Giving Thanks at Good Earth Plants and GreenScaped Buildings

It is Thanksgiving 2014, and I’m thankful for many people in my life. I’m thankful for: My folks, they set a good standard and give me plenty to both admire and laugh about. Not that they’re perfect, don’t go getting ideas Mom and Dad. My son Ted: just enough of me to make me proud, just enough “other” to make him interesting. My daughter Allie: smart, capable and talented – getting ready to launch herself on the world. I hope we’re ready. My sister Monica, who has been with me since the beginning and is a huge help today. The rest of my family.… Read More

Ten Tips for an Eco-Friendly Thanksgiving Dinner

This turkey looks ready for a green Thanksgiving! How about you?
Use reusable plates, glasses and napkins. Yes, get out the good china, and skip the paper or (yikes) Styrofoam plates. Even when you account for original production of ceramics and using water to clean the plates you come out ahead here. Use local and organic foods as much as possible. See what your local farmer’s market has to offer the week before Thanksgiving and get creative. Organic food is chemical-free, and promote biodiversity and better soil quality. Compost your scraps. The average American family wastes 600 pound of uneaten food every year. The least you can do is start a compost bin and make your scraps useful and your plants happy.… Read More

Give Thanks For Good Earth Plant Company’s Trivia Contest

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 Katelyn@goodearthplants.com 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

From Eyesore to Eye-Popping: Our Planned Parenthood Living Wall

Plants can truly be the most transformative of gifts. Planned Parenthood of Mission Valley was the lucky recipient of a donor gift, designated specifically to transform a old fountain into a centerpiece for its outdoor entry gathering space. GreenScaped Buildings Project Manager Kerry Bauer worked with the client to determine which living wall system would be the best solution and fit within the existing space. After a thorough design evaluation, a little creativity turned up the perfect plan. Since the client had an open-ended time frame, we started with less mature plants and gave them double the normal growing time to securely root into the manufacturer’s shallow cell tray system before being mounted vertically.… Read More

Let Your Indoor Plants Chill Out This Winter

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