Botanika Joins the Good Earth Plant Company Family

We’re growing! Plants have been my passion and business for 45+ years. Friend and colleague Lexine Schroeder’s company Botanika recently joined my company earlier this year, and we are all excited about the possibilities and opportunities. We look forward to partnering with Botanika’s clientele. Botanika Interior Plantscapes is known for beautiful residential and commercial interior plant design. Their unique plantscaping can be seen in homes and offices around San Diego.  Here’s an example of their beautiful work in an office in Old Town, San Diego. We’re excited to welcome them to the family.  

The Plantscape Hall of Fame Inducts Jim Mumford

We may all endure a lifetime of work, but very few of us are recognized for a lifetime of achievement. The people that stand out prove that passion and persistence are the keys to success. When other people ask, “why?” they ask, “why not?” Jim Mumford is one of these people with passion and persistence – and a love of plants. In his own words, “If I hear “no” or “that can’t be done” it means I try harder. I don’t give up easily.”  In the span of 45 years, Jim has gone from plant & flower seller, to plant expert, to interior plantscaper to global biophilic design thought leader, mentor and educator.… Read More

7 Biophilic Design Trends for 2023

Nature Color Palette 4404
Biophilic Design is Going Mainstream For anyone who’s been following our work, you know that biophilic design isn’t just our business, it’s our passion. Literally. It means a love of nature, and in design it’s a way to bring natural elements indoors. That can mean living walls, moss walls, and adding other natural elements to the built environment, like house plants / indoor plants, just for starters. Countless studies have shown that biophilic design isn’t just nice to look at, but also improves emotional wellness, reduces stress, boosts creativity and even helps filter air, reducing volatile organic compounds and adding oxygen.… Read More

Good Earth Plants’ Moss Wall Wins Platinum

Good Earth Plants Moss Wall
  At the 2023 Tropical Plant International Expo, Good Earth Plant Co walked away with two big awards. First, owner Jim Mumford was inducted into the I-Plants Magazine Plantscape Hall of Fame and second, Good Earth Plants’ installation of a large-scale moss wall was recognized with a Platinum Award. The moss wall was one of Good Earth Plants most challenging projects to date for the size, but also the requirements of the 8′ x 50′ moss wall art. The wall is the common area of an office suite in a lounge / resimercial area with leather sofas and chairs. The client is a tech giant known for design, and they want their office to reflect their brand.… Read More

Plant Trends from the 2023 TPIE

TPIE bring nature inside sign with Jim Mumford
Welcome to The Tropical Plant International Expo (TPIE) 2023! Jim Mumford, founder of Good Earth Plants, went trendspotting at this year’s event in Tampa, FL. At 89% humidity, with showers and temps in the 70s, it felt very tropical. The TPIE is the CES for plant people: interior plantscapers, designers, retailers, media, and really anyone whose job involves plants. And just like a new tech launch at CES, new varieties of plants are shown here first. Jim started Good Earth Plant Co. 45 years ago, and his years of dedication to biophilic design earned him a place in the Hall of Fame at this year’s TPIE.… Read More

Sustainable Design Ideas for San Diego Stormwater

Green Roof Salesforce Park in San Francisco. Photo: Greenroofs.com
  Amid the megadrought, the worst drought to hit California in 1200+ years, we are now experiencing a Pacific storm with the terrifying name of a bomb cyclone. And while the atmospheric river it’s bringing with it sounds poetic, it’s anything but. This brutal storm is bringing heavy rains, damaging winds and subsequent flooding to parts of California. In San Diego County, we’re experiencing rains and winds that may lead to major flood events in some areas. Over the last decade, flooding has caused millions of dollars in property damage, even in times of average seasonal rainstorms. (source: San Diego Co Public Works) San Diego is a coastal desert.… Read More

Viva Magenta is Pantone 2023 Color of the Year

Cordyline fruticosa, known as the Hawaiian Ti Plant, is a stunning example of the 2023 Pantone Color of the Year - Viva Magenta. Photo: Erin Lindley, Good Earth Plant Company
Good Earth Plant Company first started writing about the Pantone Color of the Year in 2017. Design trends matter to our clients, but it was mainly something fun to do. The big surprise: how much it matters to you, too! After a few years of peaceful, soothing colors to get us through the pandemic, Pantone is ready for a party. The 2023 choice is a bold deep pink, “Viva Magenta.” Magenta is equal parts cool and warm, a pink with a hint of purple. It’s a color Pantone’s executives say represents an optimistic future. Pantone Vice President Laurie Pressman is quoted saying Viva Magenta represents a prevailing desire for optimism, resilience, outside-the-box thinking and technological innovation to create a better world.… Read More

Let’s Talk About Biophilic Design

There is only one thing I enjoy more than enriching peoples’ lives with plants at Good Earth Plant Company. It’s talking to people about enriching their lives with plants – especially when I get to speak to a big audience.  This week, I made my third appearance on the daily talk show “It’s Your Life.” It is a podcast, livestream, and live YouTube show. Hosted by Dr. James Cooley and co-hosted and produced by his wife, Michelle Cooley. The Cooleys invite people from all walks of life with different professions and areas of expertise. Dr. Cooley is a motivational speaker and a retired Navy Officer with 23 years of service.… Read More

Tips To Prep Your Plants For Winter Months

A sunny window feels good on a cold day for you and for your plants, too. Photo: Mary Kreuel / Creative Commons winter months
Even though we’re blessed to live and work in a temperate, plant-loving climate at Good Earth Plant Company, we still experience the change of seasons. Winter may be subtle, but it’s coming at us quickly. Meteorological winter starts December 1, and the winter equinox is less than three weeks away. Our daytime temperatures have dropped 20 degrees recently, and in some places, the nighttime lows are legitimately cold. At least they are to us! Your container plants living outside feel it too. Many need protection from the coldest winter weather. Even in a Mediterranean-style climate, it can drop below freezing at night.… Read More

Here’s To Your Health From Fix Medical Group and Good Earth Plant Company

Fix Medical Group case manager Jesika Casey greets clients and visitors along with our moss wall and orchids. Photo: Jim Mumford
Good Earth Plant Company blog readers know our mission is to enrich peoples’ lives with plants. Those lives include our clients, guests, employees, suppliers, and everyone who interacts with them. What does “enrich” mean, exactly? The formal definition, according to Merriam-Webster, is “to make rich or richer, especially by the addition or increase of some desirable quality, attribute, or ingredient.” Money is the first thing that comes to your mind when talking about being “rich.” Who wouldn’t find life a lot easier if you had a lot of money? We didn’t win the Powerball this week, so we can’t help you there.… Read More