Plant Inspired Vacations

Growing Joy with Plants - Wellness Rooted in Nature, Houseplants, Gardening and Plant Care

Did you know you can use your plant passion as inspiration for how and where you go on vacation? I'm sure many of us have already done this on a small scale. Maybe you've been on a trip and kept taking pictures of plants that look just like the ones you have at home. Or perhaps you've insisted on visiting a local plant shop or botanical garden while on vacation (guilty as charged!). But plant friends, that can be just the beginning of how you travel and botanize for your plant passion.

And we're going to dive into everything you need to know about it today with my horticulturist bestie Leslie Halleck, who has been on the show many times, and Marcia Castro Rosenberg, listener-turned-plant-shop owner and also a dear friend of mine.

Leslie and Marcia have actually teamed up to create a once-in-a-lifetime trip called Botany & Betterment in The Amazon! It's a seven-day riverboat and jungle adventure on the Rio Negro River in Brazil this August 2025.

In this episode, we learn:

• [03:40] Get to know Marcia
• [07:51] Leslie’s botanizing trips
• [11:32] What is botanizing?
• [15:17] Support sustainable gardening with Espoma Organic’s premium gardening products!
• [16:52] Bring nature back to your garden with Kelly Norris's Your Natural Garden
• [18:55] What are their most memorable botanizing experiences?
• [25:37] What are the botanizing basics?
• [30:14] Where can you find plant keys & field guides
• [34:57] On creating the ultimate Amazon trip: ‘Botany & Betterment’
• [39:23] Hiring local guides for your trip
• [43:50] Building community and personal growth
• [49:45] Where can you find more info about Leslie and Marcia

Mentioned in our conversation:

• AllTrails
• Botany & Betterment in The Amazon!
• Tiny Plants, by Leslie Halleck
• Rooting For You Store

To know more about Leslie and Marcia's botanizing adventures,

check out the full show notes and blog here!

Follow Leslie:

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Follow Marcia:

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Thank you to our episode sponsors:

Espoma Organic

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

Quarto: Your Natural Garden by Kelly D. Norris

Grab a copy of Your Natural Garden by Kelly Norris at your favorite local bookstore, bookshop.org, Barnes & Noble, quarto.com or amazon.com to get inspired and take action on your garden.

Follow Maria and Growing Joy:

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

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