biophilia

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

Quiz: Are You Getting Enough Vitamin N – as in Nature?

| August 13, 2015 | Categories: Biophilia, Biophilic Design, Gardening, Good Earth Plant Company Tips, Nature and Wellbeing
Are you and especially your kids getting enough vitamin N - as in Nature? Good Earth Plant Company San Diego
If you’re a regular reader of our Good Earth Plant Company blog, you know one of our favorite topics to write about is the connection people have to nature and how much nature influences our well being. We learn more on an almost daily basis how important it is for all of us to integrate the natural world into our urban lives in the workplace and at home. Wouldn’t you like to know how well you’re doing, and what specific things you should do to increase the presence of nature and plants in your life? We found this ingenious little quiz put together by some smart people at the University of Minnesota’s Center for Spirituality & Healing.… 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

California’s Trees Are Worth Saving

| July 22, 2015 | Categories: Agriculture and Farming, Environment, Indoor Plants, Sustainable Living, Water and Water Conservation
San Diego is losing its Torrey Pines at an alarming rate because of the drought.
Have you noticed changes in the landscaping along San Diego’s freeways? Caltrans has cut a lot of trees down, replacing them with low profile, low water use landscaping. I bet Caltrans is doing this in other areas of California as well. Caltrans isn’t alone. KPBS Radio reported 100 trees have been removed from the Torrey Pines Preserve, which is a lot more than the yearly average. Twelve MILLION trees died in California state forests in 2014 because of the drought. Almost 90,000 of those were in San Diego County. All over the state, our urban and suburban street trees are being removed due to drought, disease, and because they’ve become street hazards raising sidewalks.… Read More

What Have You Done For Me Lately?

| July 9, 2015 | Categories: Good Earth Plant Company, Green Roofs, Indoor Plants, Sustainable Living
It's a small step in the right direction toward preserving our planet's resources.
Some days the news is a little hard to take, full of reports about shootings, natural disasters, and drought. I thought I would write about it, but then I realized the topic seemed familiar. Check out this blog post I wrote two years ago this month. Not much has changed, has it? The location of the shootings is different, that is about it. As for our weather, it only seems to get drier and hotter. My observations and my advice then wouldn’t change now either. We know what needs to be done and we have many of the solutions at our fingertips, even more than we did two years ago.… Read More

Getting Schooled about Plants, Nature, Biophilia and Wellness

| June 25, 2015 | Categories: Biophilia, Good Earth Plant Company Tips, Nature and Wellbeing
Architects designing today’s hospitals are merging art and evidence-based research to create environments that promote health and healing. Views of nature, natural light, earth-toned color schemes and the sounds of nature all help patients heal more quickly, and they suffer less from depression or side effects. Starting with a study in 2002 by University of Texas professor Roger Ulrich which we have written about before, there are now over 1,000 studies and they all prove the same thing. Plants and nature promote healing. It’s serious science and it is finally starting to be taken seriously. This week, the San Diego Business Journal published an article about changes in the approach to architectural design of hospitals and other healthcare facilities to put these principles into practice.… Read More

Earth Day Fast Facts from Good Earth Plant Company

| April 22, 2015 | Categories: Environment, Good Earth Plant Company, Good Earth Plant Company Tips, Sustainable Living
Happy Earth Day 2015 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

Pushing Nature Into Urban Planning with Living Walls

| March 12, 2015 | Categories: Architecture and Design, Indoor Plants, Living Walls, Sustainable Living
Pure Fitness living wall at the Westgate Hotel by GreenScaped Buildings
  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

Hear Jim Mumford on “Communities Digital News Hour” Thursday, Feb 5

| February 5, 2015 | Categories: Indoor Plants, Media Coverage, Sustainable Living
Jim Mumford of Good Earth Plants in San Diego on Communities Digital News Hour radio, commdiginews.com
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

Tips for Preventing The Time Change From Affecting Your Health

| October 30, 2014 | Categories: Biophilia, Environment, Good Earth Plant Company Tips, Sustainable Living
Don't forget to "fall back" this weekend on Saturday, Nov. 1.
This weekend we change our clocks from Daylight Time to Standard Time in the U.S. and Canada (unless you’re reading this from Arizona, Hawaii, four U.S. territorial islands or a few small spots north of the border). Before going to bed on Saturday, November 1, turn your clocks BACK one hour. You’re welcome. Our public service announcement for the week is concluded. Now for our safety message: Next week, be extra careful commuting, especially driving home. The transition to standard time increases motor vehicle accidents, especially fatal accidents and pedestrian vs. car accidents. It is estimated that sticking with daylight time year-round would prevent 195 deaths from car accidents, and another 171 pedestrian fatalities.… Read More