IGNITE! PIA Expo, Las Vegas

| August 13, 2013 | Categories: Architecture and Design, Awards & Achievements, Good Earth Plant Company, Indoor Plants, Plantscaping
Plantscape Industry Alliance
  Is it really August already? It seems like only yesterday school was letting out and I had an entire summer to look forward to. Work goes on and this week, I am in Las Vegas for the 2013 Plantscape Industry Alliance Expo (PIA). What a great group of people. I have been fortunate enough to have been a board member for 10 years and an executive director for two years. People with PIA are the decision makers and movers and shakers in the plant industry today and tomorrow. After two years of no responsibilities when attending the PIA Expo, leisurely viewing exhibits and catching up with colleagues I was once again asked to be a speaker.… Read More

Disguised as a Volunteer

| August 6, 2013 | Categories: Agriculture and Farming, Awards & Achievements, Sustainable Living, Water and Water Conservation
  There are Angels walking the trails at the Escondido Creek Conservancy. They are also happily hiking Mission Trails, Torrey Pines State Park and numerous other locales filled with regional flora and wildlife. You may not recognize them as they might be wearing a vest with pockets, a shirt with a badge or maybe just a plastic nametag. These Angels are the volunteers at our local parks, preserves and wildlife areas. They don’t get paid, but instead they “pay it forward” to eager children and interested adults who wander these local paths. While indulging in a good read of the UT San Diego , I came across an article about one such Angel, 54 year-old Donna Walker. … Read More

See you at Good Earth Plants’ Summer Open House/Plant Sale

| July 23, 2013 | Categories: Good Earth Plant Company, Indoor Plants, Newsletters
Open House and Plant Sale
We know it’s warm outside. We have ice-cold water for you to sip (guzzle) and fresh cookies to munch on as you stroll our improved headquarters office, warehouse and nursery. You’ll be able to tour our newest additions. We’ve expanded and brought in two brand new offices in a “trailer” nestled among our patio garden. For those who have never been here, we hope you come. The demonstration garden is full of different systems and plants. Depending on timing, we have green roof or living wall elements being prepped and ready to go to job sites. You can see and touch anything form a hydroponically based living walls to our new low water use soil substitute “brownies.”… Read More

Summertime

| July 16, 2013 | Categories: Environment, Good Earth Plant Company Tips, Sustainable Living
Summertime, beach
It’s Summertime. Full-fledged, middle of July no-going-back Summertime. The days are warm, the sun is up longer, the crickets are in full concert mode after dark. And I love it! Although, after the Fourth of July, there seems to be that big exhale, kind of like a little bird on your shoulder reminding you that something will inevitably end. Already the sun is going down earlier. When I was growing up, the three months of summer were a blissful eternity filled with bike rides, trips to Pacific Beach and the sound of my friends playing in the street. I was so lucky to have grown up in San Diego and to have a pocketful of memories about Summer.… Read More

Living Wall Installations… Everywhere

| July 9, 2013 | Categories: Green Roofs, Living Walls, Plantscaping
Green roof, living wall
Summer has officially arrived. I keep thinking about a song. “Hot town, summer in the city, back of my neck getting dirty and gritty” from working a lot. It’s hot, dry, and we’re busy! No complaints, just lots of installations. It’s July, it’s hot and we are busy! We seem to be swimming in a sea of installations. We’ve  installed or are about to install a dazzling array of living walls spanning the west coast from San Diego to Dana Point, Santa Monica and Seattle. Seattle thrives as a cosmopolitan port city. Nationally recognized as one of the most livable cities in the U.S.,… Read More

Monkey Faced Orchids

| July 2, 2013 | Categories: Architecture and Design, Good Earth Plant Company Tips, Indoor Plants, Plantscaping
We had so many readers interested in the Monkey-Faced orchid picture we posted, I thought I would pass along some quick information about them and about orchids in general. Besides being just about the cutest, funniest flora we’ve found, Monkey-Faced Orchids, or Grinning Monkey orchids live in the south-eastern Ecuadorian and Peruvian cloud forests at around 1000-2000 meters. Their scientific name is Dracula Simia-Dracula referring to the strange characteristic of the two long sepals, reminiscent of a certain Transylvanian count. Up in the cloud forests, these orchids can flower at any time-it’s not season specific and its’ scent resembles a very ripe orange. … Read More

A Change Is In The Air

| June 25, 2013 | Categories: Awards & Achievements, Good Earth Plant Company, Green Roofs, Living Walls
New Good Earth Plant Company building
Most people will agree that change can be difficult. From little things like learning how a new phone works to moving or starting a new job, change never seems to come easily.  But as I get older, I am finding that while change is tough, it has an upside. Our headquarters are bursting at the seams and it is time to think creatively.  Time to make a change. Today we brought in an office trailer to our headquarters that will be an office for two of our staff. It is a much-needed addition to our space here, but darned if it wasn’t an easy process.… Read More

A Little Something About Paying It Forward with Plants

| June 18, 2013 | Categories: Good Earth Plant Company, Indoor Plants, Sustainable Living
Smiling Monkey Faced Orchid
Besides Valentine’s Day, when was the last time someone sent you something out of the blue? Like flowers, or a Hallmark card or a little gift? Didn’t it make you feel special? While doing some social media tidbits on our colorful orchids, I was struck by how many people commented on how beautiful our orchids are and how much they would love to have one on their desk. It reminds me of how fortunate I am to have a demonstration garden and shade house full of plants and flowers. Granted, some of it gets rotated out for delivery, but on any given day I can take a few minutes and get inspired just by walking around the “nature” we have here.… Read More

What do you think of our new look? GEP/GSB New Website!

| June 11, 2013 | Categories: Awards & Achievements, Blog, Good Earth Plant Company, Green Roofs, Living Walls, Sustainable Living
New Good Earth Plant Company and GreenScaped Buildings website
  What do you think of our new look? Good Earth Plant Company and GreenScaped Buildings launched a new combined version of our website this weekend. Since we designed our original websites for each company, we’re into a lot of new things and there is new technology letting us share it with you. The timing was just right. The new website also allows us to bring together our two branches in one place: Good Earth Plant Company and GreenScaped Buildings. The businesses will continue to focus on their specific areas of expertise, but our clients can find all the information they need about every aspect of what we do in one place.… Read More

Our National Parks

| June 11, 2013 | Categories: Environment, Sustainable Living
Grand Canyon, nature
This month, Sunset Magazines’ front cover made me do a quick double-take….was that a painting or a photograph of the Grand Canyon? If you get up really close you’ll see it is an amazing photo complete with the Colorado River cutting a serene blue path through the base of the park. That photograph reminded me of all the wonderful vacations I have had the privilege of taking in and around our National Parks. Warm, nature-oriented memories of when I was a kid when everything seemed so big. Then later, taking my own kids to see the wonders of Grand Canyon and fishing in Yosemite and the Sierras.… Read More