Biophilic Design
Biophilic Design is Going Mainstream
For anyone who’s been following our work, you know that biophilic design isn’t just our business, it’s our passion. Literally. It means a love of nature, and in design it’s a way to bring natural elements indoors. That can mean living walls, moss walls, and adding other natural elements to the built environment, like house plants / indoor plants, just for starters. Countless studies have shown that biophilic design isn’t just nice to look at, but also improves emotional wellness, reduces stress, boosts creativity and even helps filter air, reducing volatile organic compounds and adding oxygen.… Read More
Good Earth Plants’ Moss Wall Wins Platinum
At the 2023 Tropical Plant International Expo, Good Earth Plant Co walked away with two big awards. First, owner Jim Mumford was inducted into the I-Plants Magazine Plantscape Hall of Fame and second, Good Earth Plants’ installation of a large-scale moss wall was recognized with a Platinum Award.
The moss wall was one of Good Earth Plants most challenging projects to date for the size, but also the requirements of the 8′ x 50′ moss wall art. The wall is the common area of an office suite in a lounge / resimercial area with leather sofas and chairs. The client is a tech giant known for design, and they want their office to reflect their brand.… Read More
Plant Trends from the 2023 TPIE
Welcome to The Tropical Plant International Expo (TPIE) 2023! Jim Mumford, founder of Good Earth Plants, went trendspotting at this year’s event in Tampa, FL. At 89% humidity, with showers and temps in the 70s, it felt very tropical.
The TPIE is the CES for plant people: interior plantscapers, designers, retailers, media, and really anyone whose job involves plants. And just like a new tech launch at CES, new varieties of plants are shown here first.
Jim started Good Earth Plant Co. 45 years ago, and his years of dedication to biophilic design earned him a place in the Hall of Fame at this year’s TPIE.… Read More
Sustainable Design Ideas for San Diego Stormwater
Amid the megadrought, the worst drought to hit California in 1200+ years, we are now experiencing a Pacific storm with the terrifying name of a bomb cyclone. And while the atmospheric river it’s bringing with it sounds poetic, it’s anything but. This brutal storm is bringing heavy rains, damaging winds and subsequent flooding to parts of California.
In San Diego County, we’re experiencing rains and winds that may lead to major flood events in some areas. Over the last decade, flooding has caused millions of dollars in property damage, even in times of average seasonal rainstorms. (source: San Diego Co Public Works)
San Diego is a coastal desert.… Read More
Viva Magenta is Pantone 2023 Color of the Year
Good Earth Plant Company first started writing about the Pantone Color of the Year in 2017. Design trends matter to our clients, but it was mainly something fun to do. The big surprise: how much it matters to you, too!
After a few years of peaceful, soothing colors to get us through the pandemic, Pantone is ready for a party. The 2023 choice is a bold deep pink, “Viva Magenta.”
Magenta is equal parts cool and warm, a pink with a hint of purple. It’s a color Pantone’s executives say represents an optimistic future. Pantone Vice President Laurie Pressman is quoted saying Viva Magenta represents a prevailing desire for optimism, resilience, outside-the-box thinking and technological innovation to create a better world.… Read More
Let’s Talk About Biophilic Design
There is only one thing I enjoy more than enriching peoples’ lives with plants at Good Earth Plant Company.
It’s talking to people about enriching their lives with plants – especially when I get to speak to a big audience.
This week, I made my third appearance on the daily talk show “It’s Your Life.” It is a podcast, livestream, and live YouTube show. Hosted by Dr. James Cooley and co-hosted and produced by his wife, Michelle Cooley. The Cooleys invite people from all walks of life with different professions and areas of expertise. Dr. Cooley is a motivational speaker and a retired Navy Officer with 23 years of service.… Read More
Here’s To Your Health From Fix Medical Group and Good Earth Plant Company
Good Earth Plant Company blog readers know our mission is to enrich peoples’ lives with plants. Those lives include our clients, guests, employees, suppliers, and everyone who interacts with them. What does “enrich” mean, exactly?
The formal definition, according to Merriam-Webster, is “to make rich or richer, especially by the addition or increase of some desirable quality, attribute, or ingredient.”
Money is the first thing that comes to your mind when talking about being “rich.” Who wouldn’t find life a lot easier if you had a lot of money? We didn’t win the Powerball this week, so we can’t help you there.… Read More
Use the Fall Time Change To Follow the Light
You may want to blame any blues next week on the coming election, but our relationship with Mother Nature is more likely to blame.
The weekend before Election Day, we go through our annual change back from Daylight Time to Standard Time in the U.S. and Canada (unless you’re reading this in Arizona, Hawaii, or a few small spots). Turn your clocks back that still need human adjustments on Saturday night before going to bed.
You’re welcome. Our public service announcement for the week is concluded.
The 60 minutes we adjusted our clocks suddenly makes us aware we are slowly losing daylight.… Read More
Good Earth Plant Company Turns 45 and We’re Thriving
At this time of year, most people focus on Halloween. At Good Earth Plant Company, we celebrate something surprising instead of frightening: our anniversary!
November 1 is the day I founded Good Earth Plant Company, which first opened on November 1, 1977, as a flower bucket stand. It gets harder for me every year to believe the entire 45-year trip. Explaining it is a challenge too, but I’ll give it my best try.
Over the few years, hitting this milestone was far from a sure thing. How many recessions have I weathered? Each decade and then the big one in 2009.… Read More
Get Dirty, Get Healthier With Horticultural Therapy
Many people develop a love of gardening and nature as they grow up through older relatives as they care for their flowers, plants, or fruit and vegetable gardens. I spent many family summers enjoying the outdoors and learning about nature in a way that seems a little old-fashioned today.
So many of my relatives have a love for nature. My father, Bob, became a much admired – and published! – nature photographer after retiring from the United States Navy. Mom Sandy is an avid backyard gardener and refuses to throw a struggling plant away, and rarely prunes. My daughter, Allie, loves nature – for her, it’s all about animals.… Read More