Environment

Human impact on the Earth’s environment is creating climate change, global warming, and polluting air, land, and water on our planet with disastrous results. We must work to reverse these effects through sustainable practices and through thoughtful design and practices.

Recycle, Repurpose, Rejoice: Eco-Clever Christmas Trees

| December 23, 2015 | Categories: Environment, Good Earth Plant Company Tips, Indoor Plants, Sustainable Living
The most universally loved symbol of Christmas is the Christmas tree. This makes us happy at Good Earth Plant Company, as trees are so important to our ecosystem and represent shelter, food, and diversity in Nature. Some people love a fresh-cut tree, and others are happiest with an artificial tree. There are good arguments for both being eco-friendly. The trees here fall in a completely different category. They are all made of unusual recycled materials, everything from tires to shopping carts to books. It’s the ultimate in eco-cleverness and we love them all! We know on Christmas Eve you are busy getting your Christmas celebration together, so we won’t make you read a long blog post, even one of our incredibly informative ones.… Read More

Join the #OptOutside Movement on Black Friday

| November 25, 2015 | Categories: Biophilia, Environment, Good Earth Plant Company, Indoor Plants, Nature and Wellbeing, Sustainable Living
Recently it seems like we barely get to clear the Thanksgiving dinner table before the madness known as Black Friday hits us. So I was one of many people who loved REI’s announcement on October 27 it would not just close its stores in Black Friday and give their 12,000 employees the day off, but it would also encourage all of them to enjoy outdoor activities with family and friends. What a concept, putting Nature at the center of your Thanksgiving holiday. We could all use a reason to burn some calories after chowing down Thursday night. I’m not naïve enough to think there wasn’t a bit of public relations genius behind this.… Read More

Water, Water Everywhere: Tips to Prep for El Niño

| November 4, 2015 | Categories: Environment, Indoor Plants, Living Walls, Sustainable Living, Water and Water Conservation
Having sandbags standing by is a smart precaution. Photo: Courtesy City of San Marcos
It seemed like just a few days ago we were still wearing shorts and flip flops while watching our bone dry yards hang on for cooler, wetter weather ahead. Suddenly we have freeway offramps and neighborhoods flooding due to rainstorms. Is this San Diego or the Pacific Northwest? Weather forecasters tell us an El Niño winter is ahead, and based on this week’s weather you can call me a believer. It seems like the temporary answer to our drought problems and your long-suffering landscape plants. But an overabundance of water can create its own set of problems. Some of them can turn out to be destructive and very expensive to fix if you don’t take measures now to prepare.… Read More

Good Earth Plants Presents Pumpkin Power Halloween Trivia

| October 29, 2015 | Categories: Biophilia, Environment, Gardening, Good Earth Plant Company
The tradition of carving pumpkins came from Irish immigrants to the U.S.
Halloween is on Saturday. For most Americans, you can’t have Halloween without pumpkins. Displaying a pumpkin or carving one into a traditional Jack-O-Lantern is a popular Halloween tradition. We are out of our gourd about pumpkins at Good Earth Plant Company. In honor of this festive fruit (yes, it’s a fruit and not a vegetable), we present our Pumpkin Power Trivia. Orange you glad? The tradition of carving pumpkins started in Ireland. The Irish originally used turnips and sometimes potatoes. They carved ugly faces into them to ward off evil spirits. When Irish immigrants came to America, they switched to pumpkins, which were larger and easier to carve.… Read More

Get Fresh Ideas at the Good Earth Plants Fall Open House on Friday, October 16

| October 13, 2015 | Categories: Environment, Good Earth Plant Company, Green Roofs, Indoor Plants, Living Walls, Plantscaping, Sustainable Living
In San Diego we are blessed to enjoy the last bits of summer weather almost until Halloween. Good Earth Plant Company loves to take advantage of this with our annual Fall Open House every year in the middle of October. This year, our 2015 Fall Open House and Plant Sale at our warehouse and demo garden takes place Friday October 16, from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. The Open House takes place at our headquarters, 7922 Armour Street in San Diego. See a map here. What’s behind our invitation to you? Everyone at Good Earth Plant Company is very proud of the work we do, and we love to share what we are about.… Read More

Let An Urban Farm Grow In Your Part of the Planet

| October 1, 2015 | Categories: Agriculture and Farming, Environment, Gardening, Good Earth Plant Company Tips, Sustainable Living
The Uncommon Ground rooftop urban farm in Chicago. Photo: Courtesy UncommonGround.com
It was great to see so many of you at the U.S. Green Building Conference on “The Value of Sustainability” held on September 22 at SDG&E’s Energy Innovation Center, where we have one of our favorite outdoor succulent walls. It looked fantastic if I do say so myself! If you missed it, the conference featured local and national experts including yours truly talking about sustainable strategies on the triple bottom line: People, Planet and Profit. They aren’t mutually exclusive. It was well attended and well organized. Due to the press of business at Good Earth Plant Company I wasn’t able to stay all day, but many people did.… Read More

Pope Francis, The World’s First Green Pope

| September 24, 2015 | Categories: Environment, Indoor Plants, Plantscaping
Many Americans are following the visit of Pope Francis to the United States, his first visit since being named the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church in March 2013. You don’t have to be Catholic to like this humble guy from Argentina named Jorge Mario Bergoglio and his message of building a tolerant and inclusive society. Polls show Pope Francis, the leader of the world’s largest religion, is one of the most trusted, popular and quoted people alive today. During his appearance in Washington D.C. at the White House with President Obama on Wednesday, Pope Francis urged the United States to help fight climate change and called on Americans to build a truly tolerant and inclusive society.… Read More

Nine Ways to Make the Most of Labor Day Weekend

| September 3, 2015 | Categories: Environment, Gardening, Good Earth Plant Company Tips, Indoor Plants
Labor Day arrives on the late and lazy side in 2015, on the last possible day of the calendar: Monday, September 7. Have you made your plans? Or are you still waiting until the tourists go home to reclaim your spot at the beach? Why not take advantage of the long weekend and the great weather to invest time in working in the garden that will pay off big later. Nine suggestions from Good Earth Plant Company: Plant some garlic or radicchio, both excellent cool-weather crops. Install a birdbath to see the birds through the dry Southern California vall. Start a compost pile to create some organic fertilize for next spring’s garden.… Read More

Let’s Talk Sustainability in San Diego at the 2015 Green Building Conference & Expo

| August 27, 2015 | Categories: Architecture and Design, Environment, Good Earth Plant Company, Indoor Plants, Living Walls, Sustainable Living
The Good Earth Plant Company living wall at the SDGE Energy Innovation Center is one of our favorite projects. See it at the USGBC Green Building Expo on September 22.
One of the silver linings of our current drought in San Diego is that it has gotten more people thinking about sustainability and the big picture issues surrounding our use of water and other natural resources. This is a great thing! Thinking leads to talking, and talking leads to doing something. The more we start integrating cutting edge sustainability strategies into San Diego’s buildings, homes, and communities, the more we can improve our well-being. This is something I write about a lot on this blog. In September, I’ll get a chance to talk about it at the third annual San Diego Green Building Conference on Saturday, September 22 at the SDG&E Energy Innovation Center.… Read More

Water Your Trees Like Mother Nature Would

| August 6, 2015 | Categories: Environment, Gardening, Good Earth Plant Company Tips, Indoor Plants, Water and Water Conservation
Using a bucket as a drip irrigation system works well with trees. Be sure to cover the bucket to prevent accidents with children. Photo: Courtesy Goleta Water District
Two weeks ago, I wrote in this blog about our drought and the importance of preserving our trees. Go ahead and let your lawn turn brown. If you can only afford to water one thing in your yard, water your trees. One of my Good Earth Plants blog readers (thank you!) asked, “What is the best way to water my trees so they get the most water? Is there a trick to it?” We love smart questions and we will answer it here. Since we can’t always count on Mother Nature watering our trees in a Mediterranean climate during a drought, we need to help.… Read More