plants

Time to Let It Shine

| December 17, 2019 | Categories: Biophilia, Biophilic Design, Case Studies, Nature and Wellbeing, Sustainable Living
When you live in San Diego, you've got plenty of sunshine during the shorter winter days to enjoy for good health. Photo: Monica Volpin, Pixabay
Are you feeling a little blue? You might be tempted to blame it on the hectic nature of the holidays, or seeing too much political talk on TV or social media. But it might not be the only reason you aren’t your usual cheerful self. Several weeks ago, we went through our annual change back from Daylight Time to Standard Time in the United States. Just the one hour of difference means most people are going home from work in the dark, and it also makes us aware we are slowly losing daylight a few minutes at a time until we reach the winter solstice this Saturday, December 21.… Read More

Good Earth Plants’ Top Ten Indoor Plant Care Myths

| November 13, 2019 | Categories: Good Earth Plant Company Tips, Indoor Plants, Plantscaping
House plant care tips
Unlike your indoor plants, some of these myths have been around a long time but they just won’t die. If you’re still thinking any of these plant care tips are true, we’re going to put a stake through them now and forever. Myth #1: Put your brand new plants in a bigger pot right away to encourage them to grow It seems like it would make sense. Giving a plant a chance to spread out its roots means it will grow bigger and faster, right? The truth is the opposite. Plants prefer having their roots completely filling out container space. When a plant senses it needs to fill out a bigger pot with new roots, it will divert its energy to the roots, not the stems, leaves, or blooms.… Read More

Don’t Hire Your Contractors Based on Fake News!

| November 6, 2019 | Categories: Architecture and Design, Case Studies, Good Earth Plant Company Tips, Plantscaping
Earlier this week, I found myself getting completely frustrated by a Facebook “friend” trying to back up a political opinion with some pretty suspicious “facts.” This person claimed all the sources were legitimate. But when I checked them out and dug a little, they were all sketchy. Then I compared them to my own independent research, and there was no doubt. Fake news. Yes, I know, as you’re reading this you’re thinking – “Hey Jim, don’t take stuff on Facebook so seriously.” I get it. But like it or not, people get most of their news and information online these days.… Read More

Good Day Sunshine! Jump Start Your Day Naturally

| October 2, 2019 | Categories: Biophilia, Gardening, Indoor Plants, Nature and Wellbeing, Plantscaping
What’s the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning? Hit the snooze button? Brush your teeth? Get some coffee? Check social media? Go to the gym? A survey conducted by the consulting firm Deloitte isn’t much of a surprise.  Forty-three percent of people check their phone within five minutes of waking up. Seventeen percent check immediately, some even before they get out of bed. In a study of morning rituals by management expert Laura Vanderkam and Inc. Magazine, successful people start their day with water instead of coffee, exercise, work on either a priority business project or spend time on a personal passion project, spend time with family, meditate – and one-third say they make their beds every day.… Read More

Survey Says: The Younger Generation Digs Gardening

| September 25, 2019 | Categories: Agriculture and Farming, Gardening, Indoor Plants, Nature and Wellbeing, Plantscaping
Surrounded by some of my 50 plants at home! Jim Mumford Good Earth Plant Company houseplants indoor plants
When you think about gardening, do you picture your grandmother tending her rose garden? Maybe a retired neighbor mowing his lush lawn? According to the National Gardening Survey, the typical gardener and plant enthusiast is much younger and isn’t living in the suburbs. In the 2019 version of this annual survey presented every year at the American Horticulture Association’s Cultivate conference (which I attend every single year), 38 percent of adults age 18 to 34 plan to spend more on lawn and garden activities in 2019, compared to the overall average of 29 percent for all age groups. Yes, plants are trending and cool and we could not be happier at Good Earth Plant Company!… Read More

Time to Celebrate National Indoor Plant Week Sept 16-22

| September 11, 2019 | Categories: Architecture and Design, Biophilia, Indoor Plants, Plantscaping
Summer is nearly over, and the big holidays of the year – Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s – aren’t too far away. But we are already like little kids waiting for Christmas, because next week is officially National Indoor Plant Week. Yes, it’s a real thing! It’s right up there with Naked Outdoor Gardening Day in May. It is celebrated the third week of September every year. In 2019, this is Monday, September 16 through Saturday, September 22. What, you haven’t made your plant party plans yet? (Say it fast three times). No problem. Good Earth Plant Company can get you started as we celebrate by spreading the word to you about the benefits of having indoor plants in your work and home environment.… Read More

Best House Plants For Small Spaces

| September 4, 2019 | Categories: Good Earth Plant Company Tips, Indoor Plants, Nature and Wellbeing, Plantscaping
Even in minimal living space, you csn always find room for plants. Photo: MiliVanily/Pixabay
Have you ever watched the show on HGTV called “Tiny House Hunters?” Episodes follow homebuyers who want to seriously downsize. By definition, a small house is around 500 square feet. A tiny house is from 100 to 400 square feet. It’s hard to get solid numbers, but most groups agree there are about 10,000 of these tiny houses in the U.S. This isn’t a whole lot different than an average RV. According to the RV Industry Association, one million Americans live full time in an RV. New York City apartments have a reputation for being small, but the average studio apartment is 550 square feet.… Read More

Bring the Heat: Indoor Plants That Like It Hot

| August 8, 2019 | Categories: Good Earth Plant Company Tips, Indoor Plants, Plantscaping
Small sansevierias in pots on a table.
Updated August 2024. We are fortunate living in San Diego where the weather remains close to perfect most of the time, but even sometimes the heat and the humidity can feel overwhelming. If it seems more humid lately, it’s not your imagination. Warmer ocean temperatures generate more humidity. If only they’d generate a little rain! When you feel the heat, so do your plants. Hot summers can be rough, even for your indoor plants. If you’re trying to conserve energy and save money (and you should!) by not blasting the air conditioning, plants can suffer. Plants not native to warm climates or already weak due to poor care, pests, or other issues, need extra attention.… Read More

Our Top Ten Best Plant and Nature Apps

| July 31, 2019 | Categories: Architecture and Design, Environment, Gardening, Good Earth Plant Company Tips, Nature and Wellbeing
Back when kids like me didn’t have smartphones, we used BOOKS to learn about nature. If you wanted help identifying plants or birds or animals, you used books called “field guides” to take with you to help figure out whether you were looking at a sparrow or a warbler. If you wanted to figure out where a trail would go, you used a paper map. You better not tear it, or get it wet! But now, technology has put this kind of knowledge in the palm of our hands – as long as your power doesn’t wear out and your wifi is working.… Read More

Noise Pollution Is The New Smoking

| June 27, 2019 | Categories: Architecture and Design, Environment, Indoor Plants, Living Walls, Moss Walls, Nature and Wellbeing, Plantscaping
Workplace hell: An office like this is a nightmare of noise pollution and distractions.
Do you know what a decibel is? You probably have a general idea it measures sound. A decibel measures the intensity of sound. It is similar to measurements we use for earthquakes – each decibel multiplies the last one. This is because the human ear can pick up an amazing range of sound. Start with silence at zero decibels or dB. A whisper is 15 dB. A normal conversation (normal, not YELLING) is 60 dB. A lawnmower is 90 dB. A car horn is 110 dB – but thank goodness you’re usually not standing right next to it. A firecracker is 140 dB.… Read More