Cultivating Abundance and Gratitude in the Garden

What do a theater kid, a Venus flytrap, and a million TikTok followers have in common? Abundance… and my new plant friend Brian from Redleaf Ranch! Brian is the viral TikTok gardener you've probably come across if you spend any time in plant social media. He's the guy who makes you say "abundance!" out loud, and he’s here to talk about his approach to abundance and gratitude, plus how he used gardening as a tool for personal growth and community building.

In this episode, we learn:

• [01:42] Meet Brian from Redleaf Ranch!
• [02:47] How long has Brian been a theater kid and a plant person?
• [04:09] Why carnivorous plants have super tall flowers
• [05:06] Growing abundance: winter squash, potatoes, and food that preserves well
• [06:20] How Redleaf Ranch began
• [09:01] The “vision” moment that made Brian feel at home in the soil
• [11:24] Redleaf Ranch + Redleaf Exotics
• [14:48] Extend your growing season with Espoma Organic
• [16:23] Learn 75 plant facts with the book Plants with Superpowers by David Domoney
• [21:21] What Kevin from Epic Gardening taught us
• [22:53] Plant blindness to plant awakening
• [25:43] How “abundance!” became Brian’s signature catchphrase
• [29:24] Why abundance is a mindset, not just volume
• [31:34] How to find abundance during dark times
• [34:58] What is his mindfulness practice?
• [36:29] Why hand watering the garden is Brian’s meditation
• [37:49] Content creation vs. market farming
• [42:28] Strategic content creation with seasonal boundaries
• [42:49] What’s next for Redleaf?
• [44:17] Nature's rule: plants live/thrive in community
• [45:46] Where to find Brian and his book "Gardening for Abundance" and connect with Redleaf Ranch

Mentioned in our conversation:

• Growing Joy 269: Carnivorous Plants: The Houseplant Pest Control You Never Thought Of with Kenny Coogan
• Growing Joy 147: How to Care For Carnivorous Plants Indoors with Damon of California Carnivores
• RedLeaf Exotics
• Gardening For Abundance — Redleaf Ranch
• Sony Alpha ZV-E10
• Kevin from Epic Gardening

Interested in adapting the abundance mindset?

Check out the full show notes and blog here! 

Follow Brian:

Website

Instagram

YouTube

TikTok

Facebook

Thank you to our episode sponsors:

Espoma Organic

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

Quarto: Plants with Superpowers by David Domoney

Pick up Plants with Superpowers at your local bookstore, bookshop.org, Barnes and Noble, quarto.com, or amazon.com. 

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

Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Party Community Platform & App AKA the plantiest and kindest corner of the internet! Get your FREE 2-week trial here!

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Instagram: @growingjoywithmaria

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