Tasteful Nodes

22/08/2026

Hoyas!!!

19/08/2026

Ever unpack your new plants and immediately realize that you aren't sure whether you can keep those plants alive? Whether you love Begonias or are part of Team "Buy Now, Research Later", this video is for you. 🙈

In this episode: unboxing the whole lineup, admiring leaves I definitely didn't need but absolutely wanted, and figuring out care requirements together in real time. 📌

Chaotic? Yes. Worth it? Also yes. 🫶

Watch the full episode now — link below! 👇

https://youtu.be/HahNiO1HNDs
https://youtu.be/HahNiO1HNDs
https://youtu.be/HahNiO1HNDs

11/08/2026

This past week had us running on little sleep and LOTS of coffee -- but we made it! 🥳💪

Monday started with two kids, two schools, and two orientations that of course overlapped (human parents, you know this pain 😅). By Thursday night, Paolo and I were doing a 4-hour drive roundtrip to set up for a three-day plant sale AND get back to the kids in time for bedtime. Whew!

And speaking of the plant sale, this was a fun one! It was a collaboration between Suloy, the Hoya Sisters, and Uncle Hoya and I jokingly/endearingly have been calling it "Hoyapalooza" -- because let's be honest, an epic collaboration with that many Hoya sellers under one tent deserves a name. 🫶

But the real highlight of the week? Hosting the very first Wax Plant Society meetup that Saturday. We have plenty of Hoya-selling pages in the Philippines, but not many that encourage community. So a few of us decided to just start one-- meet the Plant Society.

We kicked things off at & Again (I'm still thinking about their saffron beef 🤌). Everyone got to know each other organically over good food and drinks, and then we ran a raffle that had everyone genuinely invested (I have video proof!) 🤣

Shout-out to Grace from Grow with Grace for winning one of my 2026 wishlist plants, the variegated Hoya sigillatis -- I'm SO happy for her 🥹 I'll just be here, waiting first in line when she starts propagating it. 🤣

Finally, add in a full week of Hoyas and Begonias arriving from every direction -- sale finds, meetup wins, Hoya swaps and a couple of gifts -- and this became the fullest "week in the life" I've filmed in a while.

If you're tired just reading that, you can imagine how I felt living it 🤣 But it was all worth it. Full story in my latest episode -- Hoya Ever After Ep. 02. 👇

https://youtu.be/IhT3R8klOaw
https://youtu.be/IhT3R8klOaw
https://youtu.be/IhT3R8klOaw

04/08/2026

It's rare to go to another person's party, only to leave with a gift AND food good enough for a few days, but that's exactly what happened at Baby Moody Malditz's birthday celebration!🥳

First came the food, then came a gifted plant, then came more food, a plant sale with incredible prices, then the piece de resistance, Balutan (or as some call it, getting 'Sharon-ed' 😅).

My husband's wallet wasn't spared, but it's okay because he spent less than $30USD (and there's one plant in the bunch that was worth 5x that 🤣).

Morals of the story: (1) Never turn down an invite to a Filipino party and (2) never underestimate what you'll go home with after a Filipino party -- food, plants, or both, or more!

Click the link below to see the full 'Sharon' haul from a Filipino Plant Parent Party.

https://youtu.be/LDnfhZab6-g
https://youtu.be/LDnfhZab6-g
https://youtu.be/LDnfhZab6-g

29/07/2026

See you there!

Only a few days to go until our very first market weekend, plant fam! 🌱✨

Behind the scenes, we’ve been up to our elbows in soil, lovingly grooming, checking roots, and getting every single Hoya and rare propagation travel-ready for you. Walking through our plant corners right now feels like stepping into a miniature jungle dream, and we can't wait to share it with everyone!

Before we pack everything up, we have to ask: What is currently sitting at the very top of your plant wishlist? Drop it in the comments below—who knows, your next green best friend might just be packed in our boxes! 👇🌿

📍 Event Quick Details:
Where: People's Hall, Quezon Memorial Circle
When: July 31 to August 2 (Mark your calendars!)
What to Expect: Healthy, well-rooted Hoyas, rare indoor plant propagations, and plenty of good plant chats with fellow enthusiasts.

Come hang out, talk shop, and celebrate this exciting new chapter with us. See you in a few days! 🪴💚




Grow with Grace
Tasteful Nodes
Helios' Curated Indoor Plants

29/07/2026

Circle the ones you want and visit us this weekend!! First come, first served!!

https://www.facebook.com/share/1D7eL6UfLV/

28/07/2026

Some of you watched me talk about this Hoya months ago, but I know none of you knew that I nearly gave up more than once. Spending hundreds of dollars on this plant was not on my bingo card for this year.

If you caught my 2026 plant wishlist episode, you'll remember Hoya undulata 'Silver' was one of the few plants I wanted to focus on for my collection this year. So when the box finally arrived with it inside, let's just say I did not react like a composed adult lawyer. 🤣 Manifestation, apparently, is real.

This is the first episode of a new series I'm calling "Hoya Ever After" -- because let's be honest, my love for this genus shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. This episode isn't just about the wishlist plant though; the box also included Hoya waymaniae 'Cloudy Sky,' Hoya kanyakumariana, and four more rare finds that had no business being this exciting to unbox. 💚

Full reaction (mortifying as it is) plus a proper look at all seven plants is up on YouTube now. Click the link below to check them out and don't try to stop yourself from smiling with me--my excitement is unapologetic and contagious. 💚

https://youtu.be/uggU-HPUUiI
https://youtu.be/uggU-HPUUiI
https://youtu.be/uggU-HPUUiI

21/07/2026

If you have a Philodendron 'Summer Glory' and a Philodendron 'Pink Glory' in your collection and lost their tags-- would you be able to tell them apart? If you're unsure about your plants' ID or are in the market for either, this episode is for you.

These two hybrids share Philodendron gloriosum as one of their parents, have that gorgeous heart-leaf look, and both are popular collector plants.

But they have completely different origin stories, different parentage, different color behavior as they mature, and very different legal statuses in the plant trade.

Summer Glory comes with a full paper trail -- a US plant patent, a documented breeding program, and a named creator: LariAnn Garner of Aroidia Research in Florida. She is a botanist with over 25 years in the field, and her story is one worth knowing.

Pink Glory, on the other hand, arrived in the hobby like a mystery. No patent, no named breeder, no recorded cross date. Just a stunning plant that the market fell in love with.

In this episode we go through both plants thoroughly: their backgrounds, their characteristics, their similarities, and the key differences that should help you figure out which one is actually in your collection.

Click on the video below to see them both!👇

https://youtu.be/VHJWndYOzqo?si=eQy6iFH1Ie1VqRjr
https://youtu.be/VHJWndYOzqo?si=eQy6iFH1Ie1VqRjr
https://youtu.be/VHJWndYOzqo?si=eQy6iFH1Ie1VqRjr

15/07/2026

How dare the plant deities release a new Monstera mutation in front of my newly released Monstera update video 😭🤣🥹

Forget what I said at the end of my video about just needing two more Monsteras. Make it THREE! 🙈

What does everyone else think?? Yay or nay?

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1BxpLe3MZC/

14/07/2026

My Monstera Collection Update episode is live!

It's been a while since I posted a proper Monstera collection update and this one's actually been four years in the making.

Plant prices got genuinely wild there for a bit and I stepped back from buying for about a year (year and a half?) just to let things settle.

But I couldn't resist these and as luck and patience would have it, prices have started feeling reasonable again! So here we are, with ten new additions to share.

If you're a Monstera fan or just finding your way back like me, I'd love to hear about your wishlist Monsteras in the comments. Bonus points if you comment inspiration photos! 🤣🥳

And if you want to see what I've added to my collection, click the link below. 👇🏻💚

https://youtu.be/4GoSWANVNho
https://youtu.be/4GoSWANVNho
https://youtu.be/4GoSWANVNho