The Chocolate Botanist, Derek Haynes Ep 205 Artwork

Grounded in Maine

Grounded in Maine Podcast is an open conversation about being mindful of how we show up for the world. We discuss the role we play in sustainability including gardening and preserving, recycling, composting and even household DIY. It's a podcast about our commitment to ecological responsibility, and empowering us to take on our role in the solution instead of feeling overwhelmed by the state of the world.

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Grounded in Maine

The Chocolate Botanist, Derek Haynes Ep 205

June 30, 2026

0:00 | 59:06

This conversation with Derek Haynes AKA The Chocolate Botanist was so fun! I "met" Derek as a participant of a workshop offered through the New England Botanical Gardens - they had him come talk about the Vanilla Orchid, and it was FASCINATING! Derek adds in some history we weren't (at least I wasn't) told, that opens up a whole different story...

Derek has a Plant Biology degree and background, as well as experience working on plant-based vaccines and therapeutics, so he knows what he's saying. He enjoys de-bunking plant rumors on social media. He also is one of the Co-Hosts of The Dirt on Gardening podcast. I love that Derek isn't so serious, though he totally had me sucked in a couple of times...

I loved this section of his Bio so much: "Plants offer so much more than home decor, and Derek wants to show you how. He understands that the ancient and the modern don’t need to compete, but rather can work together in harmony, offering viable solutions to pressing questions like food insecurity and mind-body-spirit holistic wellness."

We talked about making chocolate, and when I settle somewhere, I'll definitely be inviting Derek to do a chocolate making workshop - just definitely not in the winter... I'm already looking forward to that day!

Derek's website: https://thechocolatebotanist.com/

He's on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/thechocolatebotanist

And Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/thechocolatebotanist

His YouTube channel is here: https://www.youtube.com/c/thechocolatebotanist

New England Botanical Garden website (in case you want to become a member and attend in person or virtual workshops): https://nebg.org/

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