plantscaping

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

Grow or Die

| July 18, 2019 | Categories: Awards & Achievements, Good Earth Plant Company Tips, Green Roofs, Living Walls, Sustainable Living
When you’ve been in business doing something for more than four decades, you probably think you’re pretty good at it. The mere act of surviving all the challenges running a business throws at you says it all. Plenty of people take their expertise for granted, though. That’s the kiss of death. The minute you think you know-it-all is the minute you don’t. I’m a firm believer in new knowledge and growth as one of the key ingredients to success in nearly anything. And why wouldn’t growth be at the heart of working in a green business like plantscaping and biophilic design?… 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

Easiest Indoor Plants to Grow For Black Thumbs

| June 13, 2019 | Categories: Gardening, Good Earth Plant Company Tips, Indoor Plants, Plantscaping
We know you don't mean to kill your indoor plants. You just need to choose less fussy, bulletproof plants.
By now you’ve gotten the message: adding plants to your indoor environment at home and work provides multiple benefits to your physical and mental health. Study after study confirms plants clean your indoor air of toxins, raising humidity to healthier levels, increase the oxygen levels, buffer noise, calm your nerves and help you focus. And this is just for starters. “But Jim,” you say, “I have a black thumb. I’m a plant killer. I can’t grow ANYTHING. What can I do?” You can always hire a professional and leave it to us (hint). But there are some plants nearly impossible to kill.… Read More

Here Come The Plant Police

| June 6, 2019 | Categories: Environment, Indoor Plants, Plantscaping, Sustainable Living
Does this indoor plant look like a threat to you? Photo: Pixabay
It’s been our mission at Good Earth Plant Company for more than 40 years to improve peoples’ lives through the beauty, health, wellbeing, and environmental benefits living plants bring into all the spaces around you. From a simple plant in a striking container to a complicated living wall structure, it’s our passion as well as our mission. Even after all these years, I still get excited about our work every day. In the last 10 years, people have embraced the benefits of indoor plants and the principles of biophilic design. I’m so excited about the enthusiasm our current generation of young adults has for plants.… Read More

Don’t Bug Me: Control Pests Without Pesticides

| May 8, 2019 | Categories: Gardening, Good Earth Plant Company Tips, Indoor Plants, Nature and Wellbeing, Plantscaping
Keep your indoor plants healthy and pest free with gentle cleaning. Photo: Madiase/Flickr - Creative Commons License
Summer is coming, we promise. Summer brings so many good things, but it also brings some not-so-good things. Plant pests love the summer weather as much as people do. While bugs can bug your indoor plants any time of year, they get more opportunities to thrive in the late spring and summer months. The weather warms up. You turn off the heater, and open your windows and doors. Pests have more ways to enter your house, and they like the more humid air. You see your indoor plants have a growth period as spring arrives. Bugs see a plant buffet. If your first reaction to finding pests on your plants is to grab the pesticide, please stop!… Read More

Expose Yourself to World Naked Gardening Day

| May 1, 2019 | Categories: Biophilia, Gardening, Nature and Wellbeing
Barbie is on board! World Naked Gardening Day is on Saturday, May 4.
I first learned about “World Naked Gardening Day” two years ago. I thought for sure it was a joke played on me by some of my friends. What a surprise to find out it’s a real event, not just what I used to do when I lived in rural San Diego without neighbors close by. And it’s been going on for years. So I wrote a blog post about it. So the laugh is on me, because the original 2017 blog post about World Naked Gardening Day is one of our top most-read blog posts of ALL TIME.  Who knew so many people were interested in this phenomenon?… Read More

Flexing Our Creative Muscle at Art Alive 2019

| April 17, 2019 | Categories: Architecture and Design, Awards & Achievements, Good Earth Plant Company
Last week, we concluded our participation in the 38th annual San Diego Museum of Art in Balboa Park fundraising event “Art Alive.” I haven’t missed one in 25 years, no matter what else we have going on. It’s always fun for us to spend time flexing our creative muscles. If you aren’t familiar with Art Alive, 100 floral designers interpret artworks found in the Museum. The John and Sally Thornton Rotunda in the Museum literally comes alive with flowers, plants, and natural materials. It’s the art world version of the Rose Parade! It also reminds us of Good Earth Plant Company’s roots.… Read More

Plants Should Be Tax Deductible

| April 10, 2019 | Categories: Indoor Plants, Living Walls, Plantscaping
April 15 is right around the corner. Have you finished filing your tax returns? When you are a business owner like I am, you have to think about tax issues constantly. Sometimes it feels like we are all employees of the IRS when you think about it. When you think about taxes, you put a lot of thought into your deductions. Most people know about the big ones: mortgage interest, retirement plan contributions, childcare, and the standard deductions for people and dependents. Thanks Ted and Allie! What a game changer if we could make plants tax deductible! Many financial experts tell you if you can make a reasonable argument, the IRS will at least consider some unusual tax deductions.… Read More

When Should I Repot My House Plants?

| April 3, 2019 | Categories: Gardening, Good Earth Plant Company Tips, Indoor Plants, Plantscaping
There is no need to add anything to your plant containers but the proper potting soil. Photo: SweetLouise/CreativeCommons License
So you’ve gotten into the current craze for houseplants. You’ve added a few at home and in your workspace. Hooray and good for you! Literally, plants are good for you and keep you connected to nature, healthier, and happier. Congratulations from your Good Earth Plant Company Eco-Warriors. Maybe you’ve had your plants for a year now, maybe 18 or 24 months. What now? One of the most common questions plant owners ask when moving on to the next stage of plant care expertise is this: when should I repot my houseplants? Great question, and perfect timing. Spring presents the ideal opportunity to repot houseplants that need more room to spread their roots and grow. … Read More