Gayle Lynn Falkenthal

Flexing Our Creative Muscle at Art Alive 2019

| April 17, 2019 | Categories: Architecture and Design, Awards & Achievements, Good Earth Plant Company
Last week, we concluded our participation in the 38th annual San Diego Museum of Art in Balboa Park fundraising event “Art Alive.” I haven’t missed one in 25 years, no matter what else we have going on. It’s always fun for us to spend time flexing our creative muscles. If you aren’t familiar with Art Alive, 100 floral designers interpret artworks found in the Museum. The John and Sally Thornton Rotunda in the Museum literally comes alive with flowers, plants, and natural materials. It’s the art world version of the Rose Parade! It also reminds us of Good Earth Plant Company’s roots.… Read More

Plants Should Be Tax Deductible

| April 10, 2019 | Categories: Indoor Plants, Living Walls, Plantscaping
April 15 is right around the corner. Have you finished filing your tax returns? When you are a business owner like I am, you have to think about tax issues constantly. Sometimes it feels like we are all employees of the IRS when you think about it. When you think about taxes, you put a lot of thought into your deductions. Most people know about the big ones: mortgage interest, retirement plan contributions, childcare, and the standard deductions for people and dependents. Thanks Ted and Allie! What a game changer if we could make plants tax deductible! Many financial experts tell you if you can make a reasonable argument, the IRS will at least consider some unusual tax deductions.… Read More

When Should I Repot My House Plants?

| April 3, 2019 | Categories: Gardening, Good Earth Plant Company Tips, Indoor Plants, Plantscaping
There is no need to add anything to your plant containers but the proper potting soil. Photo: SweetLouise/CreativeCommons License
So you’ve gotten into the current craze for houseplants. You’ve added a few at home and in your workspace. Hooray and good for you! Literally, plants are good for you and keep you connected to nature, healthier, and happier. Congratulations from your Good Earth Plant Company Eco-Warriors. Maybe you’ve had your plants for a year now, maybe 18 or 24 months. What now? One of the most common questions plant owners ask when moving on to the next stage of plant care expertise is this: when should I repot my houseplants? Great question, and perfect timing. Spring presents the ideal opportunity to repot houseplants that need more room to spread their roots and grow. … Read More

Go To The Zoo For the Pandas, Stay for the Plants

| March 27, 2019 | Categories: Case Studies, Indoor Plants, Nature and Wellbeing, Plantscaping
The “World Famous” San Diego Zoo’s two giant pandas will return to China at the end of April. Bai-Yun, 27, and her son, Xiao Liwu, 6, are probably the Zoo’s most popular animals (maybe after the koalas). So you’ve got about a month left to see them and wish them farewell. You might be fighting the crowds, but it shouldn’t be quite as bad as the superbloom frenzy. If you’re from out of town, the zoo is a must visit. But a lot of people miss one of the most impressive things about the San Diego Zoo: the plants! In addition to all of the animals, the San Diego Zoo has thousands of plants as part of the animal habitats.… Read More

Go Green on St. Patrick’s Day – and Every Day

| March 13, 2019 | Categories: Environment, Nature and Wellbeing, Sustainable Living
You don’t have to be Irish (or part Irish like me) to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day on Sunday, March 17. We love any occasion focusing on things that are green! It’s more likely than not you possess some Irish heritage as part of your ethnic DNA. In June 1963, President John F. Kennedy gave a speech in Cork, Ireland and said “Most countries send out oil or iron, steel or gold, or some other crop, but Ireland has had only one export and that is its people.” Ireland has a long history of emigration. If you were a Catholic or a Protestant from any denomination outside the Church of England, laws were harsh and the persecution was real and often fatal.… Read More

Spring Into Action: Daylight Saving Time 2019 Is Here

| March 6, 2019 | Categories: Biophilia, Environment, Indoor Plants, Nature and Wellbeing, Plantscaping
Your indoor plants might not know it's time to change the clocks to Daylight Saving Time this weekend, but they know it's spring. Photo: Riala/PixabayCC
We say days are “growing longer” when we start getting more minutes of sunshine each day. Wouldn’t it be nice if that meant we got more than 24 hours in a day? I’d even take a secret eighth day a week no one else knows about. With the generous amount of rain we’ve experienced in California and in San Diego County, it’s been harder to tell there are more daytime minutes. Maybe it’s the reason why it’s such a surprise to realize we switch to Daylight Saving Time for 2019 this weekend – Sunday, March 10.  Before going to bed on Saturday night, move your clocks forward one hour.… Read More

Plant A Weed and Save the Monarchs

| February 27, 2019 | Categories: Agriculture and Farming, Environment, Gardening, Good Earth Plant Company Tips, Nature and Wellbeing, Sustainable Living
The western California monarch is in danger of extinction. Good Earth Plant Company provides critical milkweed habitat and we're thrilled to see it working. Photo: Erin Lindley
Recently a visitor to Good Earth Plant Company asked me “Hey, what’s that tall plant growing on your green roof?” I told her it was milkweed. What I didn’t say is that it might be the most important plant on the entire green roof. The Western monarch butterfly is one of the most recognizable insects in the world. It is called “the ambassador of nature.” In coastal California cities where migrating monarch butterflies have traditionally spent their winters like Pacific Grove, Pismo Beach, and Santa Barbara, there is a whole tourism industry built around the butterflies. Ten million monarch butterflies used to spend the winter in California during the 1980s, according to estimates.… Read More

Five Reasons Plants Improve Your Bottom Line

| February 20, 2019 | Categories: Architecture and Design, Good Earth Plant Company Tips, Indoor Plants, Nature and Wellbeing, Plantscaping
Humble office plants like this desk terrarium can make you more productive and healthier at work. Photo: Stocksnap/Creative Commons
Plants have never been hotter. The humble indoor plant is suddenly a design trend. We have thousands of people calling themselves “plant parents” who collect and cherish house plants. The trend is creeping its way into more workplaces, too. The benefits of plants in the workplace is something we’re passionate about at Good Earth Plant Company. We’d like more businesses to get passionate about it, too. We know there is one thing ALL businesses are passionate about: making money. Let’s face it, we’re all working hard to earn a good living so we can live well and indulge our interests. So if we told you adding plants is good for your business and will help you make more money, would we get your attention?… Read More

Our Valentine’s Day Love Letter To Plants

| February 14, 2019 | Categories: Indoor Plants, Plantscaping
Plants like these Sweetheart Hoya cuttings make people happy. Science proves it! Photo: Wikimedia
Happy Valentine’s Day (or as some of you refer to it, Singles Appreciation Day). It’s a day to take time and appreciate the love in your life. Why limit this to people? At Good Earth Plant Company, we’ve had a love affair with plants for more than four decades. This is a relationship built to last the test of time. More and more people agree with us. Growing numbers of people, especially among the Millennial generation, are bringing plants into their homes and caring for them. For many people, plants have become more like pets than just decoration. We love you for it!… Read More

Do These Six Things to Keep Indoor Plants Healthy During Winter

| February 6, 2019 | Categories: Gardening, Good Earth Plant Company Tips, Indoor Plants, Plantscaping
Even indoor plants feel the change of seasons. Photo: Skitterphoto - Creative Commons License
Winter has hit San Diego along with the rest of the U.S. No polar vortex here, thank goodness, but we know it’s winter without needed snow on the ground or freezing daytime temperatures. We feel the change of seasons even if we don’t have to shovel driveways or scrape windshields. Plants feel the change of seasons, too – even your indoor plants. Your container plants at home and in the office grow in the spring and summer and go dormant in the winter just like their outdoor cousins. During these cooler months, conditions change inside where your indoor plants live. Less sun comes through your windows.… Read More