September 16, 2024 • 22 mins
In this episode, Janey welcomes Rafael Galiano of Park Winters. Rafael started gardening at five years old and credits gardening with saving his life. The more Rafael talked about his life-changing experience, the more he realized his story was shared with many other gardeners - including Janey!
Together, they reflect on the healing power of gardening and its profound impact on their lives and others. Recorded under the shade of an oak tree at the beautiful Park Winters Country Estate, this inspiring episode explores the personal growth and connection that gardening brings to their lives and all!
Rafael is the “Dreamer, Designer and Curator” of Park Winters, he’ll be back in the next episode to talk about the evolution of Park Winters Country Estate.
Learn more about Park Winters here
Park Winters Instagram
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Dig, Plant, Water, Repeat is produced in association with Caloroga Shark Media. Hear other shows from Caloroga Shark along with subscription info and Merch with free shipping here!
Together, they reflect on the healing power of gardening and its profound impact on their lives and others. Recorded under the shade of an oak tree at the beautiful Park Winters Country Estate, this inspiring episode explores the personal growth and connection that gardening brings to their lives and all!
Rafael is the “Dreamer, Designer and Curator” of Park Winters, he’ll be back in the next episode to talk about the evolution of Park Winters Country Estate.
Learn more about Park Winters here
Park Winters Instagram
Love what you’re hearing?
Make sure to check out more from Janey:
Store
YouTube
Dig, Plant, Water, Repeat is produced in association with Caloroga Shark Media. Hear other shows from Caloroga Shark along with subscription info and Merch with free shipping here!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Support for this podcast comes from Proven Winners, the plant
brand that gardeners of all experienced levels trust the most,
and the brand that I have personally trusted in my
own gardening journey since twenty twenty. Proven Winners selections, including annuals, perennials, shrubs, trees, bulbs,
and even houseplants, are simply amazing and all are trialed, tested,
(00:22):
and specifically chosen for one purpose and one purpose only
to ensure gardener success. Visit Provenwinners dot com and find
your next favorite plant today.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Callarogashawk Media.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
Hi everyone, Jane here, Welcome back to my garden and
welcome back to the Dig Plant, Water Repeat podcast. I
am on location in a small town about an hour
away from San Francisco. The town is called Winters, California.
It's pretty close to my house. It's actually around the
corner from my house. And hidden away in the fields
(01:12):
of this town is a heaven on earth called Park
Winter's Country Estate. It's a flower farm, a bed and breakfast,
a wedding venue, and luxury gardens. And if you watch
my YouTube channel at all, you know how much I
love this place and how much I love the creator,
Raphael Galiano. Welcome, Raphael.
Speaker 3 (01:32):
Hey, good morning, Jamie FLURYA good hell that I'm wearing
your hat.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
I do you guys can't see it, but he's just
the cutest. We are sitting on location in the shade
underneath an oak tree, and Raphael's here wearing rock in
the dig plant water repeat hat. So huge, thank you
and thank you for doing this and being on here.
I appreciate it so much.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
You're welcome. It's always great seeing you.
Speaker 1 (01:53):
Yeah, so can you. I mean, we've had this conversation
so many times, and every time I talk to you,
I just get so inspired of just with everything that
we do and everything that you say. Can you talk
a little bit about like how you got started in gardening,
how you got into this world, just kind of your journey.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
Yeah, that's a loaded question. But you know, if I
think back as early as when I was five years old,
as that I started gardening, and I remember waking up
really early in the morning and running to see if
my seeds had germinated. And also those like little fun
projects where you take like a watermelon seed and you
lay it on the counter and you let the moisture,
(02:36):
you know, let it Germany and watching that just would
really fascinate me as a kid. And so every year
my mother would bring me a big truck of dirt
and have it placed on the side of the house
and that was my playpen to grow seeds and food,
et cetera. And I remember that I was inspired by
(02:58):
watching our next door neighbor. His name was mister Rice,
and we used to call him Elamericano because he was
the last American left in Miami.
Speaker 4 (03:09):
I love it.
Speaker 3 (03:10):
And so I was a young, fascinated kid. I was
fascinated in that he had all these beautiful rows of
tomatoes and then he had a row of carrots, and
it was all this organization or these organized rows, and
I just was always watching him from the fence. And
so then my mom started ordering dirt and then mister
(03:32):
Rice he taught me how to, you know, do some
vegetable gardening. And then my mother would also empower me
and like helping me by plants, et cetera. So I
got into gardening at a very young age, and I'm
really glad I did because when I was in my
mid twenties, I hit a bump in the road in
confidence and you know, to be transparent like a very
(03:54):
emotional bump in the road. It was quite the crossroads
and it was literally my garden that my life. And
it was by getting out there and cutting tree small
trees and you know, adding landscaping and just the earth
really is what healed me. Yeah, And because I believe
it at the core that this is what has helped
(04:14):
so many people, is what I know to do, and
I can confidently share it with people. It's what I do.
So it's wonderful to have a platform where you're able
to inspire people just by sharing something that you really
did love and believe in deep in your heart.
Speaker 4 (04:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
Yeah, So now I know at a certain point you
were in San Francisco, is that right?
Speaker 3 (04:36):
Yes?
Speaker 1 (04:36):
And so were you What did you do in San Francisco?
Speaker 3 (04:40):
So I mostly sold real estate and I had finished
a ten year career in selling home warranties.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
Oh wow, yeah, so not so much gardening. Did you
still were you still able to garden?
Speaker 3 (04:50):
Well? I so our very first place. We owned a
loft there and we had a very small balcony, and
my neighbors would say it looked like a smith and
hawk and commercial because it just goes to show that
on a like ten by twelve or ten by fifteen
foot deck, you can have an entire world of plants
and seating, et cetera. So I made the best of
(05:11):
it when I was there.
Speaker 1 (05:12):
Yeah, So, Raphael, you and I have had many, many
conversations about how gardening has saved your life, how I
feel it saved my life, and then the conversations that
you and I have had with other people that kind
of feel the same way. How you know, how do
you get into those conversations with people. I mean, you're
(05:32):
such a personable person. It's so easy for me to
just sit here and tell you my whole life story.
But how do you think that you have managed to
get that out of people their feelings, their love, their
joy for gardening.
Speaker 3 (05:46):
So I've met gardeners from all walks of life. I've
met gardeners who are your basic grandma who gardens in
their backyard, and that I've met some celebrity gardeners. And
at some point in the conversation, what I found there's
a commonality where all all of us, some one was
there ever a point in your life. Was there a
moment in the garden where it just hit and you
had you know, a feeling that you felt better. Did
(06:11):
it make you feel better? Did it change your mood?
And about one hundred percent of the people always have
a story yes. And some people will say, listen, it
really healed me because of this or that. Some other
people will tell me that it was in their garden
when they were on their hands and knees that they
got this multimillion dollar idea that they were just now,
(06:32):
you know, embarking on because in that silence of working
in the garden, they got that inspiration. There's many people
who will bring their family members here to just walk
around and just feel reconnected, and it's really sweet. We've
even had some people in hospice whether their last request
is to take a golf cart ride on a tour
(06:53):
of our gardens. Oh my gosh, and that's so touching
that somebody would.
Speaker 1 (06:57):
Want to do that, you know, one of the things.
Speaker 3 (07:00):
Yeah, and you know, gardening happens to be America's number
one hobby, so it's just amazing. You can't really put
a finger on it, but there's a feeling at the
end of the day when you've worked in your garden,
you've cleaned up your pots, you've put a little mulch.
Now you're hosing it all down and then you go
in and you eat and go to bed and you
(07:21):
probably sleep better that night. Absolutely, And so when you know,
you know, and so gardeners really connect on that level
and it's just very therapeutic.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
Yeah, yeah, so you can feel free. And I'll talk
about this, but I know we've had many conversations about
your future project of the book that you want to
do or would you be willing to talk about that.
Speaker 3 (07:41):
On Yeah, absolutely, and maybe someone who listens may want
to become part of the project. Also, I have a
list of writers. I'm going to write a feel good
book like a chicken soup for the soul for gardeners.
And I've already attained the url and the websites and everything,
and the title of the book is called Mike and
Saved My Life. Yes, And so it's going to be
(08:03):
thirty five short stories, and I'm actually going to invite
you to be to write.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
Honor the writers I'm honored.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
And so it's going to be thirty five short stories
of people who have had transformational experiences while gardening. And
then will work out the logistics. But I think the
proceeds of the book will go to their charity of choice,
et cetera, so that it could really be perpetuated in
the direction of the people who participate in the book,
(08:32):
and that it's a book that lots of people feel
good by reading it. And those are the stories that
I'll ask someone like while we're speaking, whether it's a
professional gardener or you know, your average backyard gardener, and
I'll ask them that question, what was there ever an
(08:53):
experience where you had to shift in your feelings? Did
something come to you, et cetera. And everyone always has
a story.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
I know, it's crazy. I remember you asked me that question,
and I was just like, how did you know? You know?
And You're right, You've just hit on something that is
so true and so real and something that I think
as gardeners is such a lucky thing that we've been
able to figure it out. And it's one of the
reasons why I love talking about gardening, because I'm hoping
(09:21):
that I can bring somebody else in which I know
you feel the same way with park winters and sharing
the cut flower experience that you have here in the
farm and all that kind of stuff. Raphael, we have
to take a quick break to hear from our sponsor.
We're going to be back in just a sack.
Speaker 4 (09:34):
Okay, okay, all.
Speaker 1 (09:46):
Right everyone, we are back with the Dick Plant Water
Repeat podcast and back on location at Park Winter's Country
Estate with Rafael Galliano. We're talking about something that's a
little heavy, but not too heavy, still positive, and that's
how gardening. Gardening has saved our lives. Gardening has really
made quite an impact, and Raphael is kind of the
(10:10):
forerunner of that. He is someone that I have talked
to for years and had this conversation with many times.
And Raphael, I'm so excited about your book. Can you
tell us about maybe some of the stories that you've
heard of people that have the same sentiment that we do.
Speaker 3 (10:28):
Yeah, well, I'm thinking of a really sweet story of
a time where I had a tenant in the property
next door and she was really into cooking, but she
made it clear that she wasn't a gardener, and she
didn't like to get out there in the heat, and
she didn't like the bugs, et cetera. But I knew
that she would like gardening if she just gave it
(10:48):
a try. And how do you know if you don't
like gardening? If you don't never done it, or if
it was forced upon you to mow the lawn, et cetera.
And so the story is that I knew she loved
to cook, and so what I did is I planted
an herb garden right outside her kitchen, and I planted
(11:09):
every herb imaginable around her kitchen, et cetera. And within
six months, this girl was a full blown gardener. And
I was wonderful. And I remember when I moved to California,
she put together two albums of the of the garden
memories photos and she put that together and gave it
(11:30):
to me. So that really touched her and it really
healed her at a deep level. And I've had other
people tell me stories of that when they were at
their grandmother's house and they were gardening or helping her
do a garden, that they had some really great ideas
that made a big shift in their business. Yeah, because
(11:51):
you get a lot of clarity when it's just you
and the garden.
Speaker 1 (11:53):
I agree.
Speaker 3 (11:54):
And the other sweet things about gardening is when you're
out there around here, because we're sitting in the garden now,
is that you get to see the monarch butterflies come
by you see the caterpillar, you see the worms and
the snails, and you know it's just magic. As I'm
talking to you, there's this beautiful swallowtail butterfly fluttering before
(12:19):
our eyes over here, and it's just a magical thing
to witness. And you just can't witness that from being
inside your home office or you're a cubicle, and it's
so healing. And another thing too that I love is
I give garden tours on the weekends, and I would
encourage people that are that are garden curious but don't
(12:41):
have the confidence to do it, to go to your
local gardens and take a tour. Mine is very forward
on like helping people on how to garden at home,
kind of like that's the same way you are, how
you explain things. And usually at at the beginning of
always observed that there's it's always a guy, and he'll
(13:03):
give me the vibe that here, that his girlfriend or
wife like dragged him here, and that he did not
want to be here. And I just get that vibe
because I'm pretty intuitive about people's energy and they make
very little eye contact, et cetera. So I do something
really fun is I have these essential oils strategically placed
throughout the garden, and I do an introduction and then
(13:26):
I move people through the garden the very first herbs
that we come across, and I explain to people that
I'm showing them this because I want them to understand
that these essential oils are in herbs, and they do.
They can give you a shift in perception. And the
way you feel is that I show people nutmeg geranium
and not make do you know nut magderanium? Oh my gosh,
(13:47):
when we we'll go do a little okay, So anyway, I,
for lack of better words, I share, you know, I
dose people with this nutmeg geranium. I just have people
smell it and then also followed by the rose drainium
next to it. Within seconds, these guys or anyone that's
giving you the vibe, everyone's suddenly there and everyone comes
(14:10):
together and we move on into the garden tour and
I have them just strategically placed, and sometimes I get
people more and say here you need this, and then
we laugh about it. But if you think about those
little bottles that you buy at the store they say
bliss or wake me up or relax, well, those are oils,
those essential oils. You don't know if they've been sitting
(14:31):
there for three months, six months, a year. And you know,
I have a bunch of them that I've just sitting
there and sometimes I don't open them up for months
or years.
Speaker 4 (14:40):
Right.
Speaker 3 (14:41):
So the big difference is that when you have these
in your garden, you can have you know, the benefits
of the oils that are in that leaf, and they
go straight to your nose. There's no preservatives. It hasn't
been sitting there, so they really give you that shift
that that particular plant gives you. And I'll be really
(15:01):
curious to see what you think about it. But they're amazing. Yeah,
and I get them all, all these specialty herbs right
here at Morning Sun.
Speaker 1 (15:10):
Herb bro Oh, yeah, I went there because you recommend it.
Speaker 3 (15:12):
Did you like it?
Speaker 2 (15:13):
I loved it.
Speaker 1 (15:14):
Oh my goodness, I loved it.
Speaker 3 (15:15):
That place is amazing, it really is. And so she
has every imaginable herb, you know, cooking, culinary and also
aromatics and essential herbs, and so that's that's when I
got into it, and so I have them. And it's
really cool to see people shift in the way that
they feel just by sharing these essential herbs with them.
Speaker 1 (15:38):
Yeah, And can you imagine us gardeners by planting that
in our gardens, Say we plant something that's blissful. That
means every time we're out in our garden, we're getting that,
you know, getting that essential oil, getting that scent, and
having that feeling. And I just, oh, I just love it.
I know exactly what you're talking about.
Speaker 3 (15:57):
I just it's just so you know, like when you
when you walk through your patch of mint or reguo
and it wafts up at you. Yes, well, that has
all these medicinal attributes to it in ways that it
makes us feel, et cetera. So I'm not quite an
expert on what they exactly do, but I do know
the way they.
Speaker 4 (16:17):
Make me feel.
Speaker 1 (16:18):
Yeah, you know, and you are a very perceptive person.
I mean, even when I come and see you, you'll
notice something about me immediately. So you have this special touch.
But it's incredible to me how you've kind of dedicated
everything to gardening. When did that happen? When did that happen?
When you decided that you were going to devote your
(16:41):
entire life to gardening.
Speaker 3 (16:43):
Well, so I would counterbalance stress from my professional life
by gardening in afternoons and weekends.
Speaker 1 (16:51):
So stress when you were real estate in.
Speaker 3 (16:53):
Real estate or selling home warranties, et cetera. And then
so I always had my beautiful garden in Florida, that wonderland,
and I would I work. I was lucky I worked
from home, and I did spend a lot of extra
time out there with my headset and you know, garden
while I talked to get to clients, et cetera. And
maybe that's what might have helped maybe you know, more successful,
(17:15):
who knows, But in terms of when I've dedicated my
life to gardening was more so when I got this
platform here at Park Winters, because this place is sort
of like a culmination of lots of ideas and things
that I've seen in my in my travels and in
my online research, and I've I've been very fortunate that
(17:40):
I've been molded by some very astute, powerful women who
have given me the knowledge to do things like Google
mounds and hoogle culture and the way that we decompose
all of our food here at Park Winters and make
it composts. And there's all this really cool stuff that
we been able to incorporate by with our waste to
(18:03):
make fertilizer, but mostly the overarching like umbrella for me
of like my commitment to the universe and why I
do and share these things as my commitment to inspire people.
I am here standing on the shoulders of people who've
inspired me and have taken the time to speak to
that little young boy who didn't know anything. You know,
(18:26):
I knew so little about gardening that I would plant
shade plants in the sun and understood quickly why they.
Speaker 1 (18:33):
Needed why in Miami, right Yeah.
Speaker 3 (18:37):
And then plants that belonged in the shade, I mean
belonged in the sun, and I'd plant them in the
shade and wonder why they slowly died. And you know,
you live and learn and the plants teach you. But
it's just, really it's been an awesome journey, and I
have tremendous gratitude in that I have this platform to
share gardening with people. And the other thing too, is
(19:00):
we do a lot of creative classes here, right, And
what I find is always at the end of the class,
middle of the class, there's a person who will divulge
that they're here because they're going through tremendous suffering that
they lost their kid, in a car, a motorcycle accident,
or that they're suffering from, you know, a terminal disease,
(19:22):
and they brought their sibling here for one of the
last times. So there's people in every tour and in
every class that are experiencing, you know, the human experience
that we all go through in different waves. We all
get different turns at it. And so gardening is a
beautiful thing because it's a good old, basic living thing
(19:42):
that everyone can do. It's not a belief system, it's
not a religion. It's not you know, you don't have
to do you know, forty breasts of fire and hump
your navel and stand at a certain pose, and you
don't have to tell people to read or do something.
It's just good old basic living and everyone can do
it and it has no boundaries, and it brings us
all together enjoy and who cares what people think and
(20:06):
there you know, yeah, religious or political lives, because the
garden brings us all together and this is a place
where we can all be together and be inspired, you know,
which is what I think the Earth wants us to do.
Speaker 1 (20:21):
Absolutely, and I think that's one of the I mean,
park Winners is special and this place. Every time I
come here, I just feel like I've been rejuvenated.
Speaker 4 (20:31):
Right.
Speaker 1 (20:32):
But I think the one thing that's most special, and
you said it, is that you're here to inspire people.
And what you've created at Park Winners, not only is
it inspiring, but then when anybody gets the chance to
meet you and talk to you and take one of
your classes or take one of your tours, the inspiration
(20:53):
that you exude is just absolutely incredible. So I cannot
wait for your book. I'm so excited to read it,
and I'm honored to be a part of it. So
thank you, Rafael.
Speaker 3 (21:04):
Yeah, I'm excited.
Speaker 1 (21:05):
Yeah. So we are out of time for this podcast,
but I was wondering if you'd be willing to stay
for a part two and maybe we can talk about
the history of Park Winners and how it came about.
Oh absolutely, all right, Well all of you listening, I
hope you enjoyed this. Stay tuned for the next episode
for part two with Raphael. I hope you have a
(21:27):
chance to get in your garden today. Thank you, Thank
you so much to my podcast sponsor, Proven Winners. Visit
your local garden center today and look for the white
containers featuring the Proven Winner's logo. There's a reason they're
the number one plant brand that gardeners like me trust
(21:47):
the most. Visit Proven Winners dot Com for tips, ideas,
and so much more. Dig Plant Water Repeat is produced
in association with Klaroga Shark Media. It was written and
hosted by me Janie Santos, with marketing and production assistant
from Courtney Clark. Please consider subscribing and watch us on
(22:07):
YouTube or follow us on your favorite podcast app of
choice to get alerts on all new episodes. And hey,
if you liked the show, give us a review and
hit those five stars on Apple. Executive producers are Mark Francis,
John McDermott, and Janie Santos
Speaker 2 (22:29):
Calarogashowck Media
Support for this podcast comes from Proven Winners, the plant
brand that gardeners of all experienced levels trust the most,
and the brand that I have personally trusted in my
own gardening journey since twenty twenty. Proven Winners selections, including annuals, perennials, shrubs, trees, bulbs,
and even houseplants, are simply amazing and all are trialed, tested,
(00:22):
and specifically chosen for one purpose and one purpose only
to ensure gardener success. Visit Provenwinners dot com and find
your next favorite plant today.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Callarogashawk Media.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
Hi everyone, Jane here, Welcome back to my garden and
welcome back to the Dig Plant, Water Repeat podcast. I
am on location in a small town about an hour
away from San Francisco. The town is called Winters, California.
It's pretty close to my house. It's actually around the
corner from my house. And hidden away in the fields
(01:12):
of this town is a heaven on earth called Park
Winter's Country Estate. It's a flower farm, a bed and breakfast,
a wedding venue, and luxury gardens. And if you watch
my YouTube channel at all, you know how much I
love this place and how much I love the creator,
Raphael Galiano. Welcome, Raphael.
Speaker 3 (01:32):
Hey, good morning, Jamie FLURYA good hell that I'm wearing
your hat.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
I do you guys can't see it, but he's just
the cutest. We are sitting on location in the shade
underneath an oak tree, and Raphael's here wearing rock in
the dig plant water repeat hat. So huge, thank you
and thank you for doing this and being on here.
I appreciate it so much.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
You're welcome. It's always great seeing you.
Speaker 1 (01:53):
Yeah, so can you. I mean, we've had this conversation
so many times, and every time I talk to you,
I just get so inspired of just with everything that
we do and everything that you say. Can you talk
a little bit about like how you got started in gardening,
how you got into this world, just kind of your journey.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
Yeah, that's a loaded question. But you know, if I
think back as early as when I was five years old,
as that I started gardening, and I remember waking up
really early in the morning and running to see if
my seeds had germinated. And also those like little fun
projects where you take like a watermelon seed and you
lay it on the counter and you let the moisture,
(02:36):
you know, let it Germany and watching that just would
really fascinate me as a kid. And so every year
my mother would bring me a big truck of dirt
and have it placed on the side of the house
and that was my playpen to grow seeds and food,
et cetera. And I remember that I was inspired by
(02:58):
watching our next door neighbor. His name was mister Rice,
and we used to call him Elamericano because he was
the last American left in Miami.
Speaker 4 (03:09):
I love it.
Speaker 3 (03:10):
And so I was a young, fascinated kid. I was
fascinated in that he had all these beautiful rows of
tomatoes and then he had a row of carrots, and
it was all this organization or these organized rows, and
I just was always watching him from the fence. And
so then my mom started ordering dirt and then mister
(03:32):
Rice he taught me how to, you know, do some
vegetable gardening. And then my mother would also empower me
and like helping me by plants, et cetera. So I
got into gardening at a very young age, and I'm
really glad I did because when I was in my
mid twenties, I hit a bump in the road in
confidence and you know, to be transparent like a very
(03:54):
emotional bump in the road. It was quite the crossroads
and it was literally my garden that my life. And
it was by getting out there and cutting tree small
trees and you know, adding landscaping and just the earth
really is what healed me. Yeah, And because I believe
it at the core that this is what has helped
(04:14):
so many people, is what I know to do, and
I can confidently share it with people. It's what I do.
So it's wonderful to have a platform where you're able
to inspire people just by sharing something that you really
did love and believe in deep in your heart.
Speaker 4 (04:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
Yeah, So now I know at a certain point you
were in San Francisco, is that right?
Speaker 3 (04:36):
Yes?
Speaker 1 (04:36):
And so were you What did you do in San Francisco?
Speaker 3 (04:40):
So I mostly sold real estate and I had finished
a ten year career in selling home warranties.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
Oh wow, yeah, so not so much gardening. Did you
still were you still able to garden?
Speaker 3 (04:50):
Well? I so our very first place. We owned a
loft there and we had a very small balcony, and
my neighbors would say it looked like a smith and
hawk and commercial because it just goes to show that
on a like ten by twelve or ten by fifteen
foot deck, you can have an entire world of plants
and seating, et cetera. So I made the best of
(05:11):
it when I was there.
Speaker 1 (05:12):
Yeah, So, Raphael, you and I have had many, many
conversations about how gardening has saved your life, how I
feel it saved my life, and then the conversations that
you and I have had with other people that kind
of feel the same way. How you know, how do
you get into those conversations with people. I mean, you're
(05:32):
such a personable person. It's so easy for me to
just sit here and tell you my whole life story.
But how do you think that you have managed to
get that out of people their feelings, their love, their
joy for gardening.
Speaker 3 (05:46):
So I've met gardeners from all walks of life. I've
met gardeners who are your basic grandma who gardens in
their backyard, and that I've met some celebrity gardeners. And
at some point in the conversation, what I found there's
a commonality where all all of us, some one was
there ever a point in your life. Was there a
moment in the garden where it just hit and you
had you know, a feeling that you felt better. Did
(06:11):
it make you feel better? Did it change your mood?
And about one hundred percent of the people always have
a story yes. And some people will say, listen, it
really healed me because of this or that. Some other
people will tell me that it was in their garden
when they were on their hands and knees that they
got this multimillion dollar idea that they were just now,
(06:32):
you know, embarking on because in that silence of working
in the garden, they got that inspiration. There's many people
who will bring their family members here to just walk
around and just feel reconnected, and it's really sweet. We've
even had some people in hospice whether their last request
is to take a golf cart ride on a tour
(06:53):
of our gardens. Oh my gosh, and that's so touching
that somebody would.
Speaker 1 (06:57):
Want to do that, you know, one of the things.
Speaker 3 (07:00):
Yeah, and you know, gardening happens to be America's number
one hobby, so it's just amazing. You can't really put
a finger on it, but there's a feeling at the
end of the day when you've worked in your garden,
you've cleaned up your pots, you've put a little mulch.
Now you're hosing it all down and then you go
in and you eat and go to bed and you
(07:21):
probably sleep better that night. Absolutely, And so when you know,
you know, and so gardeners really connect on that level
and it's just very therapeutic.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
Yeah, yeah, so you can feel free. And I'll talk
about this, but I know we've had many conversations about
your future project of the book that you want to
do or would you be willing to talk about that.
Speaker 3 (07:41):
On Yeah, absolutely, and maybe someone who listens may want
to become part of the project. Also, I have a
list of writers. I'm going to write a feel good
book like a chicken soup for the soul for gardeners.
And I've already attained the url and the websites and everything,
and the title of the book is called Mike and
Saved My Life. Yes, And so it's going to be
(08:03):
thirty five short stories, and I'm actually going to invite
you to be to write.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
Honor the writers I'm honored.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
And so it's going to be thirty five short stories
of people who have had transformational experiences while gardening. And
then will work out the logistics. But I think the
proceeds of the book will go to their charity of choice,
et cetera, so that it could really be perpetuated in
the direction of the people who participate in the book,
(08:32):
and that it's a book that lots of people feel
good by reading it. And those are the stories that
I'll ask someone like while we're speaking, whether it's a
professional gardener or you know, your average backyard gardener, and
I'll ask them that question, what was there ever an
(08:53):
experience where you had to shift in your feelings? Did
something come to you, et cetera. And everyone always has
a story.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
I know, it's crazy. I remember you asked me that question,
and I was just like, how did you know? You know?
And You're right, You've just hit on something that is
so true and so real and something that I think
as gardeners is such a lucky thing that we've been
able to figure it out. And it's one of the
reasons why I love talking about gardening, because I'm hoping
(09:21):
that I can bring somebody else in which I know
you feel the same way with park winters and sharing
the cut flower experience that you have here in the
farm and all that kind of stuff. Raphael, we have
to take a quick break to hear from our sponsor.
We're going to be back in just a sack.
Speaker 4 (09:34):
Okay, okay, all.
Speaker 1 (09:46):
Right everyone, we are back with the Dick Plant Water
Repeat podcast and back on location at Park Winter's Country
Estate with Rafael Galliano. We're talking about something that's a
little heavy, but not too heavy, still positive, and that's
how gardening. Gardening has saved our lives. Gardening has really
made quite an impact, and Raphael is kind of the
(10:10):
forerunner of that. He is someone that I have talked
to for years and had this conversation with many times.
And Raphael, I'm so excited about your book. Can you
tell us about maybe some of the stories that you've
heard of people that have the same sentiment that we do.
Speaker 3 (10:28):
Yeah, well, I'm thinking of a really sweet story of
a time where I had a tenant in the property
next door and she was really into cooking, but she
made it clear that she wasn't a gardener, and she
didn't like to get out there in the heat, and
she didn't like the bugs, et cetera. But I knew
that she would like gardening if she just gave it
(10:48):
a try. And how do you know if you don't
like gardening? If you don't never done it, or if
it was forced upon you to mow the lawn, et cetera.
And so the story is that I knew she loved
to cook, and so what I did is I planted
an herb garden right outside her kitchen, and I planted
(11:09):
every herb imaginable around her kitchen, et cetera. And within
six months, this girl was a full blown gardener. And
I was wonderful. And I remember when I moved to California,
she put together two albums of the of the garden
memories photos and she put that together and gave it
(11:30):
to me. So that really touched her and it really
healed her at a deep level. And I've had other
people tell me stories of that when they were at
their grandmother's house and they were gardening or helping her
do a garden, that they had some really great ideas
that made a big shift in their business. Yeah, because
(11:51):
you get a lot of clarity when it's just you
and the garden.
Speaker 1 (11:53):
I agree.
Speaker 3 (11:54):
And the other sweet things about gardening is when you're
out there around here, because we're sitting in the garden now,
is that you get to see the monarch butterflies come
by you see the caterpillar, you see the worms and
the snails, and you know it's just magic. As I'm
talking to you, there's this beautiful swallowtail butterfly fluttering before
(12:19):
our eyes over here, and it's just a magical thing
to witness. And you just can't witness that from being
inside your home office or you're a cubicle, and it's
so healing. And another thing too that I love is
I give garden tours on the weekends, and I would
encourage people that are that are garden curious but don't
(12:41):
have the confidence to do it, to go to your
local gardens and take a tour. Mine is very forward
on like helping people on how to garden at home,
kind of like that's the same way you are, how
you explain things. And usually at at the beginning of
always observed that there's it's always a guy, and he'll
(13:03):
give me the vibe that here, that his girlfriend or
wife like dragged him here, and that he did not
want to be here. And I just get that vibe
because I'm pretty intuitive about people's energy and they make
very little eye contact, et cetera. So I do something
really fun is I have these essential oils strategically placed
throughout the garden, and I do an introduction and then
(13:26):
I move people through the garden the very first herbs
that we come across, and I explain to people that
I'm showing them this because I want them to understand
that these essential oils are in herbs, and they do.
They can give you a shift in perception. And the
way you feel is that I show people nutmeg geranium
and not make do you know nut magderanium? Oh my gosh,
(13:47):
when we we'll go do a little okay, So anyway, I,
for lack of better words, I share, you know, I
dose people with this nutmeg geranium. I just have people
smell it and then also followed by the rose drainium
next to it. Within seconds, these guys or anyone that's
giving you the vibe, everyone's suddenly there and everyone comes
(14:10):
together and we move on into the garden tour and
I have them just strategically placed, and sometimes I get
people more and say here you need this, and then
we laugh about it. But if you think about those
little bottles that you buy at the store they say
bliss or wake me up or relax, well, those are oils,
those essential oils. You don't know if they've been sitting
(14:31):
there for three months, six months, a year. And you know,
I have a bunch of them that I've just sitting
there and sometimes I don't open them up for months
or years.
Speaker 4 (14:40):
Right.
Speaker 3 (14:41):
So the big difference is that when you have these
in your garden, you can have you know, the benefits
of the oils that are in that leaf, and they
go straight to your nose. There's no preservatives. It hasn't
been sitting there, so they really give you that shift
that that particular plant gives you. And I'll be really
(15:01):
curious to see what you think about it. But they're amazing. Yeah,
and I get them all, all these specialty herbs right
here at Morning Sun.
Speaker 1 (15:10):
Herb bro Oh, yeah, I went there because you recommend it.
Speaker 3 (15:12):
Did you like it?
Speaker 2 (15:13):
I loved it.
Speaker 1 (15:14):
Oh my goodness, I loved it.
Speaker 3 (15:15):
That place is amazing, it really is. And so she
has every imaginable herb, you know, cooking, culinary and also
aromatics and essential herbs, and so that's that's when I
got into it, and so I have them. And it's
really cool to see people shift in the way that
they feel just by sharing these essential herbs with them.
Speaker 1 (15:38):
Yeah, And can you imagine us gardeners by planting that
in our gardens, Say we plant something that's blissful. That
means every time we're out in our garden, we're getting that,
you know, getting that essential oil, getting that scent, and
having that feeling. And I just, oh, I just love it.
I know exactly what you're talking about.
Speaker 3 (15:57):
I just it's just so you know, like when you
when you walk through your patch of mint or reguo
and it wafts up at you. Yes, well, that has
all these medicinal attributes to it in ways that it
makes us feel, et cetera. So I'm not quite an
expert on what they exactly do, but I do know
the way they.
Speaker 4 (16:17):
Make me feel.
Speaker 1 (16:18):
Yeah, you know, and you are a very perceptive person.
I mean, even when I come and see you, you'll
notice something about me immediately. So you have this special touch.
But it's incredible to me how you've kind of dedicated
everything to gardening. When did that happen? When did that happen?
When you decided that you were going to devote your
(16:41):
entire life to gardening.
Speaker 3 (16:43):
Well, so I would counterbalance stress from my professional life
by gardening in afternoons and weekends.
Speaker 1 (16:51):
So stress when you were real estate in.
Speaker 3 (16:53):
Real estate or selling home warranties, et cetera. And then
so I always had my beautiful garden in Florida, that wonderland,
and I would I work. I was lucky I worked
from home, and I did spend a lot of extra
time out there with my headset and you know, garden
while I talked to get to clients, et cetera. And
maybe that's what might have helped maybe you know, more successful,
(17:15):
who knows, But in terms of when I've dedicated my
life to gardening was more so when I got this
platform here at Park Winters, because this place is sort
of like a culmination of lots of ideas and things
that I've seen in my in my travels and in
my online research, and I've I've been very fortunate that
(17:40):
I've been molded by some very astute, powerful women who
have given me the knowledge to do things like Google
mounds and hoogle culture and the way that we decompose
all of our food here at Park Winters and make
it composts. And there's all this really cool stuff that
we been able to incorporate by with our waste to
(18:03):
make fertilizer, but mostly the overarching like umbrella for me
of like my commitment to the universe and why I
do and share these things as my commitment to inspire people.
I am here standing on the shoulders of people who've
inspired me and have taken the time to speak to
that little young boy who didn't know anything. You know,
(18:26):
I knew so little about gardening that I would plant
shade plants in the sun and understood quickly why they.
Speaker 1 (18:33):
Needed why in Miami, right Yeah.
Speaker 3 (18:37):
And then plants that belonged in the shade, I mean
belonged in the sun, and I'd plant them in the
shade and wonder why they slowly died. And you know,
you live and learn and the plants teach you. But
it's just, really it's been an awesome journey, and I
have tremendous gratitude in that I have this platform to
share gardening with people. And the other thing too, is
(19:00):
we do a lot of creative classes here, right, And
what I find is always at the end of the class,
middle of the class, there's a person who will divulge
that they're here because they're going through tremendous suffering that
they lost their kid, in a car, a motorcycle accident,
or that they're suffering from, you know, a terminal disease,
(19:22):
and they brought their sibling here for one of the
last times. So there's people in every tour and in
every class that are experiencing, you know, the human experience
that we all go through in different waves. We all
get different turns at it. And so gardening is a
beautiful thing because it's a good old, basic living thing
(19:42):
that everyone can do. It's not a belief system, it's
not a religion. It's not you know, you don't have
to do you know, forty breasts of fire and hump
your navel and stand at a certain pose, and you
don't have to tell people to read or do something.
It's just good old basic living and everyone can do
it and it has no boundaries, and it brings us
all together enjoy and who cares what people think and
(20:06):
there you know, yeah, religious or political lives, because the
garden brings us all together and this is a place
where we can all be together and be inspired, you know,
which is what I think the Earth wants us to do.
Speaker 1 (20:21):
Absolutely, and I think that's one of the I mean,
park Winners is special and this place. Every time I
come here, I just feel like I've been rejuvenated.
Speaker 4 (20:31):
Right.
Speaker 1 (20:32):
But I think the one thing that's most special, and
you said it, is that you're here to inspire people.
And what you've created at Park Winners, not only is
it inspiring, but then when anybody gets the chance to
meet you and talk to you and take one of
your classes or take one of your tours, the inspiration
(20:53):
that you exude is just absolutely incredible. So I cannot
wait for your book. I'm so excited to read it,
and I'm honored to be a part of it. So
thank you, Rafael.
Speaker 3 (21:04):
Yeah, I'm excited.
Speaker 1 (21:05):
Yeah. So we are out of time for this podcast,
but I was wondering if you'd be willing to stay
for a part two and maybe we can talk about
the history of Park Winners and how it came about.
Oh absolutely, all right, Well all of you listening, I
hope you enjoyed this. Stay tuned for the next episode
for part two with Raphael. I hope you have a
(21:27):
chance to get in your garden today. Thank you, Thank
you so much to my podcast sponsor, Proven Winners. Visit
your local garden center today and look for the white
containers featuring the Proven Winner's logo. There's a reason they're
the number one plant brand that gardeners like me trust
(21:47):
the most. Visit Proven Winners dot Com for tips, ideas,
and so much more. Dig Plant Water Repeat is produced
in association with Klaroga Shark Media. It was written and
hosted by me Janie Santos, with marketing and production assistant
from Courtney Clark. Please consider subscribing and watch us on
(22:07):
YouTube or follow us on your favorite podcast app of
choice to get alerts on all new episodes. And hey,
if you liked the show, give us a review and
hit those five stars on Apple. Executive producers are Mark Francis,
John McDermott, and Janie Santos
Speaker 2 (22:29):
Calarogashowck Media
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