Grief is so heavy that it can feel like an impossible weight to carry. But if you think about it, you can use plant care as a method to process grief and loss. Like plants, people can also grow and find resilience. They don’t rush and don’t demand. They just grow… little by little, day by day.

In this episode, I want to share the story of my dear plant friend, Wade Lee, also known as Plants by Wade Lee. His story is so much more than houseplant care. It’s about loss, grief, healing, and finding joy again, one leaf, one root, one seed at a time.

In this episode, we learn:

• [00:00] How plants can help you heal from grief
• [04:22] Wade’s story with grief and plants
• [10:10] Finding solace in plants
• [15:14] Find tranquility in every breeze this 2025 with Wind River Chimes!
• [16:55] Learn how to grow more food with less space and effort with the 4th edition of ‘Square Foot Gardening’!
• [18:08] Honoring Steven and new beginnings!
• [22:32] How we connect with the spiritual realm
• [25:39] How Wade secured a gardener position
• [29:38] How to use plants as a therapeutic tool for grief
• [33:43] Finding grace in dead plants
• [36:28] At what point did Wade begin using social media?
• [39:53] What are some methods for using plants to heal from grief?
• [42:44] What is nature in different forms?
• [45:49] Where can you find Wade on social media?

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The Gentle Presence of Plants in Difficult Times

I’ve always believed that plants are more than just home decor. They’re companions. When life gets too overstimulating, when the world feels too much, plants offer this steady, quiet presence. They don’t ask for anything other than a little water, a little light, and in return, they just are.

Wade experienced this in such a touching way. After losing his husband, Stephen, to pancreatic cancer, plants became more than just a hobby for him. They became a lifeline. In the chaos of grief, plants gave him something to focus on. They grounded him.

Turning Grief into Growth

There’s this phrase I love: turning graves into gardens. Wade took that love of plants and turned it into Plants by Wade Lee—a business, a podcast, and a full-time career.

He does plant styling/consulations, teaches workshops, and builds community through his social media. And the most amazing thing is he’s now a gardener at the Cummer Museum in Jacksonville, which, by the way, is the same exact place where he got married.

 If that’s not the universe working in beautiful, mysterious ways, I don’t know what is.

Letting Go, Learning Through Plants

But grief isn’t just about finding comfort; it’s also about learning to let go. When Wade was grieving, he stopped watering his plants and hundreds of them died.

And for a while, that felt like another loss, another thing slipping through his fingers. But then, Malcolm—his now-husband—helped him see it differently. Plants live and die. That’s just part of it.

And you know what? That’s part of our journey, too. We have seasons, just like our plants. We’re allowed to have a winter. We’re allowed to have a season where we lose our leaves. Nature tells us that it’s part of growth.

Nature Holds Our Grief

Nature is a “nervous system regulator.” When we don’t have the words, when we don’t have the strength, when we just need to be, nature can hold it.

Maybe for you, it’s houseplants. Maybe it’s the ocean, or the woods.

Keeping the Door Open to Growth

Grief never really goes away. It just changes shape. Some days, it’s loud. Some days, it’s just a whisper. But it’s always there.

And so are plants. They remind us that healing isn’t linear. That it’s okay to start small. To have seasons. To shed old growth. And that, even when we can’t see it, life is always, always moving forward.

So if you’re carrying grief that feels impossible—maybe start with something small. A plant. A moment outside. A deep breath. Because healing doesn’t happen all at once. It happens leaf by leaf, root by root, one day at a time.

Mentioned in our conversation:

• Leonardi's Nursery
• The Cummer Museum
• Southeast Plant Show
• Wade Lee’s Hair Portfolio

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.

Quarto: All New! Square Foot Gardening, 4th Edition

Want to grow more food with less space, less effort, and less waste? That’s the magic of square-foot gardening! With the All New Square Foot Gardening, 4th Edition, grow fresh, organic produce with a simple, foolproof method. No digging, no tilling—just set up your raised bed, fill it with Mel’s Mix™, and plant using an easy grid system. This edition is packed with updated garden plans, crop-by-crop guides, and solutions for extreme weather and pests—plus 200 new photos and illustrations to make planning a breeze. Whether you’re new to gardening or a seasoned pro, this book will help you grow more, work less, and harvest the difference!

Get your copy of All New! Square Foot Gardening, 4th Edition today at your local bookstore, bookshop.org, Barnes and Noble, quarto.com, or amazon.com.

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