San Diego Downtown News: ‘Living Walls bring life to the city’

| June 9, 2015 | Categories: Case Studies, Living Walls, Media Coverage
The 2017 Pantone Color of the Year "Greenery" is in nearly all our projects, like the living wall at the Thomas Jefferson School of Law in the East Village area of downtown San Diego.
A recent article by Delle Willett in the San Diego Downtown News showcases several of our living wall projects in Downtown San Diego. It’s terrific to see how developers and building owners are integrating nature into the urban environment. Living walls are now featured in (or on) upper-end hotels and restaurants, designer retail stores, chic spas, exclusive clubs — basically any place looking for distinction, something that makes them stand out from their competitors. Good Earth Plant Company and GreenScaped Buildings is happy to help them stand out! Included in the article are our walls for the law firm of Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch, LLP; the Westgate Hotel; the newly opened Urbana rental flats in East Village; and the Thomas Jefferson School of Law, which we built in 2011 and is still the biggest living wall in San Diego.… Read More

Get Fresh Ideas at the Good Earth Plants Spring Open House June 5

| June 3, 2015 | Categories: Good Earth Plant Company, Indoor Plants, Plantscaping
Purchase nursery grade plants and pots at outstanding sale prices Why should San Diego’s microbreweries have a monopoly on happy hour? Enjoy happy hour Good Earth Plant Company style during our 2015 Spring Open House and Plant Sale at our warehouse and demo garden on Friday, June 5, from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Jim Mumford and the entire team at Good Earth Plant Company have fresh ideas and exciting new projects at this annual event. The Open House takes place at Good Earth Plant Company’s headquarters, 7922 Armour Street in San Diego. See a map here. Tour our living lab including green roof systems, an edible living wall, our Aquaponics system and the latest in living wall technology.… Read More

Bite Back Against Mosquitoes This Summer

| May 28, 2015 | Categories: Good Earth Plant Company Tips, Sustainable Living
The recent rainstorms in San Diego County won’t end our drought, but I have enjoyed them anyway, it’s been a nice change after so many dry days. Mosquitoes love a little spring rain too. Mosquitoes are opportunists and they need standing water to breed. Mosquitoes go from eggs to adulthood in water. Your yard could be a breeding ground right now for mosquitoes, and you won’t find out until they mature in about two weeks and start attacking you every time you walk outside. Mosquitoes are more than annoying. Mosquitoes can transmit West Nile virus and malaria. Three hundred million people worldwide are inflected with diseases by mosquitos every year.… Read More

Green Roofs and the Drought: Invest Now, Save Later

| May 21, 2015 | Categories: Gardening, Good Earth Plant Company Tips, Green Roofs, Sustainable Living, Water and Water Conservation
GreenScaped Buildings installed this green roof at Rick Williams' Del Mar home in 2013.
Part three of a three part series We love green roofs and everything they stand for at Good Earth Plant Company and GreenScaped Buildings. Green roofs are the only feature of a building that actually improves with age, and results in extended life expectancy of a roof. Based on 65-plus years of experience with green roofs in Germany, a green roof can be expected to double or triple (and more!) the life of the underlying conventional roof by protecting it from damage due to debris, UV radiation, and the expansion an contraction caused by changes in temperature. This in turn minimizes construction waste in our landfills.… Read More

Living Walls: A Low-Water Use Landscaping Option

| May 14, 2015 | Categories: Good Earth Plant Company Tips, Green Roofs, Living Walls, Water and Water Conservation
Sometimes square pegs fit in round holes: a living wall on a curved surface.
Part two of a three part series Southern Californians are finally breaking their addition to lush green lawns. In the midst of a drought, the days of spraying drinking water on a lawn day after day to keep it looking good are over. Admit it, aren’t you glad at the thought of tossing your lawn mower for good? Some homeowners install a great deal of hardscaping elements in their yards, substituting patios and other decorative structures, with very few plants. While this is water efficient, it’s a little sad for me as a person who loves plants to see them disappearing from yards.… Read More

Getting Waterwise in San Diego, Inside and Out

| May 7, 2015 | Categories: Agriculture and Farming, Gardening, Good Earth Plant Company, Sustainable Living, Water and Water Conservation
Bold Sanseviera plants in striking pots make a statement and improve the indoor environment without wasting water.
Part one of a three part series California’s drought and the need to conserve water in every way possible is a concern for everyone. Outdoor gardeners have been asked to do their part for a long time, and they are helping by getting rid of their thirsty lawns and other plants that require more water than our Mediterranean climate allows. But a lot of us don’t have yards or gardens, and our plants are all inside. Did you know that indoor plants need very little water? Good Earth Plant Company’s technicians water some plants less than once a month. Depending upon the size, variety and type of plants in your home or office, the total amount of water you use monthly should be 50 gallons or less.… Read More

Going Green to Keep the Chargers in San Diego

| April 30, 2015 | Categories: Architecture and Design, Green Roofs, Sustainable Living
If we want to keep the Chargers in San Diego, time to think green.
The fate of the San Diego Chargers dominates the news these days. Even though we have been talking about a new stadium for 15 years, the situation became urgent when the clock started ticking down on proposals to the north in Los Angeles and in Carson to lure the team away from San Diego. It all boils down to money. How will we pay for a new stadium, wherever it ends up? We all know development could pay for it, but who wants to pave over more of the city or add more cars to the roads? No one’s gotten around to asking me, and that’s too bad because I have the perfect plan to keep the Chargers in town.… Read More

Earth Day Fast Facts from Good Earth Plant Company

| April 22, 2015 | Categories: Environment, Good Earth Plant Company, Good Earth Plant Company Tips, Sustainable Living
Happy Earth Day 2015 from Good Earth Plant Company
Forty-five years ago today, the first Earth Day took place in 1970. It is now an annual event celebrated on April 22, coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network. It reaches more than 192 countries each year including hundreds of communities in the United States. Many communities that support environmental issues choose to celebrate an Earth Week. Not to brag, but we celebrate Earth Day every single day at Good Earth Plant Company! In honor of Earth Day and Earth Week, Good Earth Plant Company shares some fun facts with you. The late Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin founded Earth Day to raise public awareness of environmental issues.… Read More

You Need Space: Defend Yourself From Wildfire

| April 16, 2015 | Categories: Environment, Gardening, Good Earth Plant Company Tips, Nature and Wellbeing
Create defensible space around your home to protect yourself from the threat of wildfires.
San Diego County residents woke up to a red flag warning today. A red flag warning means critical fire weather conditions are either happening now or will shortly. Any fires that develop may spread quickly, according to the National Weather Service. Count on it being the first of many this year. Wildfire is a fact of life in Southern California, and for many other people in the United States. The current drought hitting so many areas including San Diego makes it even more important to be aware of the potential danger of wildfire. Your landscaping can play a critically important role in protecting your home and your property from being damaged or destroyed by wildfire.… Read More

Freaky Friday Orchids

| April 10, 2015 | Categories: Biophilia, Gardening, Good Earth Plant Company, Indoor Plants
White Egret Orchid (Habenaria Radiata)
Our most popular blog post of all time is our Monkey Faced Orchids post. You can’t get enough of our photos of orchids that look like monkey faces. They really do! Orchids, like all flowers, exist in nature to facilitate pollination to continue their species. Flowers develop over time to attract certain friendly insects and birds, and to repel others. Some welcome bees, some are perfect for hummingbirds. The result of this functional need are orchids that look like bees, birds, and people. Even their colors develop in a way to attract the most desirable pollinators with the message “Hey everyone, tasty nectar right here!”… Read More