Nature’s Way To Boost Employee Productivity

American workers are known for their productivity, and while we aren’t number one on many lists, we remain in the top five overall on nearly all of them. So it’s kind of shocking to me to read the results of a Gallup Poll from June 2017 which found two-thirds of all employees in the United States say they are “not engaged” or “actively disengaged” at work. These employees aren’t applying themselves. They are just getting by. Most of the time they are checked out. Presenteeism is a new term defining employees that are present, but not engaged. This is not a small thing.… Read More

Millennials Push Us To Green Up The Suburbs

Three generations of Mumfords together at La Jolla Shores celebrating Mother's Day in better times, May 2016: (L to R) daughter Allie, Mom, and yours truly.
The Millennial Generation is full of pleasant surprises. No, I’m not being sarcastic! I know the Millennials pretty well through my son Ted and my daughter Allie, their friends, and plenty of my employees and colleagues I meet at conferences and meetings. It is a big mistake to stereotype Millennials or dismiss them. They are the largest single generation in the United States today, 75.4 million people between ages 20 and 36. There’s no way 75 million people are alike enough to agree on anything or act a certain way. But people follow trends and when that many people go in a particular direction, we need to pay attention.… Read More

Living Walls and Fences Are A Natural Choice

  People and civilizations have put up walls throughout human history. Some of the world’s greatest structures are walls: the Northern Wall built by the Romans to hold back the Barbarians; the Great Wall of China, and even the Berlin Wall. It is amazing how these walls were constructed without having any of the engineering tools or technology at our fingertips today. Over time, Nature has a hand in ‘decorating’ these walls. In some cases, the walls become ruins and become part of the natural landscape. In other cases, Nature takes advantage of these man-made structures. This is where people like me and companies like Good Earth Plants and GreenScaped Buildings have combined the best of both to create living walls for our homes, businesses, and communities.… Read More

Why Aren’t There More Green Roofs in San Diego?

In many cities, green roofs are a growing part of the urban landscape.  The benefits are undeniable and substantial. Green roofs solve so many problems in the urban environment: preventing stormwater runoff, reducing the urban heat island effect, reducing heating and cooling costs, soundproofing, adding habitat for pollinators and birds, and cleaning the air to name a few. The city of Toronto, Canada was the first to mandate green roofs on industrial and residential buildings in 2009. Effective earlier this year, France became the first nation to require at least partial coverage with either green roofs or solar energy technology (or a combination of both) on all new construction.… Read More

Urban Corps San Diego Participates in Our ‘Plants With Purpose’ Program

Urban Corps San Diego is the latest participant in Good Earth Plant Company’s “Plants With Purpose” donation program for nonprofit organizations. We are able to donate plants being recycled from our plantscaping clients to nonprofits which can put the power of nature to good use. Brennan Hubbell from Urban Corps Recycling Education and Outreach San Diego paid us a visit to pick up plants for use in its programs. We were happy to contribute to our old friends at the Urban Corps. Good Earth Plant Company installed the organization‘s rooftop urban farm several years ago, and donated plants and pots on another occasion to help stock its Recycling ECO Center’s Rooftop Resource Garden, a valuable recent addition to its facility.… Read More