artificial plants

Working A Little Plantscaping Magic In Arizona

Can you tell if these plants are real or replica?
Sometimes the best solution for one of our clients is a blend of multiple approaches in a customized design. Good Earth Plant Company recently worked with a San Diego dispensary client with locations in multiple states. For its Tempe, Arizona location, “Tend Tempe,” we needed to find ways to incorporate plants into their facility where the conditions weren’t optimal. Working with Basille Studios on the details, we decided a blend of real and replica (or “faux”) plants would work best. An “illusion” was created with our materials. Where there was enough light and/or enough access to provide ongoing maintenance, we used living plants.… Read More

Don’t Bug Me! House Plants That Resist Pests

Bold Sanseviera plants in striking pots make a statement and improve the indoor environment without wasting water.
Plenty of people tell me they’d love to bring more plants into their homes and offices, but they don’t have a green thumb, or even a yellow thumb. Even if you are a beginner, you can make it a lot easier on yourself if you choose plants proven to be easier to care for than others. (But we’re standing by to help: it’s our mission at Good Earth Plant company to enrich people’s lives with plants). Another strategy is to choose plants that are naturally resistant to bugs, as in pests! If you aren’t having to fight off mites, scale, ants, flies, snails or the dreaded fungus gnats, your gardening experience will be much more rewarding.… Read More

Sharing My Super Power With You

Jim Mumford, AKA the Eco-Warrior Photoshop artwork by Theodore Mumford
Mary Golden of the Golden Group recently interviewed me for a Plantscaping industry blog, and the result was published earlier this week. It gave me an opportunity to talk about some of my favorite topics, the same ones I write about here: Biophilia, innovations in living walls like the spectacular wall in the Birmingham, Alabama airport, and the future of our business. Mary asked me a question I didn’t expect: What is your super power? I gave her this answer: “It’s a combination – being engaged in; my industry, the community, developers, architects and designers, paying attention, watching for opportunity and perseverance.… Read More

Tips for Saving Water Without Killing Your Plants

The living wall at SDG&E's Energy Innovation Center is filled with drought tolerant plants.
“Oh man, do we need it!” This is the sentence muttered by every San Diegan when discussing the topic of rain. This is California’s third consecutive dry year, and things are not looking bright for the future. We wrote about this issue in January, and here we are again because the conditions have yet to improve. In 2010, California put in a place a goal to have residents cut their water use by 20 percent by 2020. Many of you may be wondering, ‘How will I do this and not let all my plants die in the process?’ Good Earth Plant Company has four water saving tips for plant lovers.… Read More

Six Reasons to Plant a Tree: Good Earth Plants Guide to Arbor Day

In all our zeal to prepare for our Open House and Plant Sale last week, we missed a special event on Friday, April 25: Arbor Day. It’s ironic that during our busy week of planning and preparing for our semi-annual Open House, we lost track of a day set aside to honor such living treasures. After scolding myself for “not seeing the forest for the trees,” I spent a few minutes reading about Arbor Day and what it is really all about. First celebrated in Spain in 1805, Arbor Day is most often celebrated by the planting of trees, always a good idea.… Read More

Water Water Nowhere: California’s Drought Crisis of 2014

California’s water situation has officially become a CRISIS. Governor Jerry Brown has declared a State of Emergency for California and we are scheduled to have the driest year (2014) on record. Reservoirs are at very low levels and the snowpack is 20 percent of the normal average for January. That’s the bad news. And there isn’t much good news. For Good Earth Plants and GreenScaped Buildings, increasing water costs and less rainfall means a quantum shift in our thinking. Gone are the days of the lush green lawn. We are designing, installing and maintaining drought-tolerant plantscapes that rely on minimal irrigation.… Read More