plantscaping

Getting Waterwise in San Diego, Inside and Out

| May 7, 2015 | Categories: Agriculture and Farming, Gardening, Good Earth Plant Company, Sustainable Living, Water and Water Conservation
Bold Sanseviera plants in striking pots make a statement and improve the indoor environment without wasting water.
Part one of a three part series California’s drought and the need to conserve water in every way possible is a concern for everyone. Outdoor gardeners have been asked to do their part for a long time, and they are helping by getting rid of their thirsty lawns and other plants that require more water than our Mediterranean climate allows. But a lot of us don’t have yards or gardens, and our plants are all inside. Did you know that indoor plants need very little water? Good Earth Plant Company’s technicians water some plants less than once a month. Depending upon the size, variety and type of plants in your home or office, the total amount of water you use monthly should be 50 gallons or less.… Read More

News From Good Earth Plant Company: Spring 2015 Newsletter

| March 20, 2015 | Categories: Case Studies, Newsletters
Good Earth Plant Company Leaflet Newsletter
Click here to read the Spring 2015 edition of the Good Earth Plant Company Leaflet newsletter. Highlights this issue include: Read about our latest activities in the President’s Letter Learn about our latest featured projects Check our Calendar for fun, informative green themed events in San Diego Get our newsletter delivered right to your inbox by signing up for our newsletter email list. Visit the home page of our website and scroll to the end of the page to provide us your email address.

Choose Plants to Suit Your Personality

| March 6, 2015 | Categories: Architecture and Design, Indoor Plants, Plantscaping
Spider plants are a smart choice as a beneficial office plant.
At first glance, March doesn’t seem to have any significant holidays. But take a closer look. We love March holidays at Good Earth Plant Company, because the holidays are green! The obvious example is St. Patrick’s Day. Lucky for us plant loving leprechauns, we never get pinched since we are always wearing green. Although it isn’t a formal holiday, we also celebrate the first day of Spring on March 21. We joke that it’s always summer in San Diego, but we do have seasons with changes in temperature and precipitation as the Earth’s axis tilts toward the sun, and away from the sun as it rotates around the sun.… Read More

Gung Hay Fat Choi, Chinese New Year is here!

| February 19, 2015 | Categories: Indoor Plants, Plantscaping
Typical "Lucky Bamboo" plants for sale in Hawaii. Photo: Ken Starr
Chinese New Year is the most important holiday in the Chinese calendar. The Chinese observe a lunar calendar, meaning each month begins when the night sky is darkest, on the new moon. The New Year starts with the first new moon and ends with the full moon 15 days later. This year, Chinese New Year falls on Thursday, February 19. We begin the year 4713. We love holidays at Good Earth Plants and Greenscaped Buildings. Who doesn’t? And being plantscaping professionals, we always associate holidays with the plants that represent the occasion. The plant associated with Chinese and Chinese New Year is something most people know as “Lucky Bamboo.”… Read More

Resolve to Get Connected in 2015

| January 22, 2015 | Categories: Good Earth Plant Company, Indoor Plants, Living Walls, Sustainable Living
My first plant selfie of the year at the TPIE show in Florida.
Happy New Year! Can you believe we are 15 years into a new century? I’m getting inspired at the Tropical Plant Industry Exhibition (TPIE) in Florida, one of our hottest trade shows and conferences, literally. This group knows its audience well. Who wouldn’t jump at the chance in most of the U.S. to attend a trade show located in sunny south Florida in January? Back home they would be shoveling snow and only dreaming of the warm weather ahead. I’m motivated by the opportunity to meet and learn from other like-minded people, including a meeting with members of the nonprofit group Green Plants for Green Buildings.… Read More

Beyond the Chia Pet: Plants Using Their Heads

| January 15, 2015 | Categories: Indoor Plants, Plantscaping
This plant head project from A Chef in the Garden looks like she is from the islands.
  Did you get a Chia Pet for Christmas? Chances are you or someone you know did, or maybe you’ve gotten one in the past.Would you believe 500,000 Chia Pets in all their versions including Sponge Bob, President Obama and Willie from Duck Dynasty have sold every year for over 30 years? That’s a lot of ch-ch-chia! The Chia Pet is even in the Smithsonian. True. There is something about the idea of turning plants into people that has intrigued gardeners and artists for decades. I confess I’m obsessed with plant heads and find myself collecting photos of the best. Lately I’ve been running across a lot of projects with this theme, and so I decided to use my head and share them with you.… Read More

A Merry Message from Jim Mumford and Good Earth Plants

| December 24, 2014 | Categories: Green Roofs, Living Walls, Newsletters
Ho Ho Ho! The holidays are upon us. The Good Earth Elves have been busy decorating our clients’ homes and businesses for the season, including our custom creations for commercial clients Qualcomm and Illumina. My busy travel schedule not only taught me a lot, it made me appreciate San Diego even more than I already do. Out of the four conferences, I thoroughly enjoyed Nashville (it was cold – 28 degrees) and the Cities Alive Conference. Lots of Jim in Plants conversations about green roofs and living walls (vertical gardens) and how to design them, what system and plants to use and how to maintain them long term.… Read More

Caring for a Christmas Tree: Debunking the Myths

| December 11, 2014 | Categories: Architecture and Design, Good Earth Plant Company Tips, Indoor Plants
During the holiday season, we want to keep our Christmas trees looking green and lively to enjoy as long and as safely as possible. There are many myths circulating with tips on how to care for your Christmas tree. Which ones really work? Count on Good Earth Plant Company to tell you the truth about what works and what doesn’t. Myth 1: Put an aspirin in the water because it helps the tree live longer. Myth 2: Sugar in the water is good for the tree. Myth 3: Let the tree sit outside in a bucket of water for 24 hours before setting it up in your house.… Read More

Give Thanks For Good Earth Plant Company’s Trivia Contest

| November 13, 2014 | Categories: Agriculture and Farming, Environment, Good Earth Plant Company
Which of these popular Thanksgiving vegetables is native to North America, and which ones are not?
Part of our mission at Good Earth Plant Company is to share what we have learned and educate our clients and friends. But we also like to have fun, so why not combine the two? Welcome to our first Good Earth Plant Company Trivia Contest, first in what we hope will be a long running series. We will give you ten questions on a specific theme. The rules are simple. Email your ten answers to [email protected] The person who gets the most questions right by 12 midnight on Saturday, November 15 gets a swell prize: your choice of a beautiful potted orchid, or a $20 Starbucks gift card.… Read More

Let Your Indoor Plants Chill Out This Winter

| November 6, 2014 | Categories: Good Earth Plant Company Tips, Indoor Plants
When you reposition plants to get the most winter light, it also helps to be sure your windows are nice and clean. Photo: Flickr/FD Richards
You might look outside at San Diego’s weather and find this hard to believe, but it really is fall, and winter is right around the corner. You can feel it when you get up on these cool early mornings. Maybe you’re wearing socks along with your flip flops, our way of bundling up in Southern California. (Not a good look, but that is another column). While you may not feel the change of seasons, your indoor plants do. They thrive in the spring and summer just like their outdoor counterparts. And just like your outdoor plants, they need some special care during the cooler months of the year, even if they aren’t so cool in San Diego.… Read More