Gather & Grow with Plant Kween

Summary

Work in Progress with Sophia Bush – "Gather & Grow with Plant Kween"

Podcast: Work in Progress with Sophia Bush
Host: Sophia Bush (iHeartPodcasts)
Guest: Christopher Griffin (Plant Kween)
Date: June 17, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this lively, heartfelt episode, Sophia Bush welcomes Christopher Griffin, aka Plant Kween, to discuss finding joy and self-care through plant parenting, embracing individual and community growth, and cultivating both gardens and inner selves. The conversation is a celebration of Black and queer joy, urban gardening, childhood roots, and the lush metaphors that plants offer for life and healing. Practical insights, personal stories, and laughter fill this engaging discussion.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Rooted in Joy: Childhood and Queer Identity

[03:40–08:52]

• Sophia opens the conversation honoring Plant Kween's joy and unapologetic individuality, asking Christopher what advice their adult self would give to their eight-year-old self.
• Christopher recounts watching old home videos, reflecting on how their flamboyant, playful spirit was always there.

  "I was a flamboyant little queen. I was like, damn. Like, it was beautiful to watch me just exist unapologetically as my flamboyant self." [06:59]

• Christopher’s childhood was shaped by a supportive family who encouraged their exploration and self-expression.
• Time spent outdoors—"frolicking"—with family, especially within community and green spaces in Philadelphia, laid the foundation for a life rooted in nature and joy.

Ancestral Inspiration & Plant Kween Origin

[09:38–12:50]

• Christopher’s grandmother, Andrea Griffin, is credited as the original "plant queen," inspiring a deep connection to plants as a pathway to joy and resilience.

  "She had to create spaces for her own joy. And she did that through gardening... gardening was the way that she found joy and created joy for herself." [11:08]

• The Plant Kween moniker came from Christopher's love for ABBA’s "Dancing Queen" and the urge for playful, inclusive branding.

  "Dancing Queen came on. I was like, dancing Queen. Plant Queen. Plant Queen, but with a kw. And so that's how I was born." [12:42]

Urban Gardening: Starting Small, Sharing Growth

[13:06–16:46]

• Christopher did not have plants in their first NYC apartment, but after grad school, bought their first (a Marble Queen pothos), which they still have 11 years later, sharing propagations with friends.

  "I bought a Pothos Marble Queen... She's still with me. I've propagated her. And now all my friends have little cuttings of that original plant." [14:19]

• Sophia shares her own propagation story, emphasizing how giving a piece of something living you’ve nurtured is an "energetic gift."
• Christopher highlights the metaphor in sharing plants—giving care, cultivating love, and the reflection of that care in one’s self and relationships.

Plant Care as Self and Community Care

[16:46–21:48]

• Christopher connects their own journey as an educator to plant care:

  "I've always had a lot of love to give... when you're caring for a plant, there's just this interaction where you're giving something love and care, and the response you would hope is growth." [16:46]

• Their 200+ plants serve as "green girls" and joyful "accountability partners," reminding them to show up for themselves and others.
• Plant routines are meditative; their mother recognized that Christopher’s inner "garden" was thriving alongside their physical one.

  "She wasn't talking about the garden, the physical garden. She was talking about my inner garden..." [19:09]

• Self-care menu includes solo roller skating, solo dates, travel, and challenges to fill one’s own cup.

Practical Advice: Growing at Home

[25:57–40:09]

• Out and about, Christopher is known to encourage better plant care in public spaces—sometimes even moving poor plants in restaurants or friends' houses!
• Sophia requests a "universal checklist" for plant care. Christopher stresses:
  • Start where you are; don’t worry about a "green thumb" which is a myth—a "green muscle" is built over time.

  "The term green thumb ... has nothing to do with taking care of plants... It's more like a green muscle. You build it over time." [27:16]

• Essential tools:
  • Humidifier: Important for tropical houseplants.
  • Leaf mister: Good for cleaning, but not for humidity.
  • Soil probe: To check moisture levels.
  • Trimming shears: Clean between plants.
  • Nutrient balance: Use all-purpose plant food (nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus).
• Advice for sunlight: Watch how natural light moves through your living space before placing plants; trial and error is key.

  "I sat in an empty place, I ordered some pizza, and I watched the sun move through the apartment. An empty apartment." [39:12]

• Don’t "helicopter parent" your plants; let them adapt to your home, as you adapt to new environments.

Plants, Justice, and Community Wellness

[28:08–32:43]

• Christopher’s vision for the future involves broader public education—possibly a TV show or documentary—on the importance of urban green spaces.
• They highlight city parks, restoration projects, and the need for increased funding for public green spaces (e.g., NYC spends <1% of its budget on parks).

  "We only have this one planet, and we all have a role to play." [30:31]

• Tree equity: Affluent vs. disenfranchised neighborhoods have dramatically different tree cover, leading to disparities in air quality, flood risk, and urban heat.

  "You will see that black and brown neighborhoods in particular have less trees, which makes neighborhoods hotter, which also means people are more exposed to low air quality." [31:47]

• The call to action: Start small but understand the deep connections between personal, communal, and environmental wellness.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On childhood confidence:

  "I'm still the same person. Still in front of the camera, still being playful, still being joyful, still being flamboyant." – Christopher Griffin [07:23]

• On sharing plants:

  "If you're giving a friend or a family member a piece of something you grew, like, you really had to love it enough to get it to the place where you could share it." – Sophia Bush [16:14]

• On being present:

  "This was the point. Like, I'm here. Enjoy it...We are the garden. We really have to figure out, like, how can we nourish ourselves and grow ourselves so that hopefully our bloom can inspire other people." – Christopher Griffin [41:35, 43:06]

• On plant care as self-care:

  "I need water, too. I need sunshine, too. I need room to grow, too. I need nutrients, too. I need to prune some yellowing leaves. We all have some leaves we need to prune, y' all." – Christopher Griffin [19:34]

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Important Segments & Timestamps

• Meeting the OG Plant Queen (Grandmother): [09:58–12:14]
• Origin of the 'Plant Kween' Name: [12:14–12:50]
• First Plant & Propagation Stories: [13:10–16:14]
• Metaphors: Tending to Plants and Self: [18:59–20:07]
• Community & Environmental Justice: [28:08–32:43]
• Essential Plant Parenting Tools & Practices: [34:10–40:10]
• Work in Progress — What’s Next for Christopher: [41:35–43:19]

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Episode Tone

Joyful, affirming, playful, and educational—brimming with metaphors, community spirit, and gentle encouragement. The conversation weaves personal narrative with actionable advice, inviting listeners to nurture not just their homes and communities, but their own inner gardens.

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Actionable Takeaway:
Start with one plant, observe, nurture, and let the lessons of tending a living thing guide your own growth. Whether it’s your first pothos or a hundredth propagation, it's never just about the plant—it's about learning to care, for ourselves and each other.

Listen for:

• Personal stories that connect plant care to heritage and joy
• Concrete gardening tips for beginners and urban dwellers
• Reflections on equity in green spaces
• Metaphors you’ll carry into your daily self-care routines

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Transcript

[Christopher Griffin]

This is an I Heart Podcast. Guaranteed human.

[Sponsor Voice / Miracle Gro Announcer]

And now a quick break from our sponsor, Miracle Gro. Life is digitally distracted and time starved, but gardening is the perfect way to unplug. It isn't just about plants. It's about trading the digital noise for a quiet way to reconnect with yourself. Whether you're in an apartment or you've never even touched a shovel, don't let self doubt stop you. With 75 years of expertise, Miracle Gro takes the stress out of the process and makes it pure Joy. Head to miraclegrow.com to check out all of their easy to use products and start your growth journey today.

[Sophia Bush]

Hi, everyone, it's Sophia.

[Sponsor Voice / Miracle Gro Announcer]

Welcome to Work in Progress.

[Will Pearson]

Hello.

[Sophia Bush]

Hello.

[Will Pearson]

I'm Will Pearson, President of iHeart Podcast. Incredibly excited to be here for a live podcast with our very own Sophia Bush for for an episode of Work in Progress. Incredibly excited. This is brought to you by us here at I Heart Podcast and our friends from Miracle Gro. Let's give it up to Miracle Gro for making tonight possible. And I'm really excited for tonight's guest. I have a brand new best friend in the whole wide world. Like, I'm not kidding. And you will also tonight after this. Christopher Griffin, also known as the Plant Queen, has a huge following that he has brought to understand plant care and and how to do that with confidence and joy. Something that we all need to learn. It's also the author of a book that is one of my favorite book covers. You should check this out. I love the name of it. It's called you'd grow girl, Plant Queen's lush guide to growing your garden. So, without further ado, let me welcome Sophia and Christopher. Come on up.

[Sophia Bush]

Hi, everyone.

[Will Pearson]

Hi.

[Sophia Bush]

You all look so cute. You look so cute.

[Christopher Griffin]

Oh, thank you, Dar.

[Sophia Bush]

Guys, I'm so happy to be here. Anyone who knows me like some of my dearest in the front, know that I sort of still can't believe, which I know is crazy. I started this podcast in 2019. Like, girl, get over it. You have one. But I still kind of can't believe that this is my job because basically I just bamboozled everyone into letting me work, doing the thing I like to do the most, which is me fabulous people and ask them interesting questions. So I owe a very big thank you to my team at iHeart for continuing to let me nerd out in literally every department, including plants. It's kind of the privilege of my life and I'm really, really thrilled that we are launching a new partnership with Miracle grow. I sort of feel like at this point, like, branded content partnerships, everyone's just like, kill me now. And then sometimes they happen in ways that you're like, well, that was great. Also, this is chic. I'm like, where did these plants come from? I'm kidding. I met the team upstairs. They're unbelievable. But really, we're very lucky to kind of be in this moment where I think the overwhelm of content, in a way, has made people really want to make sure they actually vibe. And then nights like tonight get to happen. So thank you all for letting me pretend this is work. What? Like, it's hard. One of the things that you have inspired. I promise I'm gonna ask you questions soon. I'm long winded.

[Christopher Griffin]

No. I could listen to you for days. Continue, Sofia.

[Sophia Bush]

Bless. I have to tell you guys, Christopher and I met in my backyard in 2022, and within five minutes, the whole video team that had come was like, could you two shut up? Like, we were just on one. Truly one of my favorite souls. But one of the things that you do that particularly well, that I particularly love, is that you remind people that you don't need, like, a massive outdoor space. You can start with a few square feet, un square foot, if you will. And I don't know if you all are like me, but sometimes I get lost in the rabbit hole of Pinterest and the Elle Decor world and fabulous goals. But I think, like, unless I have Martha Stewart's Bedford estate, I can't possibly have a garden. And that is not at current my reality. Though I love her and your work and our wonderful sponsors tonight, really, I think, do such a good job at reminding people. You can start small. You can experiment, you can learn your green thumb. If you have a plant die, it's not your fault. Maybe they just said that to me, but really, you can. You can cultivate a love of a hobby the way you can cultivate a garden. So thank you to Miracle Gro for reminding me I don't have to be Martha. And all of you can go to miraclegro.com to check out all of their very easy to use products. We'll talk about those later, but start a growth journey, please. It really is great. Now. Now I'm going to just ask you all the things you've heard. Christopher is an incredible educator, author. Add to cart. Take out your phones. Add to cart. Plant Queen is one of my favorite accounts to follow on Instagram. And one of the things that sort of gets me is that you Bring unbridled joy as exactly who you are to the world, which knocked my socks off half a decade ago. But especially in a moment, I think, where individualism, queer joy, black boy joy, is not exactly being lauded in the way it should. You are like, honey, you can't stop me. And so I'm really curious because you talk a lot about who you are, who you've always been. You give joy as resistance and fuel and this sort of relentless happiness in a way that I think feeds everyone who follows you. And I wonder if you got to interact with the little black boy you used to be like Christopher at 8 years old today. Like, if he were in the garden, would you see yourself in him? Do you think he would be astounded by your life that's now his?

[Christopher Griffin]

I probably play hey girl. You play hey Girl. I actually had some home videos digitized because I'm in the process of writing a children's book. And so I wrote.

[Sophia Bush]

You heard it here first, friends.

[Christopher Griffin]

Yes. I haven't made that announcement, but, yes, I'm in the process of working on it. And my editor really challenged me to go into my childhood. And so I worked with my dad. My dad was always documenting everything. Camcorder, just place it and kind of just watch the family. And I'm really grateful that he did that. And I was a flamboyant little queen. I was like, damn. Like, it was beautiful to watch me just exist unapologetically as my flamboyant self. Obviously, I didn't have the terms to, you know, define myself, but my family allowed me space to explore and be playful and to just show up in the ways that I wanted to. And so I think we would be, like, best friends. Like, I really. I looked at, you know, those videos, and I was like, oh, my goodness. Like, I'm still the same person. Like, still in front of the camera, still being playful, still being joyful, still being flamboyant. So, yeah, I think we would be really good friends. And I think my younger self, we were like, yeah, this makes sense. Like, it makes a lot of sense.

[Sophia Bush]

I love that. In any of the videos, were you. Were you out in nature a lot?

[Christopher Griffin]

We did a lot of family trips, and so some were of us in the park. We lived. I grew up in Philadelphia. And so some of the videos were, like, on this large porch of the apartment building that we lived in, and there were gardens in front of the apartment building. I actually went back and took photos with my dad at the apartment a few years ago, and it was really beautiful. But, yeah, I was always outside just, like, frolicking around. Go frolic. We need to frolic more.

[Sophia Bush]

Everybody needs to get outside, literally. Go touch grass, please. It's so nice.

[Christopher Griffin]

And, I mean, we're in New York City, and I do a lot of partnerships with a lot of the green spaces here. So how many folks have heard of the New York Restoration Project

[Sophia Bush]

from you?

[Christopher Griffin]

All right, there's not enough hands raised. Look them up. NYP. They steward over 50 community gardens here across the five boroughs, and they're doing such amazing work to make sure that the city remains green. I've done work with Prospect Park, Central Park, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, New York Botanic Garden. There are a lot of green gems here. And so I think it's important that folks understand that we all have a role to play. Go volunteer. Go visit these parks. Lay in the grass. It's really important that we do.

[Sophia Bush]

Yeah. I'm curious, you know, because you mentioned growing up in Philly, which is an iconic city, much like New York. Where did your connection to nature really start? Was it in the apartment garden, or was there somewhere in Philly that you would go. And you went, oh, this is for me.

[Christopher Griffin]

My grandmother, Andrea Griffin, she was the original plant queen. She was the original OG Plant queen. She grew up in Clayton, Georgia, and my great grandmother's farm. And the land sheltered them, it fed them. They had a deep appreciation for the land. And so when she decided to bring my mother and my uncle up to Philadelphia as a single mom, there was a program back in the day where you could buy, like, a rundown house for $1. I wish that program existed today. Please bring it back. And so she brought the house, she bought the house, and she curated a garden for herself. And it was a small little garden, nothing big. And when I was brought into the world, I was always like, a flamboyant person, right? So even from a young age, I think my grandmother clocked. I'm like, mm, a little sugar in his tea. There was a lot of sugar, baby. There was a lot of sugar, honey.

[Sophia Bush]

Just a spoonful.

[Christopher Griffin]

Hello. Hello. And so I think my grandmother understood that the world would not yet appreciate my uniqueness, my flair. And, you know, she being a single black mother, she had to create spaces for her own joy. And she did that through gardening. And she was like, you know what? I think Christopher's probably going to have to make sure. Like, I want Christopher to understand that he is the agent and author of his own joy. And so she kind of showcased to me that gardening was the way that she found joy and created joy for herself. And so that's how I was introduced to plant in nature as a pathway to joy, as a pathway to healing. And, I mean, it's grown into such a beautiful journey. So that's when it started. Very young age. Not for only the sake of understanding that we all have a role to play in tending to the land, but that also it can be a healing and joyful relationship.

[Sophia Bush]

That's beautiful. Did you choose Plant Queen to honor Andrea, or did it come from somewhere else as a nickname, a brand identity?

[Christopher Griffin]

Yeah. So everybody know abba, obviously. Come on now. Like, come on. Dancing Queen is like, one of my favorite songs. And so I don't think I ever said this out loud. The original name for the account was going to be Pretty Plant, Please. I don't know where that came from. I was like, alliteration. I'm an educator. I'm a sucker for those things. And I was like, okay, Pretty Plant, please. And then as I was saying that, I was listening, Dancing Queen came on. I was like, dancing Queen. Plant Queen. Plant Queen, but with a kw. And so that's how I was born. Yeah. Abba.

[Sophia Bush]

We owe it to abba, honey. I love it. I love it. So can you tell me about the first plant you bought before there? I mean, if you remember, before there. Was there ever a moment where there were no plants in the house?

[Christopher Griffin]

In my apartment, in your first individual

[Sophia Bush]

home, is there a first plant you bought?

[Christopher Griffin]

Big girl apartment. I did not have plans. I didn't. I didn't. Ooh, child. I think it was like, maybe like three years of living in New York. I had moved here for grad school. You know, I was. My head was elsewhere. I was like, I gotta build a social life and all that jazz.

[Sophia Bush]

And.

[Christopher Griffin]

And once I got, you know, two. And after I had graduated grad school, I moved to a new apartment. And south facing windows and the walls were just so bare. And I was like, I got to have some type of life in here. And I was like, I've graduated grad school. I'm no longer a student. Like, I got to find my next journey. And so I was like, okay, I think it's time to invest in plants. And I think buying a plant and was a very serious endeavor for me because I knew what it did. It was just a special relationship. Right. I knew that I wanted to make sure I was honoring my grandmother's memory by making sure I had time to actually care for the plant when I was in grad school. I wouldn't be able to care for the plant. And so I bought a Pothos Marble Queen. Pothos. I still have that plant today. I bought that 11 years ago. She's still with me. She's still with me. I propagated. My friend Meredith has a cutting of the plant. We've been friends for over a decade now. So, yeah, I've propagated her. And now all my friends have, like, little cuttings of that original plant to kind of just spark its journey.

[Sophia Bush]

That's so beautiful. I also shan't admit how many plants I've bought and that have not survived in the last 11 years. We don't need to talk about it. It happened.

[Christopher Griffin]

It happens. I've killed plants too. I didn't say that.

[Sophia Bush]

But our original girly is still with us.

[Christopher Griffin]

She's still here.

[Sophia Bush]

I will say I did, because LA is a good climate for propagating a succulent. As we discussed in the backyard in 2022, and you gave me a few great tips, and if I do say so myself, I propagated a few plants.

[Christopher Griffin]

Come on now.

[Sophia Bush]

And I can't explain to you how cool I felt like taking home a chic little plant to my mom and taking a cute little plant to one of my girlfriends for a housewarming party.

[Will Pearson]

And.

[Sophia Bush]

And they felt particularly great to me because I live in a house that was lived in previously by this fabulur. Fabular. Fabulous. I'm fine. Older woman named Annette. I knew her until she passed at 92. She was so cool. And she used to tell me that her and her husband would, like, get in a convertible and go out to Palm Springs and watch Frank Sinatra play jazz. And she was like, we got drunk once, and I cut some of his aloe plants in his backyard. That's where these came from. And I was like, you're so cool. So actually, what I did was I gave people propagated cuttings from Frank Sinatra's stolen plants. Thank you to Annette. She was my plant queen. And it's like, weirdly, it's not an easy thing to keep it alive, care for it, grow it, multiply it. But it's. It's like the simplest and most meaningful thing, I think, to share with other people. Maybe because it's alive. Maybe because if you're giving a friend or a family member a piece of something you grew, like, you really had to love it enough to get it to be in the place where you could share it with someone else. Do you think that's true? Is it an Energetic thing.

[Christopher Griffin]

I think death is definitely an energetic thing. I think there is, you know, I think the reason that I chose to be an educator, I spent over a decade working as a college counselor. Then I worked in higher education, then I worked in tech. Ooh, child. All in very, like, you know, guidance counselory roles, Right? And so, you know, I feel like I've always had a lot of love to give, right? And I think the beautiful thing about when you're caring for a plant, right, is that there's just this interaction where you're giving something love and care, and the response you would hope is growth, right? And so it's just a very simple interaction that I think allows folks to practice what we all need to be better at. Caring for ourselves and caring for each other, right? And so I now have over 200 plants in my Brooklyn apartment, and they're all doing really lovingly. And people were like, girl, like, how the hell you water? I don't know if we can curse, but how in the world do you water?

[Sophia Bush]

You can say, whatever, 200 plants.

[Christopher Griffin]

And I don't know, it's a little party. I brew some tea, I put on some music. Sometimes I'll call a friend. And I found that my plants are a great. I call them my Green Girls. I'm a big Golden Girls fan here. Not the green Girls. They are great accountability partners, right? They're something that I need to tend to every week or every two weeks. And they remind me that I need to care for myself. They remind me that I need to show up for the people that I love. And so I think when you're in close proximity to nature, there are so many lush lessons that we can learn. So many lush lessons. And the whole self care, community care journey is just one aspect of it, right?

[Sophia Bush]

Well, it sounds like it's very meditative.

[Christopher Griffin]

Oh, very much so.

[Sophia Bush]

So do you think about your plant's wellness as an extension of your own?

[Christopher Griffin]

Oh, yes, completely. Completely. I had a moment, and this was when my mother was alive. She was watching me and my poor roommates at the time. Child, oh, Lord. I just took up space. I was like, look, y'. All. Y' all have to deal with this. I'm just bringing plants and just go with it, Go with it. It was so kind. And so, you know, it was a Sunday, and I was beginning to build a routine, and I was FaceTiming my mom, and she was like, oh, you. You're building your garden. And she wasn't talking about the garden, the physical garden. She was talking about my inner garden, right? And she could tell that my. She could just tell I was moving differently through the world. And so after I had that phone call, I was like, I'm always a very reflective person. I was like, oh, well, you know, I need water, too. I need sunshine, too. I need room to grow, too. I need nutrients, too. I need to prune some yellowing leaves. We all have some leaves. We need to prune, y'.

[Will Pearson]

All.

[Christopher Griffin]

All right. And so, you know, I think it again, it allowed me to practice all the various different ways that I care for myself. So these days, honey, I have a self care menu. I have a bunch of options of ways I can care for myself.

[Sophia Bush]

What's on it?

[Christopher Griffin]

Oh, darling.

[Sophia Bush]

I'm like, can you give us the cheat codes?

[Christopher Griffin]

I'll. I mean, you know, I. For me, personally, I enjoy roller skating. So I do a lot of roller skate and a lot of stuff I do by myself. Like, I think, you know, being with people and letting them fill your cup, I would say for me, that's an easier thing to do, to rely on someone else to fill your cup. It's a little harder when you're doing it by yourself, right? So I roller skate by myself. I'll go to a random roller rink and I'll do it by myself. I do dinners by myself, movies. I've traveled. I just went to Sri Lanka by myself for 16 days.

[Sophia Bush]

That trip. It's on his Instagram. Go look at it. Oh, my God.

[Christopher Griffin]

Oh, it was so much fun. And so I allow myself random little adventures, and I just kind of. I'm good company with myself. I'm just. I child can have a ball. Just give me a little adventure. I'll go on my, you know, on my own. It's really fun. But those are some of the things that I. I do. And then obviously, you know, I have my friends, we have our little dates and all that jazz. But yeah, if you haven't taken yourself out on a date, like, do it like, the same thing you would do for a romantic partner. Like, go all out, do that shit for yourself. It is so fun. It's so fun.

[Sponsor Voice / Miracle Gro Announcer]

Get ready.

[Sophia Bush]

Put on the outfit.

[Christopher Griffin]

Put on the outfit. Get dressed. Put on your favorite cologne, perfume. Order the car. Like, it's just. And just treat yourself. Bring a book if you want to. I've challenged myself not to bring anything, and I. People watch. I love people watching. I'm nosy as well, so it lends

[Sophia Bush]

itself, you know, you're just interested, which is also why you're interesting.

[Christopher Griffin]

Oh, well, thank you.

[Sophia Bush]

People watching is.

[Christopher Griffin]

It's just, it's fun little stories for people that you're watching. Oh, darling, good time.

[Sophia Bush]

A couple of my friends and I used to do that. We would go out to dinner and be like, okay. And we would, we would like get, figure out how to sit like Last supper style. You know, everybody face out and be like, okay, 11 o', clock, red shirt. What do you think he does? Does his date like him or hate him? And we would just make up stories for him. That's one of the best things to do.

[Sponsor Voice / Miracle Gro Announcer]

God, it's so fun.

[Sophia Bush]

I mean, and if you're in New

[Christopher Griffin]

York, I mean, come on. There's so many interesting people here.

[Sophia Bush]

And now for our sponsors.

[Sponsor Voice / Miracle Gro Announcer]

And now a break from our sponsor, Miracle Grow. Let's be real. We're all feeling a little digitally distracted and time starved lately. We're craving real connections and ways to unplug. And honestly, gardening is the ultimate way to do this. It isn't just about plants. It's about trading the digital noise for a quiet win. As you pour your energy into helping something grow, you're pouring a sense of calm and connection back into yourself too. If you're in an apartment or you've never even touched a shovel, don't let self doubt stop you. With 75 years of expertise, Miracle Grow takes the stress out of the process and makes it pure joy. And let me tell you what, I can confirm this. From the garden I love spending time in outdoors in Los Angeles to my little potted plants where I grow herbs

[Sophia Bush]

indoors in New York, I love working

[Sponsor Voice / Miracle Gro Announcer]

with plants and I love Miracle Gro because whether I'm doing something in the soil or potting something in the apartment, Miracle Gro takes the best care of my plants. So my plants can help take care of me. And here's the big secret. Most people think water and sunlight are enough. But no, no. Your plants actually need more to truly thrive. Whether it's starting with the right soil foundation or giving plants the boost they need to stay vibrant with plant food, our friends at Miracle Gro have all the essentials to make growing simple and stress free. Head to miraclegrow.com to check out all of their easy to use products and start your growth journey today.

[Sophia Bush]

When you are out, whether with friends or on your own, do you get distracted by plants? Like, do they lose you? Because you're like, well, look at this. Whatever in Latin this is like. Because I'm like that. Like, don't walk a cute dog by me. I will leave the group I'm with and be like, hold on, I have to go pet this animal. And I know it's a little tough, but I feel like you could be like, and all right, and make a left. And then suddenly at the end of the next block, nobody knows where you are.

[Christopher Griffin]

I have been known to tell people who work at various places that they need to move the plant or it's infested.

[Sophia Bush]

It's not getting what it needs.

[Christopher Griffin]

Need water. Oh, it's not going to survive here. You need to repot it. I mean, it's just like once you're in it and like, you see these things, it's hard to like, not unsee these things. I mean, I always identify the plants in any space that I'm in just for funsies. It happened. But yes, I've tried to dial back on giving folks directions on the plant in their spaces. If I'm in a home and I'm close to the friend, I will take it upon myself to just be like, okay, I think we have to have an intervention.

[Sophia Bush]

Love that.

[Christopher Griffin]

I hate plants in dark bathrooms. Oh, my God. That's one of the worst things you can do if there's no grow light. Even if there's a grow light, you need to move that plant.

[Sophia Bush]

What do you think are the. And I know in the book are many tips, but are there a few things that you think everyone at every level needs to know about plants in their space or is that complicated? Like, I'm thinking about the checklist, for example, of your self care. Take yourself on a date. Like, is there a. Is there a universal checklist for plants or. No, because each diva needs her own care.

[Christopher Griffin]

So universal checklist. I think it's important to start where you are. I think that's, you know, the best route there. I've tried to demystify the idea of the green thumb. And I'll try to give you the short version of this. Just like the nature nerd in me, I have to get this out. The term green thumb has two potential origins. All right? And when I was writing my book, I had so much fun writing about this one is that there was this king of the old times where he really enjoyed these peas. When you. He had a subject. Pick the peas. When you picked the peas, it left a green stain on your finger. Whoever picked the most peas would be in favor of the king. So to have green fingers or green thumbs meant you were in favor of the king because you most likely picked the most peas. That later became like green thumb, green Finger became your in good fortune. Nothing to do with taking care of plants, mind you. The second was that horticulturalist botanists, you know, may be dealing with pots that have green algae on them and may stain their fingers. Again, nothing to do with this instinctual knowledge that you have to have that the green thumb kind of lends itself to. So I tell folks it's more like a green mussel. You build it over time. Like, all this stuff is learned. I have a degree in psychology and a master's in higher education, and I wrote a plant book. Like, it's self taught. Like, allow yourself to be curious. Curiosity is one of the best things that you can allow yourself to go on when it comes to bringing nature into your home.

[Sophia Bush]

Well, I mean, obviously you inspire everyone who follows you, who reads the book. How do you think about what you've learned? You know, the journey to self, self care, self love, the kind of transformation plants can offer. I know you think about it for community. I know you think about it for your beautiful nieces, like, from this place. As the person who has this in the world and all the things you're working on, how do you. How do you think about the next waves of your inspiration? What's next on the journey?

[Christopher Griffin]

Ooh. I really hope to be, you know, as an educator, I'm a facilitator. Like, I want to facilitate growth. I want to expose folks to things that they didn't know they needed. Right. And so I am, I think, the future, I'm hoping to work with a larger audience. Right. Whether that's a television show touring the various different green spaces in the world and really showcasing all the behind the scenes work that happens. Right. There's just so much behind the scenes work that happens at these gardens, that happens at these parks. And the folks who are doing this work are often not applauded. Right. And you know, something that I'm really excited for, for New York City that I've been reading in the news is more funding for New York City parks.

[Sophia Bush]

Yeah.

[Christopher Griffin]

One thing that folks may not know is that less than 1% of the new York City budget goes towards the maintenance of parks. Less than 1%. And you think about, I mean, I'm sure the New York City budget is massive, but like, less than 1% shame. Right. And so my hope is to continue to expose folks to the wonders of nature and understand, Help them understand that we all have a role. We only have this one planet, and we all have a role to play. We all have a role to play. And so if I can get you to care about the plant on your table. Maybe you care about the tree on your block. They just planted a tree in front of my apartment. I was giddy for joy. I was like, oh, my God, how exciting.

[Sophia Bush]

It's happening.

[Christopher Griffin]

Right. If you care about that tree, maybe the park, then maybe the forest. Right. Again, meet people where they are and help them understand that we are all active agents in shaping the world that we're a part of.

[Sophia Bush]

Yes.

[Christopher Griffin]

Yeah.

[Sophia Bush]

Especially when you think about what these things do for us. You know, the. The reality that plants clean our air. Like, what?

[Christopher Griffin]

They feed us.

[Sophia Bush]

They feed us. They enrich our lives. They're so beautiful. I mean, the things I've learned from you, even in your work with tree equity, you know, when you mentioned they just planted a tree on your block, like, you know, this is joy. This is fun. This is also education. We're, like, you know, low key, making sure people are getting the mess.

[Christopher Griffin]

Our livelihood. Like, our livelihood.

[Sophia Bush]

Yes. But, like, the reality is, folks, depending on where you live, in a city like this, or in so many cities around America, an affluent neighborhood is going to have a very different landscape than a disenfranchised neighborhood.

[Will Pearson]

Yes.

[Sophia Bush]

And, you know, around the country, you will see that black and brown neighborhoods in particular have less trees, which makes neighborhoods hotter, which mean. Which also means people are more exposed to low air quality. Like, all of these things.

[Christopher Griffin]

Flooding.

[Sophia Bush]

Yes, flooding. Natural disasters. I mean, we can't even talk about, like, what happened during the last major rainstorm in Brooklyn.

[Sponsor Voice / Miracle Gro Announcer]

Oh, my God.

[Christopher Griffin]

Oh, yeah.

[Sophia Bush]

Like, it. It's. It's not just about, oh, yeah, trees are nice, but the economy, gas prices, it's like. No, it's actually all connected so deeply. And I think for us, figuring out ways to participate in community care that are joyful, you know, I do a lot of it that, frankly, isn't joyful, but I'm pissed off all the time, so you're welcome. But, like, the joyful stuff, I want to go to the Brooklyn Botanical Garden with you and, like, plant some trees. That's the best, happiest activism I will get to do this year. I'm in. And I think that's an important thing to remind people of.

[Sponsor Voice / Miracle Gro Announcer]

Like.

[Sophia Bush]

Yes. Part of the reason we're here is because we want you to start somewhere, get a plant for your apartment. If you have a little foot of earth outside, like, plant some herbs.

[Sponsor Voice / Miracle Gro Announcer]

It's spring.

[Sophia Bush]

Summer's coming. Can I ask you some technical questions now that I'm gonna get off my soapbox and just you know, I need to know. I need to know some, like, what are the must have products? And I say this again, like, genuinely. This came about not because they asked, but because I sent my team a video of me. Why I'd missed a call. And I was planting things in the yard for the bees. Everything's fine. I needed to get outside and touch grass. And I had my potting soil in the thing and they were like, oh, that's weird. They just reached out to iHeart and I was like, say more. My mom gave me this, so, like, I'm down.

[Sponsor Voice / Miracle Gro Announcer]

I have.

[Sophia Bush]

I have the potting soil that Miracle Gro makes. There's one for outdoor, one for indoor. You're welcome. I have this little pair of, like, cool Japanese trimming shears with little green.

[Christopher Griffin]

So chic.

[Sophia Bush]

Yeah, they have, like, cute little green handles, clearly, that I can't live without. Like, once I got them in my hand, my friend Jed gave them to me and I was like, I do feel like Martha. And now I have them on the west coast and the East Coast. Like, I got one of the little spritz misters for some of the plants. I don't know if that's real or if I got got by an Instagram ad. Like, what do the people need to garden for real?

[Christopher Griffin]

Okay. So in terms of tools that I. I mean, you could go down an endless list, but some of the things that I think folks would. It would be helpful for folks to have one is a humidifier. Humidifiers are really, really important. They're also great for our bodies as well. Right. The typical air quality or air dryness in the average home is quite dry. Right. And a lot of the plants that we bring into our homes are what, tropical plants. Right. And the best thing that you can do for a plant is try to mimic the natural habitat that the plant comes from. Right. We want to trick the plant to think they're in the rainforest. We can't really do that because humidity levels in the rainforest is quite high. And we don't. We can't do that. Mildew, mold and all that jazz. Humidifiers are great. The misters. That's not humidity.

[Sophia Bush]

I got got. It's okay, you can tell me.

[Christopher Griffin]

But however, you can use them to sprit the leaf and then wipe the leaf. Cause dusting your plants is really, really important. You want to make sure that there's no dust collecting because the leaves are its meal ticket. And that's how it collects sunlight. We want it to photosens and all that jazz.

[Sophia Bush]

Wait, so if A plant gets dusty, it doesn't get as much sunlight.

[Christopher Griffin]

It doesn't. Yeah. So you want to make sure you're wiping the leaves occasionally over watering. That's how I kill some of my plants, over watering. Right. Do not water your plant every day. Don't do it. Like, when I heard somebody say that, I was like, ooh, girl. Yeah. So a soil probe is.

[Sophia Bush]

I'm sorry, a what?

[Christopher Griffin]

A soil probe. Yeah, that's the name of the. You know what I'm talking about? Yeah, yeah, yeah. There is.

[Sophia Bush]

I'm like, okay, plant soil.

[Christopher Griffin]

So it's like basically a little stick that has ridges in it. You stick it in the soil, you pull it out, and then you can feel the moisture from the little ridges at different levels of the pot. Oh, okay. You could use your finger as well. Right. But I have an expensive manicure and I want to make sure that I maintain it. So add my little soil probe. Okay. Soil probes are really helpful. I also talk a lot about this in my book. So this is a wonderful tool that you can use as well. All right, there we go. Shears are really fun scissors. You want to make sure you're cleaning them before you go from plant to plant. Nutrients is really important. And so one of the tools that I use or one of the products I use is miracle grows plant food. All purpose plant food. Wonderful. I use that and nitrogen, potassium, and nko. Phosphorus. There we go. Thank you. I was like, girl, I'm blanking. I was like, I know I can relate on you, girl. Hey, boo. What's up, girl? We gonna catch up after this. Those are the three main nutrients, key nutrients that plants need. And while you could, you know, make your own little concoctions from coffee grounds and banana peels and all that stuff, you probably not going to get the recipe. Right. So the all purpose plant food has all those nutrients and micronutrients in it.

[Sophia Bush]

Right.

[Christopher Griffin]

And so you want to make sure that you're giving your plant the nutrients that it needs. Water, the nutrients. And sunlight is really, really important.

[Sophia Bush]

How do you know? Because I know some plants need some sun, some need constant. How do you know when you're trying to figure out your plant, how often to leave it in the window? And maybe when she needs a little break.

[Christopher Griffin]

Honestly, a trial and error. Honestly, there's no, like telltale sign. Yeah. There's no secret recipe. I mean, when you are bringing your plants indoors, like in a place like New York City. I know some place, some folks leave their plants outside in the summertime when you are bringing them back. You do want to try to, like, bring it in for a little bit and then take it back outside, like, let it acclimatize. Yeah. So, you know, let it spend more time indoors and put it back and, like, just time. That. That's really helpful. Okay. But when you are trying to figure out the place that you want to put your plant in, do an assessment of your space. Know the direction of your windows, understand the kind of light, watch the sunlight. It's also very therapeutic, like figuring out where you're gonna put your plants. When I moved into the place that I'm in right now, I sat in an empty place, I ordered some pizza, and I watched the sun move through the apartment. An empty apartment. It was like, one of the most beautiful moments I had in that space. And I was like, okay, cool. I know that this spot gets this much sun in this season. For this amount of time, the sun doesn't touch this spot. And so it's also. You're just very present. Right. Don't just be like, oh, I'm just going to go buy a plant because it looks pretty and I want to put it there and hopefully it does well and great. Oh, dial me at another one. Like, really allow yourself the journey of, like, okay, I'm bringing a living, breathing creature into my home. Let me be a little respectful and do a little research on the plant, the natural habitat, the native environment it comes from. Right. And then kind of just adjust it to your space and don't be a helicopter plant parent. Just, like, let the plant do its thing. Plants are coming from nurseries. Right. That are ideal conditions. It's not going to grow the same way in your apartment. Right. And we have to also understand that the leaves that were grown in the nursery are probably going to die. We all have to let go of certain parts of ourselves when we go into new environments. Right. We have to adapt. We have to grow in new ways. Plants do the same thing. There's a lot of. I go on metaphors. Metaphors for days, child. Find me in the back. I'll keep talking about it, but I love it.

[Sophia Bush]

I love it. I like that we can take care of our space.

[Christopher Griffin]

Yeah.

[Sophia Bush]

Take care of the planet, take care of ourselves by being a plant parent. And, like, bonus, no shade. I've, you know, been. I've had animals most of my life. But, like, you don't have to pick up a plant. You know, that's nice. That's a bonus.

[Christopher Griffin]

You don't. That's why I got 200 plants and no pets.

[Sophia Bush]

Well, friends, you can obviously get a copy of you grow girl anywhere books are sold. My darling, I want to let everyone have fun and have the gorgeous meal that's been prepared and see what's in their gift basket.

[Christopher Griffin]

Oh, darling, you're in for a treat.

[Sophia Bush]

You really are. I'm so excited. There may or may not be something from my bees in there, you know? Feels fun. Terrifying shipping. Enough of said surprise from Los Angeles in glass. I was like, please let the box be okay, but we made it. We made it, y'. All. I would just love to know, because we are having a Kiki, but we're also on my show. What? In this moment. And it could be something professional, personal, a mix of the two. But for Christopher today, what feels like your work in progress. Ooh,

[Christopher Griffin]

my work in progress is being more present in the. The fruits of my labor. I put in a lot of work throughout the years, and, you know, I'm a bit of an overachiever. I've always been straight A student in school, graduated with honors throughout all my school experiences, and I've always thought about the next thing, like, okay, what's the next thing I can achieve? Right? Which kind of robbed me of the achievement that I made, right? And so right now, I'm in a place where I'm trying to help myself understand that this was the point. Like, I'm here. Enjoy it and use, you know, this energy to help you get to the next level. But, like, enjoy the fruits of your labor. And so that's why I'm just grateful for moments like these where we can reflect and talk and hopefully inspire y' all to figure out, like, how do you begin your garden? Not your outdoor garden, not your indoor garden, or your inner garden, right? We're in interesting times right now, and I think it's important that we allow ourselves time to be with ourselves and understand that we are. We are the garden. We really have to figure out, like, how can we nourish ourselves and grow ourselves so that hopefully our bloom can inspire other people.

[Sophia Bush]

It's beautiful. You inspire me so much.

[Christopher Griffin]

You inspire me.

[Sophia Bush]

Thanks for coming.

[Christopher Griffin]

Thank you for having me.

[Sophia Bush]

Thanks for coming, guys. So lovely. So lovely. Follow our friends at Miracle Gro who brought us here, and check out their website, like we said, for easy to use products to start your growing journey. Take your inspiration. I suggest maybe buy a plant tomorrow before life gets busy and before you forget how good this was. Like, dive in. There's no time like the present, friends. Thanks for being here, everyone. I see you over there. Will. Hi.

[Will Pearson]

All right, let's give it up one more time for Sophia and Christopher. Thank you so much.

[Sponsor Voice / Miracle Gro Announcer]

And now a quick break from our sponsor, Miracle Grow. Life is digitally distracted and time starved, but gardening is the perfect way to unplug. It isn't just about plants. It's about trading the digital noise for a quiet way to reconnect with yourself self. Whether you're in an apartment or you've never even touched a shovel, don't let self doubt stop you. With 75 years of expertise, Miracle Grow takes the stress out of the process and makes it pure Joy. Head to miraclegrow.com to check out all of their easy to use products and start your growth journey today.

[Christopher Griffin]

This is an I Heart podcast. Guaranteed human.