environment

Summertime

| July 16, 2013 | Categories: Environment, Good Earth Plant Company Tips, Sustainable Living
Summertime, beach
It’s Summertime. Full-fledged, middle of July no-going-back Summertime. The days are warm, the sun is up longer, the crickets are in full concert mode after dark. And I love it! Although, after the Fourth of July, there seems to be that big exhale, kind of like a little bird on your shoulder reminding you that something will inevitably end. Already the sun is going down earlier. When I was growing up, the three months of summer were a blissful eternity filled with bike rides, trips to Pacific Beach and the sound of my friends playing in the street. I was so lucky to have grown up in San Diego and to have a pocketful of memories about Summer.… Read More

A Little Something About Paying It Forward with Plants

| June 18, 2013 | Categories: Good Earth Plant Company, Indoor Plants, Sustainable Living
Smiling Monkey Faced Orchid
Besides Valentine’s Day, when was the last time someone sent you something out of the blue? Like flowers, or a Hallmark card or a little gift? Didn’t it make you feel special? While doing some social media tidbits on our colorful orchids, I was struck by how many people commented on how beautiful our orchids are and how much they would love to have one on their desk. It reminds me of how fortunate I am to have a demonstration garden and shade house full of plants and flowers. Granted, some of it gets rotated out for delivery, but on any given day I can take a few minutes and get inspired just by walking around the “nature” we have here.… Read More

Our National Parks

| June 11, 2013 | Categories: Environment, Sustainable Living
Grand Canyon, nature
This month, Sunset Magazines’ front cover made me do a quick double-take….was that a painting or a photograph of the Grand Canyon? If you get up really close you’ll see it is an amazing photo complete with the Colorado River cutting a serene blue path through the base of the park. That photograph reminded me of all the wonderful vacations I have had the privilege of taking in and around our National Parks. Warm, nature-oriented memories of when I was a kid when everything seemed so big. Then later, taking my own kids to see the wonders of Grand Canyon and fishing in Yosemite and the Sierras.… Read More

It Starts Today – Let’s Help Our Environment

| June 4, 2013 | Categories: Environment, Sustainable Living
Environment, global warming
It feels like every news broadcast I watch has been filled with more and more tragic news, from devastating tornadoes in Oklahoma and Texas, to school shootings and terrorism attacks all over the world. I feel so helpless to do something to help or change the situation. Some of the heartbreaking news is man-made, and some of it beyond our control. In particular, the weather has been so crazy. Nightly weather broadcasts have taken on a sometimes frightening appearance. Happy broadcasters used to point to smiling-faced sun cutouts and cheerfully report holding an umbrella during rainy days. No more. The weather around the world has seemingly taken on a harsher quality.… Read More

Dining Out Differently With Sustainability In Mind

| May 21, 2013 | Categories: Agriculture and Farming, Environment, Good Earth Plant Company, Indoor Plants, Living Walls, Nature and Wellbeing, Sustainable Living
Seasons 52 edible wall
When I was a kid, going out to dinner was a big deal. It usually meant getting cleaned up, which for me was a big deal because I truly believe dirt was part of my skin. After the outer layer was scrubbed, it would be clean shirt and shoes and my “table manners” for a couple of hours spent counting down the seconds until the bill came to my dad. Even if it was a family pizza parlor night, dining out was a special event. Menus were bigger than me and in the fancy places, French names like coq au vin or escargot seemed daunting.… Read More

Underground Living

| May 6, 2013 | Categories: Architecture and Design, Biophilic Design, Sustainable Living
Hobbit, Underground homes
Once upon a time, humans lived in caves. Over the years, futuristic science fiction books and movies quite often depict humans living underground. But underground living is not just the past and the future. In the form of a green roof, it’s here now. Think of the Teletubbies and Hobbits, clearly residing underground, which apparently is nothing new because Hobbits have lived underground for eons. Everyone knows that. Cool houses, too with windows that frame a green grassy knoll and carved earthen archways. This is by far the one of the coolest ideas I have seen. I may just make one for myself!… Read More

Plant A Garden, Add a Kid, Watch Them Grow!

| April 8, 2013 | Categories: Agriculture and Farming, Gardening, Good Earth Plant Company
Every now and then, I get a reality check when it comes to my kids. I am sure this happens to every parent…you’ll be driving along or just working through your day and something occurs to you about how different your own childhood was compared to your kids today. I remember long summer days when I was set loose with a PB&J sandwich and my bike (no helmet). Time was measured by light through the neighborhood trees and the sound of the Ice Cream truck. My acceptable range of travel was about nine blocks. I didn’t have a cell phone. I was expected home for dinner in reasonable condition at a reasonable time.… Read More

Our Spring Newsletter

| April 3, 2013 | Categories: Good Earth Plant Company, Newsletters, Sustainable Living
March 19, 2013 In This Issue Upcoming Events Employee Spotlight Joke of the Month Quote of the Month Book a Lunch & Learn Upcoming Speaking Engagements Aquaponics at Good Earth Plants Open House Kevin’s Corner Featured Project Upcoming Events  Open House Plant Sale Reminder!!!  We have set the date for our Spring Open House and Plant Sale… This year it will be held on Friday April 19, 2013 from 11:30 am to 5:30 pm. We will have many new displays including a fully functioning display of our new Aquaponics System We will also be selling LOTS of beautiful plants from Ficus to Ferns!… Read More

The Value of Appreciation

| March 26, 2013 | Categories: Biophilic Design, Good Earth Plant Company, Sustainable Living
“People don’t work for wages only. They primarily seek an environment that will show them APPRECIATION, both publicly and privately. Wages come and go. As we travel through life, the most important memories we take with us are about how those who showed us Appreciation and Love.”—Rev. Ken Lanning, 1996. I love this quote. Reverend Ken is a stand-up guy who visits our office on occasion. Once I remember I was eager to show him our green roof, but wary of him getting up to the roof itself. I needn’t have worried though because just as I looked to find a more sturdy lift, there was Reverend Ken climbing a ladder at age 83 to see what all the hoopla was about with my roof.  … Read More

Our New Aquaponics System

| March 7, 2013 | Categories: Agriculture and Farming, Gardening
When I saw the display of yellow daffodils at the grocery store the other day, I knew that winter was almost over and it was time for daylight savings and warmer days. That tells me that Spring is right around the corner. This spring, we are on an exciting journey to introduce new products to the Good Earth Plant and GreenScaped Buildings family.  Our new aquaponics project is starting small but we are hoping to be up to full-scale production soon. I met with Bill Toone, who runs a non-profit called ECOLIFE and was blown away by what he’s doing. Bill started his non-profit making rural stoves for those in Central Mexico whose health was suffering because of indoor cooking fires.… Read More