Today on Grow! With Katie, we had the pleasure of welcoming Maria Failla!  Maria is a self-proclaimed "Plant Killer turned Plant Lady" on a mission to help every person successfully care for houseplants- no matter how small their home is.

Today’s guest on Grow! With Katie is Doug Tallamy, a professor in the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware. 

He has authored eighty research articles and has taught Insect Taxonomy, Behavioral Ecology, Humans and Nature, and other courses for thirty-two years.

Tallamy devotes his time to research so he can better understand the many ways insects interact with plants and how such interactions determine the diversity of animal communities. 

He also wrote a handful of books; Nature’s Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation That Starts in Your Yard, The Living Landscape, and Bringing Home Nature: How you can sustain wildlife with native plants. All of these can be found at http://www.bringingnaturehome.net/.

The first guest on Grow! with Katie is Joe Lamp’l, the famous “Joe” behind the gardening-intensive website, JoeGardener.com. 

Katie and Joe talk about his love for gardening, which came from a young age when he had a run-in with his parents’ favorite shrub. He shoved the broken branch into the ground and a few weeks later, the branch had taken root, and so did his interest for horticulture.

We work year-round to source trends for our Garden Trend Reports. And what better day than April 1 to share with you some of the biggest trends we’re predicting for 2021.

Nature and plants - indoors or out - are known to have many benefits for adults and children including cleaner air, a healthier environment and they are a good stimulus for mental health.

In times like now, when so much seems uncertain, you can be sure that your plants and nature are still working for and with you. Many organizations have resources explaining the individual benefits and how nature can change your life.

Read more to discover those resources. 

From our friends at the National Garden Bureau...

Your yoga classes, meetings, and concerts are canceled. The kids are out of school and you’re being encouraged to stay home.

Every company, small business, family, and individual has been tuned in to the news to stay updated on the growth of COVID-19 (Novel Coronavirus). Gatherings have been postponed and many have been cancelled. Some organizations are finding ways to move to an online way of functioning, including public schools, colleges, businesses, and churches. 

There are steps that need to be taken to professionally and successfully make major changes to your event, including cancelling it.

Read more to learn what we suggest for postponing or cancelling an event.

You may have seen the recent posts on Instagram or YouTube from Homestead Brooklyn, but in case you haven't, we wanted to share an initiative she is sprouting called "Plant One Forward".

Over the last few days, we've seen the obvious influx in conversation around COVID-19 in the news. We have also heard more and more talk about the impact that it's having on our garden industry businesses. From closures to shifting business models, our industry is certainly adjusting. 

We will get through, and spring comes (today!) and so will summer. People will garden, hopefully more than ever. But in the meantime, business must go on.

So we compiled a list of things you should be checking on, or be sure your marketing & social media firm is checking on for you.

Read more to learn some suggestions for communication during this unprecedented time.

Gardening is not cancelled.

In fact, studies show gardening is essential to your mental and physical health. 

Imagine a day, not too far from now, where we can once again hug our friends and neighbors, live life normally, and return to a peaceful state of mind. We are living for that moment right now. 

But in the meantime, people need something to keep themselves busy. There is no better time than now to get started on spring gardening projects!

Read on to gather some inspiration to get the garden growing. Please share these with your customers or anywhere you think people need a little break!