are. Institutions literally have entire departments dedicated to infection control, which essentially translates to “no plants allowed.” How did we get here? How did we create a world where we're actively pushing away the very things that help us grow?

Plant Awareness

Marcus said, “Awareness takes practice, and practice takes persistence.” This reminded me of my past. Until I was 27, I was completely plant blind. I literally didn't see the trees on my New York City street until I started caring for houseplants.

So this awareness isn't just about seeing plants—it's about understanding our place in the natural world. We've created a world where we're paying attention to things we don't like while disrespecting the things that give us life. But when we start redirecting our attention, when we begin respecting (which simply means paying attention to) the living world around us, everything starts to shift.

Reconnecting with Earth's Wisdom

How do you stay grounded? This isn't just some trendy wellness practice. How do you reconnect with the earth's natural electrical current? Marcus literally sleeps on a grounding mat and tries to go barefoot as much as possible. I used a grounding mat during my melanoma recovery last year, and it made such a difference in my healing process.

We wear rubber-soled shoes all day, live in high-rise buildings, and rarely touch the earth. We've insulated ourselves from the planet's natural healing frequency. It's no wonder so many people aren't healing the way they should because our beings literally aren't circulating energy the way they're designed to.

Learning from the Seasons

Do you not notice that society kind of expected us to always be in summer mode? Where we’re always growing, producing, blooming. But trees don't work that way, and neither should we.

Marcus’ new journal, “Seasons of Growth,” is built around this knowledge. Just as a tree has leaves, stem, and roots (corresponding to our mind, body, and spirit), we need to honor all parts of ourselves. And just as trees move through different seasons, we need to recognize that each season offers a different opportunity for growth and engagement with life.

Why are we afraid of our winter seasons, our times of rest and renewal? No wonder burnout is such a huge issue in our culture.

How Green Spaces Can Help

These aren’t just parks (though those are great), but it’s also about our personal connections with plants. Do you have plant collections? Studies actually show that depression rates are higher in cities with limited access to green spaces. So this relationship with plants can change us. It teaches us patience and mindfulness in a way that simply visiting a park can't quite match.

A Call to Action for Plant Parents

We plant parents have an important role to play in the rehabilitation of humanity. As Marcus said, “We need more plants.” We need more spaces designed for people to simply be with plants. We need to restore our connection to the natural world.

Let’s change how we relate to them. Let’s see them as living beings we're in relationship with (and not just as decorative objects). When we nurture our plants, we're also nurturing ourselves.

This conversation reminded me why I do what I do. Why I'm so passionate about helping people connect with plants. Because it's not just about keeping plants alive—it's about coming alive ourselves. About remembering who we are as part of this incredible circle of life.