plantscaping

Good Earth Plants in the Spotlight on San Diego 6

| November 18, 2015 | Categories: Good Earth Plant Company, Green Roofs, Indoor Plants, Media Coverage
Good Earth Plant Company had the opportunity this week to appear on San Diego 6 Morning News with anchor Heather Myers to talk about toxins lurking in the air in our indoor environments, and how adding plants can help clean the air and improve both your physical and mental health. Sounds easy enough, doesn’t it? If you missed it, you can check it out here: Those few minutes on TV are precious and we don’t want to waste a second of it. For every interview like mine you see, there is a ton of preparation. First of all, when you see us at 7:30 a.m.… Read More

What’s More Toxic Than Bacon? Find Out Monday, Nov 16 on San Diego 6 Morning News

| November 11, 2015 | Categories: Good Earth Plant Company, Indoor Plants, Media Coverage, Plantscaping, Sustainable Living
You might need to worry less about what you are eating, and more about what you're breathing.
Just a few weeks ago, all of us who love our bacon got some bad news. Researchers report consuming processed meats including bacon increase your risk of certain kinds of cancer. There were a lot of people freaking out at the idea of saying goodbye to their bacon cheeseburgers and bacon doughnuts. Another study about health risks in our lives hit the news the same week and it didn’t get half as much attention.  I’m here to change this by getting the word out here on my Good Earth Plants blog. It turns out your office is ruining your brain. More specifically, it’s the toxins in the office air affecting your brain’s ability to process thoughts.… Read More

Prescribing Nature as the Cure: Ecotherapy

| October 23, 2015 | Categories: Biophilia, Gardening, Good Earth Plant Company Tips, Nature and Wellbeing, Sustainable Living
Human beings need exposure to nature for their physical and mental health.
When I first started writing this blog over two years ago in 2013, one of the first topics I wrote about was the concept of biophilia, the study of the connection between human beings and nature. I’m sure a lot of people thought the idea was a little “out there.” We have come a long way in thinking about how nature affects our well-being in that time. This month, the respected magazine The Atlantic published an article called “The Nature Cure.” It is all about the growing practice of medical professionals including mental health specialists actually prescribing nature to their patients to help treat their ills.… Read More

Celebrating National Indoor Plant Week!

| September 16, 2015 | Categories: Biophilic Design, Indoor Plants, Plantscaping, Sustainable Living
Benefits of Indoor Plants Good Earth Plant Company San DIegoBenefits of Indoor Plants
It’s one of our favorite occasions this week at Good Earth Plant Company: National Indoor Plant Week. It is the third week of September each year, which is this week. We talk about indoor plants and plantscaping a lot, and not just because it’s our business. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ranks indoor air pollution as one of the top threats to public health. That means YOUR health if you work indoors for multiple hours per day in an office environment. What’s even more awful is that most people have no idea how many pollutants they breathe in every single day.… Read More

HLI and Good Earth Plant Company: A Natural Fit

| September 4, 2015 | Categories: Architecture and Design, Case Studies, Living Walls
The new living wall installed at HLI in San DIego by Good Earth Plant Company and GreenScaped Buildings.
Earlier this year, Good Earth Plant Company was called in by McCarthy Building Companies‘ San Diego location for a plantscaping assignment, starting with designing and installing a 200 square foot living wall at a brand new and innovative company in San Diego, Human Longevity, Incorporated (HLI). We designed a sleek, modern living wall for HLI created to mimic natural shapes, colors and materials. Taking three days to complete, our finished living wall contains 317 jade pothos in the Wall of Life system. HLI was also interested in additional plantscaping throughout the office after seeing our work. Good Earth Plant Company added nearly 50 potted plants with an assortment of Aglaonema, Raphis Palms, Kentia Palms, dracaena and sanseveria.… Read More

Getting Rid Of The Fungus Gnats Among Us

| July 30, 2015 | Categories: Good Earth Plant Company Tips, Indoor Plants, Plantscaping, Sustainable Living
You're not seeing spots, you're seeing fungus gnats on your plants.
House plants bring life and freshness into our homes, transforming dull spaces into vibrant green sanctuaries. But let’s talk about a not-so-joyful aspect of plant parenthood: fungus gnats. Those pesky little insects can turn our indoor oasis into a buzzing nuisance faster than you can say, “Hey, where did all these tiny flies come from?”  Picture this: you’re peacefully admiring your thriving green friends when suddenly, you notice tiny, winged intruders darting around your beloved plants. It’s like a miniature airshow, except you didn’t buy tickets and you certainly didn’t invite these uninvited guests!  Of the six pests (spider mites, mealy bugs, thrip, scale, white fly and fungus gnats) Good Earth Plants deals with, fungus gnats are the biggest pain for plant parents in San Diego.… Read More

Good Earth Plants Gives Thomas Jefferson School of Law a Natural Makeover

| June 26, 2015 | Categories: Architecture and Design, Case Studies, Indoor Plants, Living Walls, Plantscaping
The fresh new planters are looking great thanks to a little TLC from Good Earth Plants Company.
One of our favorite projects ever stemmed from installing the living wall on the fifth floor of the new Thomas Jefferson School of Law (TJSL) downtown. We installed the original living wall in January 2011 and it got rave reviews. Here’s what it looked like then: Because the client was so pleased with our diligent, detail-oriented performance (and our tidiness too), we also got the contract to install all of the built in planters on the fifth and eighth floors (not quite a green roof), ground level and the interior atrium. We performed maintenance for the first year, and then due to budget constraints, the school decided to take the service and care of their plants in-house.… 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

Explore Workplace Wellness at San Diego Workshop July 23

| June 24, 2015 | Categories: Nature and Wellbeing, Plantscaping, Sustainable Living
Can a workplace evolve to become a place where people are healthier after a day of work than when they arrive in the morning? Good Earth Plant Company and GreenScaped Buildings is pleased to support “Wellbeing @ Work,” a workshop on making workspaces healthier, more ergonomically friendly, and ultimately more effective by allowing people to work at their very best. The event takes place on Thursday, July 23, from 7:30 – 11:30 a.m. at the bkm OfficeWorks Showroom and is sponsored by Steelcase, the leading manufacturer of furniture for offices, hospitals, and classrooms. Human Resources Professionals, Risk & Safety Managers, Corporate Wellness Officers, Facilities Managers, Corporate Wellness Consultants and members of the San Diego design community are all encouraged to attend.… Read More

Living Walls With An International Twist

| June 18, 2015 | Categories: Architecture and Design, Living Walls, Plantscaping, Sustainable Living
Our first living wall made out of preserved moss panels imported from Italy. Photo: GreenScaped Buildings
Even though we’ve been installing living walls and vertical gardens in many forms for nearly ten years, there is always something new to learn and to work with. GreenScaped Buildings installed its first ever project this month using preserved “moss” panels. These panels are imported from Italy, and there isn’t anything else like them. They are fire retardant, preserved and super easy to care for. The panels are actually made of preserved lichens. Lichens are composite organisms, which include the properties of simple algae and fungi. They are similar to mosses but don’t have stems or leaves. The lichen is collected without any damage to the vegetation or environment and is hand applied to the panel backing.… Read More