Gardening

Gardening is one of the most popular pastimes worldwide. It continues to grow in popularity. The number of people growing their own vegetables, fruit and flowers keeps increasing each year.

Gardening is an inherently healthy activity. It helps foster a sense of community in a shared passion. It breaks down barriers.  People of all ages, backgrounds, and skill levels can join in. It’s fun, it doesn’t have to cost anything, and it strengthens our ties to nature – our biophilic connection.

Overall, American gardeners reported spending a record $47.8 billion on lawn and garden retail sales, the highest ever, with a record average household spend of $503 – up nearly $100 over the previous year. One-third of this comes from 18 to 34-year-olds.

Container gardening set new sales records, too.  Since many gardening enthusiasts don’t have the typical suburban backyard or much space, they’re pursuing their hobby on a smaller scale – and it’s mostly indoors.

Indoor gardening is growing like crazy. Thirty percent of all households bought at least one houseplant in the past year. Good Earth Plant Company enjoys sharing our professional expertise in indoor gardening with our readers.

Adding plants to your indoor environment at home and work provides multiple benefits to your physical and mental health. Study after study confirms plants clean your indoor air of toxins, raising humidity to healthier levels, increase the oxygen levels, buffer noise, calm your nerves and help you focus.

Six Reasons to Plant a Tree: Good Earth Plants Guide to Arbor Day

In all our zeal to prepare for our Open House and Plant Sale last week, we missed a special event on Friday, April 25: Arbor Day. It’s ironic that during our busy week of planning and preparing for our semi-annual Open House, we lost track of a day set aside to honor such living treasures. After scolding myself for “not seeing the forest for the trees,” I spent a few minutes reading about Arbor Day and what it is really all about. First celebrated in Spain in 1805, Arbor Day is most often celebrated by the planting of trees, always a good idea.… Read More

Good Earth Plants Thanks You For Visiting Our Open House

We love having our friends, family, clients and colleagues visit Good Earth Plant Company for our Open House and Plant Sale - or anytime at all!
  “April Showers bring May Flowers….” While we certainly needed the rain, my fingers were crossed for sunny skies Friday, April 24 as we hosted our spring Good Earth Plants Open House and Plant Sale. While it wasn’t exactly sunny, we did manage to hold off the rain until later that night and have a tremendous Open House that day. And the wind? What’s a little breeze! Our semi-annual event brought record-breaking numbers of new guests to view eight different types of green roofs and two dozen living wall displays that interested a number of architects, landscape architects and interior designers, not to mention a few potential customers.… Read More

Don’t Miss The Plant Bargains at the Good Earth Plants Open House

We are knee-deep in palms, ficus and orchids here at Good Earth Plants and busy getting ready to welcome you to our Spring Plant Sale and Open House on Friday, April 24 from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Have you sent your RSVP yet? What are you waiting for! The greenhouse and demonstration garden have never looked better with living wall and green roof displays and “Plant Portrait” samples fully planted and lush with spring growth. Some of the smaller living walls will be on sale and you can take one home with you. We also have a number of assorted items for sale from indoor green plants and pottery  to 10-foot Queen palm trees.… Read More

Welcome Spring at the Good Earth Plants Open House and Plant Sale

The Good Earth Plant Company green roof seven years ago and today.
The buds are bursting, hotels are filled and days are longer. It must be spring in San Diego.  It’s also time for the Good Earth Plants crew to sweep up and dust off our warehouse and demo garden so we can show off some exciting new projects at our Open House and Plant Sale on Friday, April 25 from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Opening the doors to guests is a great way for us to see our operation with fresh eyes. Our talented staff coaxes new growth to show off our living wall displays and our now seven-year-old green roof, one of the first in San Diego.… Read More

Find Outdoor Adventure In Your Own Backyard

When we were young, finding new worlds to explore was easy. Just go out back into the canyons or woods, turn over some rocks, climb a few trees or visit the San Diego Zoo. Finding adventure as an adult is harder. Endless demands eat into precious daytime hours, leaving playtime lost to “more important” matters. When I read about a true modern-day adventurer I find myself green with envy. Take Dr. Marc Meyers of UCSD. This lucky guy is getting ready to head out on an adventure of a lifetime, one that nearly killed Teddy Roosevelt a century ago. Imagine a 1,500-mile expedition to South America traveling up the Amazon River studying the flora, fauna and the indigenous tribes you meet along the way.… Read More

Jim Mumford’s Tree Benefits You Never Knew

My time spent growing up in San Diego in the 1960s and 70s was pretty close to perfect. There were always a gang of guys around for fun and adventure and the canyon behind my home provided the perfect giant trees for climbing, fort-building and tire-swinging. The canyon’s trees acted as sturdy protectors of my childhood and I never dreamed that someday those same trees might be endangered. Trees provide a multitude of benefits. Things you would never even think about. Did you know trees can help reduce violence? Neighborhoods and homes that lack trees have a higher rate of violence in and out of the home than their greener counterparts.… Read More

Go Green for Valentine’s Day

It’s that time again. The drugstore aisles are overflowing with shades of pink and red and the Hallmark people are planning how to spend their first quarter bonus. Valentine’s Day is tomorrow! Don’t get me wrong. Now that I don’t deal on the retail side of the holiday, I’m good with buying cards and flowers and chocolate hearts. It’s a happy time, even if it started off as a rather morbid holiday. Some historians tell the tale of a man named Valentin who helped Christians escape harsh prisons. While imprisoned for his acts by the Romans, Valentin fell in love with the jailer’s daughter.… Read More

Planting A Seed: Remembering Loren Nancarrow

So much has already been said about San Diego environmental reporter and author Loren Nancarrow following his death from brain cancer at age 60 last week. The feelings of loss and sadness expressed by so many people were a tribute to how much of an impact he had made, probably more than he realized. Loren was one of the first members of the San Diego media to recognize the importance of rethinking our relationship to the environment and nature. It went beyond just the general gardening tips and maybe water use tips that you would read reports about or see on TV from time to time.… Read More

Make it a Green Christmas: Give Plants, The Gift That Grows

Just as the turkey leftovers are gobbled up and Aunt Sue is tucked onto her flight back to Scottsdale, the holidays are officially upon us. People stood in line at Target, Wal-Mart and Best Buy for hours to purchase electronics, socks and warm coats for holiday gifts on Black Friday. Those happy shoppers waddled to their cars with their treasures sure to be ripped open and fawned over Christmas Day. Oh Joy! But what about three months from now? Or three years? I am a huge believer in giving plants and flowers as gifts. It’s not just because I am in the business.… Read More

Speak Kindly to the Plants

“Speak Kindly to the Plants… and the People!” It’s so easy to get busy with work and home and family and all the million little sticky notes, lists and pieces of paper that are flying around. Those reminders to do something, buy something, call someone, or submit something by a deadline. Life is one BIG deadline. The plant business has an added sense of urgency because we are working with a perishable item. Plants want to live, but they don’t like being ignored, left in a dark corner if they need sunlight or in hot sun when they want shade, not watered if they are thirsty, watered too much if they want to be dry.… Read More