San Diego

Jim Mumford’s Tree Benefits You Never Knew

| March 20, 2014 | Categories: Agriculture and Farming, Environment, Gardening, Nature and Wellbeing, Sustainable Living
My time spent growing up in San Diego in the 1960s and 70s was pretty close to perfect. There were always a gang of guys around for fun and adventure and the canyon behind my home provided the perfect giant trees for climbing, fort-building and tire-swinging. The canyon’s trees acted as sturdy protectors of my childhood and I never dreamed that someday those same trees might be endangered. Trees provide a multitude of benefits. Things you would never even think about. Did you know trees can help reduce violence? Neighborhoods and homes that lack trees have a higher rate of violence in and out of the home than their greener counterparts.… Read More

New Living Wall at LPL Financial in San Diego

| March 3, 2014 | Categories: Architecture and Design, Case Studies, Living Walls
Take a look at our latest: the innovative living wall at LPL Financial including a flat screen TV display.
LPL Financial in downtown San Diego wanted something amazing for a high visibility area. The idea grew into a two-sided living wall of greenery surrounding a flat screen on one side. The 360-degree installation came with a few challenges, easily met by the GreenScaped team led by Project Manager Kerry Bauer. With plants located above and adjacent to the TV, multiple precautions were designed into the system to prevent any possibility of water reaching the electronic components. “The LPL Financial living wall represents a collaboration among Gensler Architects, Whiting Turner Construction and the team at GreenScaped Buildings to commit to a forward-thinking, sustainable project,” says GreenScaped Buildings owner Jim Mumford.… Read More

Good Earth Plants Turns Black and White Into Green at San Diego Landmark

| December 19, 2013 | Categories: Architecture and Design, Biophilic Design, Indoor Plants, Plantscaping
Many, many years ago I was pulled over for exceeding the speed limit while riding my motorcycle down a San Diego freeway. Despite the fact that I passed the field sobriety test and insisted that it had been hours since I had consumed a drink, the officer decided to take me “downtown” to police headquarters. My story has a happy ending as I passed the Breathalyzer test and the officer tore up my ticket due to my exceedingly polite demeanor and being completely innocent of a DUI. I never would have imagined that 30-plus years later, I would be chosen to supply the plants, planters and maintenance services for a project we shall call “the project which cannot be named but is located at the Old Police Headquarters.”… Read More

Tips for Protecting Your Plants in a Cold Snap

| December 10, 2013 | Categories: Good Earth Plant Company Tips, Indoor Plants
It’s no secret that the past few days have been unseasonably cold. With relative humidity below 20 percent, San Diego has experienced freezing temperatures at night that endanger our gardens. Nothing new for those folks back East! My colleagues in Boston deliver sub-tropical plants to offices using heated trucks and heated passageways from the back of the truck to the loading dock. Temperatures below freezing can harm plants that are used to indoor temperatures. If they can do it in Boston, we can save our garden flowers and plants during this cold snap. Here’s how to protect your garden from freezing over in the next few days: Move potted tender plants indoors or into a warmer area.… Read More

San Diego: Living in a Sustainable Paradise

| August 27, 2013 | Categories: Good Earth Plant Company, Nature and Wellbeing, Sustainable Living
Sustainable Paradise
We are so lucky to live in San Diego! Aside from the beautiful beaches, parks, local mountains and particularly the people, San Diego is chock full of brilliant individuals and groups who think ahead when it comes to city and neighborhood planning. For the past four years, I have been fortunate to be a member of such a great group called C-3 (Citizens Coordinate for Century 3.) As our name suggests, we are a group of forward-thinkers from politicians to architects to artist and just about everyone in between (including green roof and living wall contractors). C-3 is dedicated to helping improve the livability of San Diego in many ways.… 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

Living Wall Installations… Everywhere

| July 9, 2013 | Categories: Green Roofs, Living Walls, Plantscaping
Green roof, living wall
Summer has officially arrived. I keep thinking about a song. “Hot town, summer in the city, back of my neck getting dirty and gritty” from working a lot. It’s hot, dry, and we’re busy! No complaints, just lots of installations. It’s July, it’s hot and we are busy! We seem to be swimming in a sea of installations. We’ve  installed or are about to install a dazzling array of living walls spanning the west coast from San Diego to Dana Point, Santa Monica and Seattle. Seattle thrives as a cosmopolitan port city. Nationally recognized as one of the most livable cities in the U.S.,… Read More

It Starts Today – Let’s Help Our Environment

| June 4, 2013 | Categories: Environment, Sustainable Living
Environment, global warming
It feels like every news broadcast I watch has been filled with more and more tragic news, from devastating tornadoes in Oklahoma and Texas, to school shootings and terrorism attacks all over the world. I feel so helpless to do something to help or change the situation. Some of the heartbreaking news is man-made, and some of it beyond our control. In particular, the weather has been so crazy. Nightly weather broadcasts have taken on a sometimes frightening appearance. Happy broadcasters used to point to smiling-faced sun cutouts and cheerfully report holding an umbrella during rainy days. No more. The weather around the world has seemingly taken on a harsher quality.… Read More

Dining Out Differently With Sustainability In Mind

| May 21, 2013 | Categories: Agriculture and Farming, Environment, Good Earth Plant Company, Indoor Plants, Living Walls, Nature and Wellbeing, Sustainable Living
Seasons 52 edible wall
When I was a kid, going out to dinner was a big deal. It usually meant getting cleaned up, which for me was a big deal because I truly believe dirt was part of my skin. After the outer layer was scrubbed, it would be clean shirt and shoes and my “table manners” for a couple of hours spent counting down the seconds until the bill came to my dad. Even if it was a family pizza parlor night, dining out was a special event. Menus were bigger than me and in the fancy places, French names like coq au vin or escargot seemed daunting.… Read More

Sustainability

| May 15, 2013 | Categories: Agriculture and Farming, Sustainable Living
Aquaponics
There’s so much talk today about the becoming sustainable. If you aren’t in the “green groove” or an Eco-Warrior (like me!)  that term can mean a whole bunch of stuff, mostly confusing. In Eco-speak, “sustainable” means that the process being used can be repeated without using too many (if any) resources. And that it is a self-perpetuating process. Keep that carbon footprint as small as possible while building it and use as few resources as you can utilizing the system. Keep everything possible out of the waste stream. We can’t continue to use up our natural resources without replenishing them somehow.… Read More