plants

Eeek! Ten Monstrous Plants For Halloween

| October 30, 2018 | Categories: Good Earth Plant Company, Indoor Plants
People love being scared. We love it so much we have an entire holiday devoted to scary things: Halloween. Science backs up the reasons why we love horror movies and celebrate creepy things: we embrace the excitement and energy part of the “fight or flight” instinct. So we get ourselves all worked up to get that rush from screaming and getting freaked out. Everyone has their favorite monsters. Some people dress up like them. I have my favorite monsters too – and they are plants! There are some seriously dangerous plants that can inflict injuries from annoying to serious. Some of them can kill you with their poisonous ways.… Read More

How Long Do Plants Live?

| October 10, 2018 | Categories: Gardening, Indoor Plants, Plantscaping
I’ve read several times recently that Millennials are filling up their lives with plants as substitutes for traditional pets like dogs and cats, and even kids! It’s true that plant sales have increased since 2016. This is great news for us at Good Earth Plant Company. We’re working every day to enrich people’s lives with plants. This caused me to think about house plants as pets. We love our dogs, our cats, our birds, and other pets, and it hurts when we lose them to old age. It comes so fast. What about plants? Do house plants have a predetermined, predictable lifespan?… Read More

Replica Plants Are Plantscaping Rock Stars

| September 26, 2018 | Categories: Architecture and Design, Indoor Plants, Plantscaping
Being in business for 40-plus years means a lot of changes, nearly always for the better. Looking back on some of our projects is a little like looking back through photos of yourself and cringing at some of the clothes you were wearing. They seemed SO cool at the time. Although my famous mullet haircut still has a whole lot of fans. Artificial plants fall in this category. If you’re old enough, or you’ve binge watched a few good 1980s situation comedies, remember the artificial silk plants and flowers that used to be popular? People used to stuff the fake plants on top of their kitchen cabinets in the space between the cabinet top and the ceiling.… Read More

Making The Home Office Productive and Healthier

| September 6, 2018 | Categories: Architecture and Design, Biophilia, Biophilic Design, Case Studies, Indoor Plants, Nature and Wellbeing, Plantscaping
Our horticulture technicians at Good Earth Plant Company visit some of San Diego’s largest and most visible employers every day. We love creating healthier and more productive workspaces by introducing nature and natural elements through interior Plantscaping. Sometimes it’s living plants, and sometimes it’s through built-in structures like living walls and moss walls. Employees tell us they love working in these spaces, and we love helping them be successful while improving their wellbeing. But there are a whole lot of people we aren’t seeing. It’s the growing percentage of the workforce that doesn’t work in a traditional office setting. You might be surprised how big this group is.… Read More

Do Plants Have Feelings?

| May 16, 2018 | Categories: Biophilia, Indoor Plants, Plantscaping
Bullying isn't good for people or plants. Photo: Khamkhor/CreativeCommons license
The Swedish furniture company IKEA decided to perform an experiment designed to raise awareness among students about bullying. Two identical potted plants were placed in a school. Both received the same light, water, and fertilizer for 30 days. The only difference: students were instructed to verbally compliment one plant, and bully and insult the other plant. Students said things like “You make me happy” to the one plant, and “You look rotten” to the other. The plant that received compliments looked healthier and grew nicely, but the bullied plant didn’t look good and had dull, browning leaves. Does this prove plants have feelings?… Read More

Ten Unusual Indoor Plants for Your Office Desk

| April 12, 2018 | Categories: Indoor Plants, Office Design, Plantscaping
Office plant designs
You’ve read here many times about the benefits of having plants in your workplace environment. They absorb impurities and toxins in the air, they help dampen noise down in open floor plans, and they improve your mood, creativity, and productivity. Really, there is no down side. You may have noticed the same type of indoor plant on everyone’s desk in every office. The reason you see certain plants all the time makes sense. These plants tolerate the less than perfect growing conditions in many indoor spaces. They will absorb some abuse, and still look beautiful. This is why Good Earth Plant Company uses and recommends hardy flowering orchids, colorful bromeliads, pretty variegated pothos, tough sansevierias and the workhorse dracaena family.… Read More

Should I Put My Indoor Plants Outside In the Rain?

| March 22, 2018 | Categories: Good Earth Plant Company Tips, Indoor Plants, Plantscaping
  It’s a question we don’t ask very often in San Diego County. But with a nice rainstorm predicted to last throughout the day, it’s an ideal time to explore this question. Why wouldn’t we want to take advantage of the rainfall to save water and give our indoor house plants a healthy drink and a good shower? The answer seems obvious, doesn’t it? In general, it is a good idea – but there are some pitfalls you need to know about and avoid. Good Reasons to Let Nature Water Your House Plants Rain coming straight out of the clouds to water your plants provides several benefits.… Read More

Working A Little Plantscaping Magic In Arizona

| February 21, 2018 | Categories: Architecture and Design, Biophilic Design, Case Studies, Environment, Indoor Plants, Plantscaping
Can you tell if these plants are real or replica?
Sometimes the best solution for one of our clients is a blend of multiple approaches in a customized design. Good Earth Plant Company recently worked with a San Diego dispensary client with locations in multiple states. For its Tempe, Arizona location, “Tend Tempe,” we needed to find ways to incorporate plants into their facility where the conditions weren’t optimal. Working with Basille Studios on the details, we decided a blend of real and replica (or “faux”) plants would work best. An “illusion” was created with our materials. Where there was enough light and/or enough access to provide ongoing maintenance, we used living plants.… Read More

Porn Vs. Plants: Guess Which One Is Winning?

| January 11, 2018 | Categories: Architecture and Design, Indoor Plants, Nature and Wellbeing
Virtual reality needs to get real... as in exploring nature.
The beginning of a new year gives everyone a fresh start. Scientific studies show people really do feel extra motivation to set and accomplish goals thanks to the power of believing in the opportunity for a new beginning and another chance to get things right. I get excited at the beginning of the year, because it means one of my favorite annual conferences and trade shows is just days away: the Tropical Plants International Expo (TPIE) in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, which takes place every year in the middle of January. Most people at the show love getting away from their cold weather at home.… Read More

Urban Corps San Diego Participates in Our ‘Plants With Purpose’ Program

| September 2, 2017 | Categories: Architecture and Design, Case Studies, Indoor Plants, Nature and Wellbeing, Plantscaping
Urban Corps San Diego is the latest participant in Good Earth Plant Company’s “Plants With Purpose” donation program for nonprofit organizations. We are able to donate plants being recycled from our plantscaping clients to nonprofits which can put the power of nature to good use. Brennan Hubbell from Urban Corps Recycling Education and Outreach San Diego paid us a visit to pick up plants for use in its programs. We were happy to contribute to our old friends at the Urban Corps. Good Earth Plant Company installed the organization‘s rooftop urban farm several years ago, and donated plants and pots on another occasion to help stock its Recycling ECO Center’s Rooftop Resource Garden, a valuable recent addition to its facility.… Read More