1 00:00:03,800 --> 00:00:07,360 Speaker 1: Hey there, I'm Mongisatiular're a co host of Part Time Genius, 2 00:00:07,440 --> 00:00:10,000 Speaker 1: one of the founders of Mental Flaws, and this is 3 00:00:10,119 --> 00:00:13,440 Speaker 1: Humans Growing Stuff, a collaboration from My Heart Radio and 4 00:00:13,480 --> 00:00:16,480 Speaker 1: your friends at Miracle Grow. Our goal is to make 5 00:00:16,520 --> 00:00:20,319 Speaker 1: this the most human show about plants you'll ever listen to, 6 00:00:20,520 --> 00:00:23,759 Speaker 1: and along the way, we'll share inspiring stories, tips and 7 00:00:23,800 --> 00:00:27,160 Speaker 1: tricks to nurture your plant addiction, and just enough science 8 00:00:27,200 --> 00:00:30,040 Speaker 1: to make you sound like an expert. We are on 9 00:00:30,120 --> 00:00:32,640 Speaker 1: summer break right now, but the truth is Molly and 10 00:00:32,680 --> 00:00:36,000 Speaker 1: I can't stop our plant addiction, so we're bringing you 11 00:00:36,080 --> 00:00:39,159 Speaker 1: some sunny mini episodes to enjoy before we return with 12 00:00:39,240 --> 00:00:43,200 Speaker 1: a brand new season. Throughout the summer, we'll be dropping 13 00:00:43,240 --> 00:00:46,920 Speaker 1: incredible stories from growers, fun advice we get from experts, 14 00:00:47,080 --> 00:00:51,280 Speaker 1: and we'll have some fun conversations around fascinating plants. So 15 00:00:51,640 --> 00:00:53,720 Speaker 1: for this bonus episode, Molly and I went on a 16 00:00:53,760 --> 00:00:56,639 Speaker 1: field trip to the plant nursery. We wanted to explore 17 00:00:56,720 --> 00:00:59,680 Speaker 1: what kind of interesting, fun plants we can discover and adopt, 18 00:01:00,080 --> 00:01:14,440 Speaker 1: and we were not disappointed with our options. Start looking 19 00:01:14,440 --> 00:01:15,720 Speaker 1: where you want to go? Yeah, do you know what 20 00:01:15,800 --> 00:01:23,040 Speaker 1: this is? I have no idea what stage apparently so. 21 00:01:23,240 --> 00:01:25,480 Speaker 1: At the start of summer, Molly and I met up 22 00:01:25,520 --> 00:01:27,400 Speaker 1: in Brooklyn one day and we went on a field 23 00:01:27,400 --> 00:01:30,920 Speaker 1: trip to a local plant nursery to find our next plants. 24 00:01:32,480 --> 00:01:34,000 Speaker 1: Do you know what sort of plants you're looking for? 25 00:01:35,160 --> 00:01:38,560 Speaker 1: I think I'm going to look at basil like herb plants, 26 00:01:38,680 --> 00:01:43,160 Speaker 1: if that makes plants. What are you looking for me? 27 00:01:43,760 --> 00:01:47,240 Speaker 1: I got a dragon at last weekend, like one of 28 00:01:47,240 --> 00:01:49,720 Speaker 1: those dragon plants, and it's really really sweet. And I 29 00:01:49,760 --> 00:01:53,800 Speaker 1: found out it's part of the asparagus family, which is crazy. 30 00:01:54,000 --> 00:01:56,640 Speaker 1: I had no idea, but um but I was thinking 31 00:01:56,680 --> 00:02:00,240 Speaker 1: about maybe getting it a companion or I also really 32 00:02:00,280 --> 00:02:03,440 Speaker 1: want to get like a palm of some sort from 33 00:02:03,440 --> 00:02:07,360 Speaker 1: my office. I like it. Let's see it, let's see what. 34 00:02:07,720 --> 00:02:10,440 Speaker 1: There's so much here, Yeah, I know, it's beautiful. It's 35 00:02:10,440 --> 00:02:14,160 Speaker 1: so fun to be here. And eventually we found ourselves 36 00:02:14,160 --> 00:02:17,800 Speaker 1: completely entranced by all of the different flora around us. 37 00:02:19,639 --> 00:02:24,840 Speaker 1: These are so these are Yeah. I'm always fascinated by 38 00:02:24,880 --> 00:02:27,320 Speaker 1: the fact that, like the different colors or the different 39 00:02:27,360 --> 00:02:29,680 Speaker 1: acidity in the soil right like makes it different colors. 40 00:02:30,560 --> 00:02:34,160 Speaker 1: I love those purple ones back there. Yeah, that's really pretty. Yeah, 41 00:02:34,520 --> 00:02:39,200 Speaker 1: what do you think this. Oh, it looks a little 42 00:02:39,200 --> 00:02:46,679 Speaker 1: bit like Oscar the grouches fluff, doesn't it. It's a 43 00:02:46,760 --> 00:02:51,600 Speaker 1: silver mound. It's sweet, right, I just want to pet it. 44 00:02:52,720 --> 00:02:57,400 Speaker 1: They all had the most clever and whimsical names. This 45 00:02:57,480 --> 00:03:00,880 Speaker 1: is amazing. It's got so many little seculents in there. 46 00:03:01,000 --> 00:03:06,200 Speaker 1: It's called hens and chicks. Oh my god, that's very cute. 47 00:03:07,320 --> 00:03:09,959 Speaker 1: I like all these names, little miss Sunshine, Jewel of 48 00:03:10,040 --> 00:03:13,679 Speaker 1: the desert. So we decided to have some fun and 49 00:03:14,160 --> 00:03:18,680 Speaker 1: tried naming a few of them ourselves. Okay, not look 50 00:03:18,720 --> 00:03:21,440 Speaker 1: at this. What would you mean this planet? It is 51 00:03:21,600 --> 00:03:25,000 Speaker 1: of first, I've describe it right now. It just looks 52 00:03:25,000 --> 00:03:30,480 Speaker 1: like it's got green pointy leaves. But um, but it 53 00:03:30,520 --> 00:03:36,720 Speaker 1: looks like it's supposed to grow pink and beautiful. Um. 54 00:03:36,760 --> 00:03:44,000 Speaker 1: I would call it an emerald slipper. Oh, it's named Gina. 55 00:03:46,320 --> 00:03:49,880 Speaker 1: His name is Gina. I would have called with leroy. 56 00:03:49,920 --> 00:03:52,600 Speaker 1: I guess if I know that, being more conventional names. 57 00:03:52,680 --> 00:04:00,240 Speaker 1: But works. Eventually, it was way too hot out for 58 00:04:00,320 --> 00:04:02,880 Speaker 1: us to stay outdoors, so we headed into the house 59 00:04:02,880 --> 00:04:06,880 Speaker 1: plant area inside where they had ponytail palms and zz 60 00:04:07,080 --> 00:04:12,080 Speaker 1: plants and snake plants, and it was there among all 61 00:04:12,160 --> 00:04:15,360 Speaker 1: this greenery that we discovered a little gem of a plant, 62 00:04:15,680 --> 00:04:18,960 Speaker 1: a spotted bagonia, that I knew I had to take home. 63 00:04:19,680 --> 00:04:22,480 Speaker 1: The plant is also known as a trout bagonia or 64 00:04:22,520 --> 00:04:28,680 Speaker 1: a polka dot plant. Oh wow, it's polka dot. That's 65 00:04:28,680 --> 00:04:33,000 Speaker 1: really lovely, right, yeah. It has these the most large 66 00:04:34,360 --> 00:04:38,640 Speaker 1: comma shaped leaves and uh, and they have polka dots 67 00:04:38,640 --> 00:04:41,760 Speaker 1: on them, and like white polka dots on green. And 68 00:04:41,800 --> 00:04:45,880 Speaker 1: then underneath there they've got this lovely like red pink 69 00:04:45,920 --> 00:04:49,520 Speaker 1: color like a watermelon. I canna get one. It's just 70 00:04:49,560 --> 00:04:51,720 Speaker 1: kind of neat. But what should we name them? One 71 00:04:51,760 --> 00:04:54,039 Speaker 1: of the simplest things I always do at the nursery 72 00:04:54,160 --> 00:04:56,680 Speaker 1: is to ask the staff about the plant before I 73 00:04:56,720 --> 00:04:59,240 Speaker 1: purchase it. I'm always a little intimidated, but I do 74 00:04:59,320 --> 00:05:02,360 Speaker 1: it because that way you'll know if you have some 75 00:05:02,600 --> 00:05:05,839 Speaker 1: finicky plant on your hands, you know exactly how it 76 00:05:05,880 --> 00:05:08,760 Speaker 1: has to be cared for. My new bagonia, for example, 77 00:05:08,839 --> 00:05:11,800 Speaker 1: thrives in diffuse sunlight. In fact, if you put it 78 00:05:11,839 --> 00:05:14,960 Speaker 1: in a space that's too dim, it won't flower. So 79 00:05:15,080 --> 00:05:17,200 Speaker 1: I found a corner that wasn't front and center in 80 00:05:17,200 --> 00:05:19,960 Speaker 1: the window, but close enough where it wasn't in the 81 00:05:20,040 --> 00:05:22,640 Speaker 1: dark either and still got a decent amount of light. 82 00:05:23,320 --> 00:05:25,880 Speaker 1: I also learned from the nursery team that this plant 83 00:05:25,880 --> 00:05:29,640 Speaker 1: needs to dry out completely between waterings. Not as dry 84 00:05:29,640 --> 00:05:32,080 Speaker 1: as a cactus, but the top couple inches of the 85 00:05:32,120 --> 00:05:36,200 Speaker 1: soil should be dry before you water it again. It's funny. 86 00:05:36,279 --> 00:05:38,560 Speaker 1: When I went home, I read up on bigonias, and 87 00:05:38,680 --> 00:05:40,880 Speaker 1: the first story I found in the New York Times 88 00:05:40,960 --> 00:05:43,960 Speaker 1: was headlined it takes a rebel and a show off 89 00:05:44,160 --> 00:05:47,920 Speaker 1: to love a Bagonia. The article explained that because bigonias 90 00:05:47,960 --> 00:05:50,880 Speaker 1: had peaked in popularity in the nineteen forties, they're kind 91 00:05:50,880 --> 00:05:53,040 Speaker 1: of a bargain and you have to be a rebel 92 00:05:53,120 --> 00:05:57,360 Speaker 1: to love them, and since they're over a thousand species 93 00:05:57,400 --> 00:06:00,200 Speaker 1: of begonia, you can show off your knowledge and looked 94 00:06:00,240 --> 00:06:03,920 Speaker 1: like a plant expert. I, for the record, am neither 95 00:06:04,040 --> 00:06:07,200 Speaker 1: rubble nor a show off, but it is exciting that 96 00:06:07,279 --> 00:06:09,960 Speaker 1: the small, cute plant I bought, which is probably no 97 00:06:10,040 --> 00:06:12,479 Speaker 1: bigger than the height and width of my hand, is 98 00:06:12,520 --> 00:06:15,320 Speaker 1: going to get pretty big. In fact, on average, the 99 00:06:15,320 --> 00:06:18,520 Speaker 1: polka dot pagonias will get anywhere between two to three 100 00:06:18,560 --> 00:06:22,080 Speaker 1: ft in height. For me, the best part about wandering 101 00:06:22,080 --> 00:06:25,159 Speaker 1: around in garden center or nursery is stumbling into these 102 00:06:25,279 --> 00:06:28,800 Speaker 1: unexpected and wondrous plants you never knew existed, and then 103 00:06:28,800 --> 00:06:31,440 Speaker 1: getting the chance to learn all about them. I went 104 00:06:31,480 --> 00:06:33,800 Speaker 1: home that day with the snake plant and the polka 105 00:06:33,800 --> 00:06:36,520 Speaker 1: dot pagonia. But I left the nursery feeling the same 106 00:06:36,560 --> 00:06:41,400 Speaker 1: way I often do, excited and inspired and smiling a 107 00:06:41,400 --> 00:06:51,080 Speaker 1: little wider than when I had walked in. And now 108 00:06:51,760 --> 00:07:02,320 Speaker 1: for another poetry Corner, Nursery Rhyme Edition, two podcasters sought 109 00:07:02,360 --> 00:07:06,920 Speaker 1: to find perfect plants, one with bright colors not covered 110 00:07:06,920 --> 00:07:09,800 Speaker 1: with ants. So they traveled as far as the subway 111 00:07:09,800 --> 00:07:13,360 Speaker 1: would take them to a nursery in Brooklyn with enough 112 00:07:13,400 --> 00:07:17,360 Speaker 1: plants to placate them. They found flowers with funny names, 113 00:07:17,400 --> 00:07:21,160 Speaker 1: and shrubs that like shade, all sorts of perennials and 114 00:07:21,320 --> 00:07:25,760 Speaker 1: cactus and jade. But they searched and they scoured, and 115 00:07:25,800 --> 00:07:30,520 Speaker 1: they turned up their noses because, unlike the Bachelor, they 116 00:07:30,600 --> 00:07:35,480 Speaker 1: refused to accept roses. So after hunting and pecking through 117 00:07:35,560 --> 00:07:39,480 Speaker 1: each and every pot, they finally found one, a tiny 118 00:07:39,520 --> 00:07:44,160 Speaker 1: plant with big polka dots. Are you buying it? Asked Molly. 119 00:07:44,720 --> 00:07:47,720 Speaker 1: Mango said, Oh I am, it'll look great. On my 120 00:07:47,840 --> 00:07:51,840 Speaker 1: sill and even better on the gram. But what's it called, 121 00:07:51,840 --> 00:07:56,640 Speaker 1: said Mango, who's not very smart. A spotted begonia, said Molly, 122 00:07:57,000 --> 00:08:00,240 Speaker 1: you threw it in the cart. But before they could, hey, 123 00:08:00,360 --> 00:08:03,680 Speaker 1: the staff offered some warnings. It will need to dry 124 00:08:03,720 --> 00:08:08,040 Speaker 1: out between every watering. Also, they chorused, it likes a 125 00:08:08,040 --> 00:08:11,360 Speaker 1: lot of light, but don't put in a window because 126 00:08:11,360 --> 00:08:16,080 Speaker 1: that'll be too bright. But then they whispered the best 127 00:08:16,120 --> 00:08:20,520 Speaker 1: part of all, if you treat this plant right, it'll 128 00:08:20,560 --> 00:08:25,200 Speaker 1: grow big and tall. This plant, it had spunk, It 129 00:08:25,320 --> 00:08:29,160 Speaker 1: was dotted with fun. So the podcasters decided it had 130 00:08:29,240 --> 00:08:32,320 Speaker 1: to be the one, and along with the snake plant, 131 00:08:32,320 --> 00:08:35,720 Speaker 1: who they gave the name Sonja, they adopted this house 132 00:08:35,760 --> 00:08:47,400 Speaker 1: plant from the family big going, Yeah, thank you. That's 133 00:08:47,440 --> 00:08:50,120 Speaker 1: it for today's bonus episode, but check back here again 134 00:08:50,200 --> 00:08:53,200 Speaker 1: soon for more bonus episodes this summer. And don't forget 135 00:08:53,360 --> 00:08:55,760 Speaker 1: no matter what season it is or where you're at 136 00:08:55,760 --> 00:08:59,280 Speaker 1: in your gardening journey, there's some incredible resources waiting for 137 00:08:59,320 --> 00:09:02,920 Speaker 1: you on the America Will Grow website. Humans Growing Stuff 138 00:09:02,960 --> 00:09:05,960 Speaker 1: is a collaboration from I Heart Radio and your friends 139 00:09:05,960 --> 00:09:08,840 Speaker 1: at Miracle Grow. Our show is written and produced by Molly, 140 00:09:08,920 --> 00:09:12,080 Speaker 1: Sosha and Ni mug Shit together. Thank you so much 141 00:09:12,080 --> 00:09:12,640 Speaker 1: for listening.