Sustainable Living
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
Getting Waterwise in San Diego, Inside and Out
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
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
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
Will the U.S. Join France and Require Green Roofs?
You may have read the same headlines we did in the past week about new laws passed in France now requiring solar panels or vegetation sections on the roofs of all new commercial construction. French activists were pushing for 100 percent roof coverage but had to settle for Parliament requiring a minimum of coverage.
France isn’t the first to mandate more environmentally friendly construction involving green roofs or solar energy. Germany has been a leader in this effort for 50 years. The City of Toronto is the first city in North America to have a bylaw to require and govern the construction of green roofs on new development.… Read More
Going Green is Lucky Every Day Including St. Patrick’s Day
The shamrock plant is recognized as the badge for Ireland. You will find this symbol on almost everything Irish, from lampposts to tail fins of airplanes. It is a custom to pin a shamrock to the lapels of your jacket on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17.
The Celtic Druids attached much significance to the clover or shamrock, because they believed the number three to be a perfect number possessing a mystical power. The shamrock represents the Holy Trinity, and also signifies past, present and future. Through its symbolism, the shamrock has paved a path to Irish glory.
It doesn’t matter if you gave or received shamrocks for St.… Read More
Pushing Nature Into Urban Planning with Living Walls
The Downtown San Diego Partnership, the leading advocate for the revitalization and growth of downtown San Diego, recently offered this observation and it stopped me in my tracks: “For the first time in 100 years urban growth has outpaced suburban growth.”
Assuming this is true, as an advocate for integrating nature into our everyday environment, I see opportunity. Think about the typical suburban environment. There are yards, parks, and other spaces where nature is present. Now think about the typical urban environment. It’s full of concrete, glass, shadows and hard surfaces, but not a lot of nature or plants.
This means people like me need to push even harder to make sure nature is included in urban planning.… Read More
Get Your Food Closer to Home and Save the Planet
Regular readers here know how much I love urban farming. Good Earth Plant Company employee Dawn Weatherford (thank you, Dawn!) tipped me off to one of the most exciting urban farming project I’ve ever seen and I wanted to share it with you.
The startup company Vertical Harvest plans to turn an old industrial building in Jackson, Wyoming into a huge vertical farm. It will use a hydroponic system to grow vegetables like microgreens and tomatoes. The photos and description of what the company intends to do are eye-popping.
The city of Jackson is partnering with Vertical Harvest to make this happen.… Read More
Show Your Valentine Love with Something That Lasts: A Tree
Valentine’s Day is upon us again. As if we could possibly forget it. We have been bombarded since New Year’s Day with advertising reminding us to buy those chocolates, roses and greeting cards for our sweetheart.
It’s wonderful to show someone special that you care about him or her. At Good Earth Plant Company, we think there are better ways to do it, at least from the perspective of an Eco-Warrior. Chocolates and flowers are fine, but they don’t last. If you want to give a gift that symbolizes everlasting love, plant a tree.
Trees contribute significantly to the health of our planet.… Read More
Hear Jim Mumford on “Communities Digital News Hour” Thursday, Feb 5
If you know anything about Good Earth Plant Company from reading our blog page, you know how much we all love what we do to enhance and transform our clients’ environment, health and well-being with plants and flowers.
A very close second is educating people about the many benefits of plants. I never miss an opportunity to communicate all the ways human beings rely on plants and benefit from them, and the need for us to think about how to preserve and cultivate more plants in our urban environment. If you’ve heard me you know how enthusiastic I can get!
I have a new opportunity to reach more people through a regular column starting this week with the online news organization Communities Digital News, based in Washington DC.… Read More