“Humans Growing Stuff”, a collaboration between Miracle-Gro and iHeartMedia, is about so much more than just gardening. Hosted with infectious curiosity and delight by Mangesh Hattikudur, the podcast doesn’t just teach listeners how to be better gardeners both indoors and out. It also explores how plants affect us and connect us as humans, through conversations with and inspiring tales from people of all ages and experience levels who have fallen in love with plants.
Mangesh himself is a relative newbie to the gardening scene, despite the fact that he comes from a long line of gardeners. He began the podcast project just wanting to finally, FINALLY, be successful in growing something—anything! By the end, he’d gone so much further than that, not only cultivating a bit of the family green thumb while filling his Brooklyn apartment with houseplants, but also developing an undeniable passion for growing. And if that can happen to him, he reasons, it can happen to you, too.
We wanted to learn a bit more about Mangesh’s journey from a plant killer to the enthusiastic gardener, so we asked him some of the questions that were tops on our mind. Check out his answers, then head on over to iHeartRadio.com to download “Humans Growing Stuff”...and get ready to begin a growing adventure of your own.
Miracle-Gro: How would you describe your gardening style?
Mangesh: A year ago I would have said “desperate!” But today I’d say “laid back and sporadic.” I do wish I had a better practice of gardening during the day. I find myself remembering to tend to the plants mostly at night after I’ve tucked the kids in and I’m putting the house back in order. I have great ambitions for my houseplants and what I’d love for our backyard to look like. And I have these romantic dreams of drinking coffee in the backyard while lightly tending to the plants in the early morning…but I’m saving all that for the next phase.
Miracle-Gro: What’s the most mind-blowing thing you’ve learned so far about growing plants?
Mangesh: So much! I like that the scent of rosemary can actually boost your memory, which is incredible. And that watermelon comes from an African melon—Egyptians used to stash melons in pyramids to keep pharaohs hydrated on their journeys to the afterlife! But my favorite fact is that monstera plants in dark rooms will actually grow towards the darkness. It’s called negative phototropism, and it’s a clever strategy. In tropical places, the darkness means the presence of a larger tree, so the plant assumes it can wind itself up around it to reach the sunlight!
Miracle-Gro: If a total garden newbie were to ask you for a single piece of advice, what would you say?
Mangesh: Buy a mister for your plants! I learned it’s more about increasing the humidity in the air for your plants than actually watering them. But, it’s so calming to mist them! And the misters are cute little gadgets that bring you joy. I bought a tiny brass one after I started the podcast, and it just makes me smile to look at it.
Miracle-Gro: What’s the biggest mistake you think most people make when they first start growing stuff?
Mangesh: I used to overwater my plants and let them sit in the extra water as it pooled beneath the pots, so maybe that’s one. But Mr. Plant Geek, Michael Perry, told me that if a plant dies on you, just replace it! Even he does that sometimes. Hearing that was liberating.
Miracle-Gro: What’s your favorite plant you’ve grown? What would you love to grow but haven’t tried yet?
Mangesh: I really love how fast our monstera has grown. It’s wild and unruly, and it makes me smile. I haven’t bought an orchid yet, but hearing how much joy they bring to chef Vivian Howard made me want one. I recently learned that my grandfather used to cultivate different varieties of jasmine and that there’s one type in particular that’s most fragrant at night. He used to pluck it before bed, and place the blooms in a small bowl of water on his nightstand. Hearing that made me miss him, and I’ve been dreaming of where I can plant some.
Miracle-Gro: Do you remember the first plant you ever killed?
Mangesh: I remember begging my dad to buy me a little bonsai tree, and I was so excited to get it! Then I placed it in my room and promptly forgot to water it for a few months.
Miracle-Gro: Any tips for getting kids involved in growing stuff?
Mangesh: I think just letting them have their own plants and space and letting them make their own decisions has been really fun. Ruby is obsessed with a money tree and pickling things. And Henry has this little palm that’s shooting up that he’s excited about. I also noticed that when I got them their own tennis rackets, they started hitting with me, so buying kid-sized tools and personalizing them for the kiddos is on my to-do list. I’ve also been researching plants they might get a kick out of. There’s a plant that dances and sways when you sing to it, and I’m trying to get my hands on one of those.
Miracle-Gro: What does gardening success look like to you?
Mangesh: I saw a photo of Anna Wintour’s garden, and I’d say she’s succeeding. I didn’t have great ambitions for this fall—I mostly just didn’t want to kill anything! But my goals are more about trying to find some calmness in my days and things to make me smile. Tending to plants has done that for me…which only makes me want to learn more.
Miracle-Gro: What do you think your garden, a.k.a. your personal plant world, will look like come springtime?
Mangesh: We’re in a rental, so I don’t know if we’ll still be here in the spring. But if we are, I’m planning on buying some raised beds, and putting up a birdfeeder to create more of an ecosystem in the backyard (and have them help with the slugs). And I’m hoping to grow a lot of veggies and herbs just because I love cooking with fresh herbs. I think the kids will get a kick out of sampling all the “dirt candy” that sprouts up in our garden, too!
