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Ever wondered how working with plants could transform your life? Destin Noak, known online as the Texas Garden Guy, discovered gardening's therapeutic power during a period of uncertainty after leaving the Air Force in 2011. What began with his father's simple suggestion to till the backyard evolved into a passionate pursuit that would eventually open doors to a fulfilling career.

"It kind of gave me that relaxation, that therapy that I didn't know I needed," Destin explains, describing how working in the garden creates a meditative "white noise" that allows everything else to fade away. This accidental discovery became the foundation for a journey that would lead him from container gardening on an apartment balcony to managing a greenhouse filled with rare plants in his suburban yard.

Destin's pragmatic approach to gardening challenges makes him relatable to gardeners of all experience levels. Living with poor clay soil that "cracks when it hasn't rained for about two weeks," he turned to raised beds and container gardening as solutions rather than fighting an uphill battle. His collection now includes 50 fig trees, numerous desert roses, and rare succulents – all thriving in a modest subdivision lot. For gardeners struggling with less-than-ideal conditions, Destin's success offers both inspiration and practical strategies.

The conversation explores the evolution of Texas Garden Guy from pandemic hobby to multimedia platform, including his co-hosting role on The Garden Party podcast and recent position with Nelson Plant Food. Throughout the episode, Destin emphasizes starting small, growing what you genuinely enjoy, and creating garden spaces that reflect your personal preferences rather than conventional standards. "Your garden can be whatever you want it to be," he insists – advice that liberates new gardeners from unnecessary pressure.

Want to meet Destin and Vikram in person? Join them at Plantapalooza 2025 at Smith's Garden Town in Wichita Falls, Texas on May 31st for a day of plant talk, community building, and garden inspiration. Check out Destin's content across social platforms as @TexasGardenGuy and catch The Garden Party podcast live every Wednesday at 7pm CT.

Support the show

As always, thanks so much for listening! Subscribe, rate, and review Planthropology on your favorite podcast app. It helps the show keep growing and reaching more people! As a bonus, if you review Planthropology on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser and send me a screenshot of it, I'll send you an awesome sticker pack!

Planthropology is written, hosted, and produced by Vikram Baliga. Our theme song is "If You Want to Love Me, Babe, by the talented and award-winning composer, Nick Scout. Midroll tunes are by Rooey.

• Substack: Office Hours
• Website: www.planthropologypodcast.com
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• e-mail: planthropologypod@gmail.com

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Dr. Cheryl Hosler, creator of Nature Check and The Roving Naturalist, shares her journey from feeling inadequate in science to becoming a postdoctoral researcher and innovative science communicator who uses storytelling and gaming to connect people with ecological concepts.

• Cheryl's educational path from English major to scientist, overcoming early discouragement in high school science classes
• The limitations of the "deficit model" in science communication and why simply providing information rarely changes behavior
• How cover crops function in agricultural systems and their ecological benefits
• The importance of applied science that directly addresses stakeholders' needs
• Why scientists should study humanities to develop critical thinking and empathy
• Using Dungeons & Dragons and other tabletop role-playing games to humanize scientists and make science accessible
• The Roving Naturalist YouTube channel and its approach to science communication
• How community and "groups of belonging" influence our attitudes and behaviors

Find your community and surround yourself with people who help you see the best version of yourself that could be. The right community will motivate you to become that person.

Support the show

As always, thanks so much for listening! Subscribe, rate, and review Planthropology on your favorite podcast app. It helps the show keep growing and reaching more people! As a bonus, if you review Planthropology on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser and send me a screenshot of it, I'll send you an awesome sticker pack!

Planthropology is written, hosted, and produced by Vikram Baliga. Our theme song is "If You Want to Love Me, Babe, by the talented and award-winning composer, Nick Scout. Midroll tunes are by Rooey.

• Substack: Office Hours
• Website: www.planthropologypodcast.com
• Podchaser: www.podchaser.com/Planthropology
• Facebook: Planthropology
• Facebook group: Planthropology's Cool Plant People
• Instagram: @PlanthropologyPod
• e-mail: planthropologypod@gmail.com

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Sean Patchett, known online as Garden Guy Muskoka, shares his multifaceted experience in horticulture, from landscape work to science communication, emphasizing the critical importance of context in gardening advice.

• Context is everything when sharing gardening information – advice must be tailored to location, climate, and specific situations
• The internet contains overwhelming amounts of gardening information, requiring critical evaluation and testing
• Working in landscapes requires a jack-of-all-trades approach – from plant care to construction skills
• Well-designed gardens must consider long-term maintenance and how plants will grow over time
• Master Gardeners organizations provide hyper-local gardening advice from trained volunteers
• Approaching gardening with humility allows for continued learning and growth
• Anecdotal evidence has value in horticulture when properly contextualized
• Making mistakes is an essential part of gardening – it's how we learn and improve

Follow Sean at @GardenGuyMuskoka on social media platforms and check out his podcast "Plants Always Win" wherever you listen to podcasts.

Support the show

As always, thanks so much for listening! Subscribe, rate, and review Planthropology on your favorite podcast app. It helps the show keep growing and reaching more people! As a bonus, if you review Planthropology on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser and send me a screenshot of it, I'll send you an awesome sticker pack!

Planthropology is written, hosted, and produced by Vikram Baliga. Our theme song is "If You Want to Love Me, Babe, by the talented and award-winning composer, Nick Scout.

Listen in on Apple, Spotify, Stitcher, Castbox, or wherever else you like to get your podcasts.

• Website: www.planthropologypodcast.com
• Podchaser: www.podchaser.com/Planthropology
• Facebook: Planthropology
• Facebook group: Planthropology's Cool Plant People
• Instagram: @PlanthropologyPod
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