Plant friends, I've been sharing with you my overwhelm, burnout, and general processing of everything that's happening in our world right now. It’s been so nice to connect with so many of you who share similar feelings. I'm also grateful to have had my plant collection to turn to and use as a tool for wellness in these trying times. Several of you had recommended Lessons from Plants by Beronda Montgomery and from page one, I felt like I had met a Plant Soul Sister in this author. Her book seemed to be the answer to my prayers about the struggles of understanding the science behind these phenomena I witness and take meaning from. Beronda has the scientific understanding to deep dive into lessons we can take away from plants. She joins me in this episode to share lessons we can learn from plants for specific scenarios many of us went through in 2021. Let's dive in!

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In this episode we learn:

• [01:08] Introducing Beronda
• [02:56] Maria’s wonderful announcement!
• [05:03] How Beronda became the plant parent she is today
• [07:17] Beronda shares her planty educational background
• [08:55] What Maria loves about Lessons from Plants
• [10:50] Bridging the gap in the plant community
• [12:46] What plants teach us about loss and pruning back
• [15:01] What is culling: how to apply the concept of culling in our lives
• [17:04] Why dormancy is important for us and our plants
• [18:37] How to honor the losses we’ve had
• [19:34] What plants teach us about transitions
• [20:45] Plants rest, and so should we!
• [21:02] How to address your plants’ light needs in the winter
• [22:26] Where to get safe indoor and outdoor gardening products
• [24:48] How plants teach us to regulate our resources
• [26:18] How we make ourselves prone to burnout
• [27:37] The lessons of sensitivity and self-awareness from plants
• [28:27] How lack of self-reflection can lead to lack of resources for everyone
• [29:14] How much time do we need for self-reflection?
• [30:10] Maria’s small ways to interact with her plants more often
• [31:04] Why plants are symbols of resilience
• [32:27] How repotting plants and moving homes are the same
• [35:14] Pioneer species or pioneer plants and what they do
• [37:04] How we can be all pioneer plants
• [38:48] What are intentional disruptors?
• [41:37] Beronda’s personal favorite lessons from plants
• [44:14] How plants teach us to connect with others
• [45:48] Maria shares the best way to read Lessons from Plants

Mentioned in our conversation:

• Lessons from Plants, book by Beronda L. Montgomery
• The Forest Unseen, book by David George Haskell
• The Overstory, novel by Richard Powers

Thank you to our episode sponsors:

Soltech Solutions

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Espoma Organic

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 learn more about their pet safe indoor and outdoor gardening products, visit espoma.com to find your local dealer or check out my Amazon storefront of my favorite Espoma products here.

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