plantscaping

Boston Strong and Green at American Society of Landscape Architects meeting

| November 15, 2013 | Categories: Architecture and Design, Environment, Good Earth Plant Company, Green Roofs, Living Walls
Jim Mumford at ASLA meeting
I am in Boston representing Good Earth Plant Company and GreenScaped Buildings at one of my favorite events, the annual American Society of Landscape Architects Conference. Such a great group of people: friends, colleagues and some of the smartest landscape professionals you will ever meet. Friday I presented a talk on “Obstacles and Pitfalls to Successful Living Wall Maintenance,” and while it sounds like a mouthful, it brings up important issues. To design, install and maintain a living wall isn’t inexpensive. No one wants to get a living wall up and ready to grow only to see it wither under a poor maintenance program.… Read More

Plants in Space: Growing Without Gravity

| November 7, 2013 | Categories: Biophilic Design, Good Earth Plant Company, Indoor Plants, Nature and Wellbeing
There is a great new movie out called “Gravity” which tells the frightening tale of a scientist and an astronaut (played by Sandra Bullock and George Clooney) aboard the International Space Station when something goes terribly wrong. A great story….but they forgot to include a garden on the International Space Station! In an ABC news article (Sept 2013) NASA will reportedly be sending lettuce plants into space. In a project dubbed “Veggie,” a form of red lettuce will be grown, frozen then sent back to earth. NASA project scientists will be checking to see what types of micro-organisms are on the leaves to see if the lettuce will be safe to eat in orbit.… Read More

Bringing the Outdoors In

| October 10, 2013 | Categories: Biophilic Design, Good Earth Plant Company, Indoor Plants, Plantscaping
After a long week of reviewing designs for living walls and finalizing contracts for green roofs, I often toss some work in my leather bag and head home to finish up in my “sanctuary,” AKA my living room. With a panoramic view of a lush canyon complete with mature trees, California scrub and a pseudo meadow,  my second story living room is at treetop level. The view is spectacular: gracefully aging eucalyptus and ash trees surrounded by palms and an old and twisted Hollywood juniper. It is in my big chair, in my living room that I am able to take a deep breath and exhale the day.… Read More

A Perfect Piece of Green PIE from PIA

| September 10, 2013 | Categories: Architecture and Design, Awards & Achievements
I always look forward to the Plant Industry Alliance (PIA) annual Expo in Las Vegas in August. This year’s Plantscape Industry Expo (PIE) was AMAZING! Innovative products, fascinating speakers and incredible living art displays. It seemed everywhere you look, creative, inspired people were talking about new products and the latest in technology and design. This year, we had a great team attend from Good Earth Plants and GreenScaped Buildings. Debbie Hopkins, Dawn Weatherford, Kerry Bauer and I got the chance to meet up with some colleagues and exchange some ideas while learning about the latest in plants. We even got to see a new plant, a type of Mandeville, that has a large hanging pink flower that will be perfect on one of our living walls.… Read More

IGNITE! PIA Expo, Las Vegas

| August 13, 2013 | Categories: Architecture and Design, Awards & Achievements, Good Earth Plant Company, Indoor Plants, Plantscaping
Plantscape Industry Alliance
  Is it really August already? It seems like only yesterday school was letting out and I had an entire summer to look forward to. Work goes on and this week, I am in Las Vegas for the 2013 Plantscape Industry Alliance Expo (PIA). What a great group of people. I have been fortunate enough to have been a board member for 10 years and an executive director for two years. People with PIA are the decision makers and movers and shakers in the plant industry today and tomorrow. After two years of no responsibilities when attending the PIA Expo, leisurely viewing exhibits and catching up with colleagues I was once again asked to be a speaker.… Read More

See you at Good Earth Plants’ Summer Open House/Plant Sale

| July 23, 2013 | Categories: Good Earth Plant Company, Indoor Plants, Newsletters
Open House and Plant Sale
We know it’s warm outside. We have ice-cold water for you to sip (guzzle) and fresh cookies to munch on as you stroll our improved headquarters office, warehouse and nursery. You’ll be able to tour our newest additions. We’ve expanded and brought in two brand new offices in a “trailer” nestled among our patio garden. For those who have never been here, we hope you come. The demonstration garden is full of different systems and plants. Depending on timing, we have green roof or living wall elements being prepped and ready to go to job sites. You can see and touch anything form a hydroponically based living walls to our new low water use soil substitute “brownies.”… Read More

Monkey Faced Orchids

| July 2, 2013 | Categories: Architecture and Design, Good Earth Plant Company Tips, Indoor Plants, Plantscaping
We had so many readers interested in the Monkey-Faced orchid picture we posted, I thought I would pass along some quick information about them and about orchids in general. Besides being just about the cutest, funniest flora we’ve found, Monkey-Faced Orchids, or Grinning Monkey orchids live in the south-eastern Ecuadorian and Peruvian cloud forests at around 1000-2000 meters. Their scientific name is Dracula Simia-Dracula referring to the strange characteristic of the two long sepals, reminiscent of a certain Transylvanian count. Up in the cloud forests, these orchids can flower at any time-it’s not season specific and its’ scent resembles a very ripe orange. … Read More

A Change Is In The Air

| June 25, 2013 | Categories: Awards & Achievements, Good Earth Plant Company, Green Roofs, Living Walls
New Good Earth Plant Company building
Most people will agree that change can be difficult. From little things like learning how a new phone works to moving or starting a new job, change never seems to come easily.  But as I get older, I am finding that while change is tough, it has an upside. Our headquarters are bursting at the seams and it is time to think creatively.  Time to make a change. Today we brought in an office trailer to our headquarters that will be an office for two of our staff. It is a much-needed addition to our space here, but darned if it wasn’t an easy process.… Read More

What do you think of our new look? GEP/GSB New Website!

| June 11, 2013 | Categories: Awards & Achievements, Blog, Good Earth Plant Company, Green Roofs, Living Walls, Sustainable Living
New Good Earth Plant Company and GreenScaped Buildings website
  What do you think of our new look? Good Earth Plant Company and GreenScaped Buildings launched a new combined version of our website this weekend. Since we designed our original websites for each company, we’re into a lot of new things and there is new technology letting us share it with you. The timing was just right. The new website also allows us to bring together our two branches in one place: Good Earth Plant Company and GreenScaped Buildings. The businesses will continue to focus on their specific areas of expertise, but our clients can find all the information they need about every aspect of what we do in one place.… Read More