Plantscaping

What is plantscaping? It is interior design focusing on indoor plants as the featured design elements – interior plant design.

Plantscaping is a way to bring nature inside to create warm and inviting spaces for employees, visitors and even homeowners. With plantscaping, plants are a part of the design, not an afterthought.

We often take the vision of a designer or architect and incorporate living and replica plants into the design. Sometimes the plants become the design, such as with a living wall or a moss wall, or sometimes the plants are featured in decorative pots.

Over the years, we’ve brought plantscaping to many beautiful San Diego commercial buildings, office buildings, hospitals and residences. Our portfolio highlights some of our favorite projects.

Workplace – Commercial Plant Designing

Scientific studies show plants in the workplace produce many productivity and wellness benefits. Plants oxygenate the air and reduce carbon dioxide and environmental toxins. They can help baffle excess noise and reduce visual distractions.

The result: plants can increase employee productivity, reduce stress, cut down on absenteeism and even employee turnover. People report increased creativity and problem-solving in workplaces with plants and other elements of nature.

The result for your business or organization: healthier work and living areas creating improved health and well-being, resulting in more overall satisfaction and happiness in your life. Plantscaping is an investment in your environment, your health and your success!

Hooray for Red, White, and Blue: Patriotic Plants for July 4th

| June 29, 2017 | Categories: Gardening, Indoor Plants, Plantscaping
With the Independence Day holiday immediately ahead of us, I see people showing their patriotism with a lot of red, white and blue. American flags are flying. People are wearing their stars and stripes. They are even decorating their homes with red, white and blue plants and floral displays. Back when I was still selling flowers downtown, the only thing I remember offering were red, white and blue carnation bouquets. I hate to break it to you, but those blue carnations aren’t found in nature. You can find orchids, mums and Peruvian lilies and more dyed blue. Perhaps blue hydrangeas are close, but that comes from adding aluminum sulphate to the soil.… Read More

Words of Wisdom from the Dalai Lama

| June 22, 2017 | Categories: Biophilia, Environment, Living Walls, Nature and Wellbeing, Plantscaping, Sustainable Living
Most people know Good Earth Plant Company for our living walls, green roofs, and other major projects. But we got our start 40 years ago on a much smaller scale. Our core business for many years is providing Interior Plantscaping services to offices, homes and other buildings, bringing nature indoors for people to enjoy. Early on, I recognized that San Diego didn’t have a firm that did short term plant rentals, so I started one. We used to have contracts with all of the local concert and event producers. Our all-time favorite was the late great Joan Rivers. We’ve also provided stage plants for comedian Robin Williams, Neil Diamond, ZZ Top and Jimmy Buffett among others.… Read More

Remember This One Good Thing About Office Plants

| June 8, 2017 | Categories: Architecture and Design, Case Studies, Indoor Plants, Nature and Wellbeing, Plantscaping
When exactly did “multitasking” become a thing? It might have been when we all first got computers on our desks. It happened for sure when we all started having those little computers called smartphones in our hands all the time. The word actually existed in the 1960s as an engineering term, but computer processing made it popular in the 1990s. People brag about how great they are at multitasking, especially at work. After 20 years the laugh is on us, because we’ve learned thanks to scientific studies there is really no such thing as multitasking. What we are all doing is task switching.… Read More

Make America Great Again – With Plants

| May 25, 2017 | Categories: Architecture and Design, Indoor Plants, Nature and Wellbeing, Plantscaping
Like a lot of you, I’ve been watching President Trump on the news. It is hard to avoid. He’s having a really rough time. I don’t care what your politics are, love him or hate him. We all want to see the President of the United States be successful on behalf of our country. The more I’ve watched, the more I’ve noticed something about the current Oval Office. Looking at it, there are no plants. None! When you’re in the Plantscaping business, this sets off a whole lot of alarm bells. We’ve written so many times about the benefits of plants in the workplace.… Read More

Reduce Workplace Distractions with Plants

| May 18, 2017 | Categories: Architecture and Design, Biophilic Design, Good Earth Plant Company Tips, Living Walls, Nature and Wellbeing, Plantscaping
People working in an office with lots of plants.
Companies were quick to jump on board the open office design trend when it first showed up in the 1990s. Busting down the doors created community and encouraged creativity. People also needed less workspace thanks to technology. No one needed a huge computer workstation anymore when a laptop or even a tablet or phone would do. By opening up office space and shrinking the average workstation, companies could also save a lot of money on their office leases. The result: the International Facilities Managers Association says 70 percent of all workplaces today have some kind of open office design. In the 20 plus years since the walls came down, workplace efficiency experts have learned a lot – mainly that the pendulum swung a little too far and some corrections are needed.… Read More

Six Mistakes You’re Making With Your Indoor Plants

| April 13, 2017 | Categories: Gardening, Good Earth Plant Company Tips, Indoor Plants, Plantscaping
Mistakes, we’ve all made a few (with apologies to Frank Sinatra). If I was writing about my OWN mistakes, this blog post would be a novel. Some very big mistakes have made the news recently. I haven’t made any quite that big and I’m sure you haven’t either. But I bet you ARE making some mistakes caring for your indoor plants. The most important thing about making a mistake is recognizing it, and learning from it. And not repeating it. These are everyday principles to our horticultural service technicians at Good Earth Plant Company but we all had to learn these things too.… Read More

Healthy Houseplants Your Stuffy Nose Will Love

| March 11, 2017 | Categories: Gardening, Good Earth Plant Company Tips, Indoor Plants, Plantscaping
Thanks to everything you’ve read on our blog (OK, and maybe elsewhere), you’ve decided to add plants to your indoor environment. It’s a smart move and with spring around the corner, it’s perfect timing. But for the one out of ten people who suffer from asthma and allergies, you need to make your choices carefully. We’ve known since the landmark 1989 NASA study we quote so often here that plants can greatly improve our indoor air quality by filtering harmful toxins and pollutants – things like benzene, formaldehyde, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). But many plants also produce pollen as part of their reproductive process.… Read More

Can Plants Save The World? Isn’t It Worth Trying?

| February 17, 2017 | Categories: Biophilia, Environment, Indoor Plants, Plantscaping, Sustainable Living, Water and Water Conservation
I started my career in the plant industry with a flower bucket stand in downtown San Diego. Now I’m heading toward my 40th anniversary in business at warp speed. It’s crazy! It took a lot of hard work, but it also took a little luck and lots of help along the way. I’m grateful for where it’s taken me. When you have the gratitude attitude, two things happen. First, you feel great. Second, you want to pass it on, and that feels great, too. In 2016, a presentation by Alpha Project Chief Operating Officer Amy Gonyeau opened my eyes to the growing scope of homelessness in San Diego.… Read More

Getting Down to Business on Valentine’s Day

| February 9, 2017 | Categories: Good Earth Plant Company Tips, Indoor Plants, Plantscaping
Part of the Good Earth Plant Company Anniversary Series Even if you’ve had a Valentine’s Day or two that was a disappointment, most people have overall pleasant memories for their Valentine’s Days over the years. My own memories of Valentine’s Day have nothing to do with love stories or gifts. They are all about business. And how many dozen roses in a vase I could make in an hour (14). Valentine’s Day means business when you are a florist. In just a couple of days, three months of sales are achieved. My first few years in business were running a flower stand named “Good Earth Plant & Flower Co.”… Read More

Shhh, Be Quiet – Your Houseplants are Sleeping

| February 2, 2017 | Categories: Biophilia, Gardening, Indoor Plants, Nature and Wellbeing, Plantscaping
When the weather is sunny during the first few months of the year in San Diego, it’s hard to remember it’s winter time. Yes, even in Southern California. The days are getting longer again but we have several more weeks to go before we are getting a full, healthy dose of sunlight and the days even out into spring. During these winter months, your houseplants are taking a nap. Like many other creatures, they slow down and “hibernate” during the winter. Living creatures including plants evolved to conserve their energy when resources are scarce due to the natural cycle of the seasons in winter.… Read More