Jim Mumford

Keep Our Trees Green and Growing in Drought

San Diego's trees add to the beauty it is known for worldwide. Photo: City of San Diego keep our trees green
Several years ago, I encouraged blog readers to plant trees for the well-being of our planet. If you followed my advice, you have some shade to sit in while enjoying your beverage of choice! Now in the midst of the worst drought Southern California has experienced in our lifetime, the most important thing you can do now is to use the precious water available to keep our trees thriving. Put trees first in line for water Southern California officials are issuing new restrictions on outdoor water use amid the worsening drought. It’s fine for lawns to go brown – and it’s even better if we replace them.… Read More

Thanksgiving 2021: Warm Greetings and Gratitude

Without any doubt, the best group of employees I've ever been fortunate to have as part of the Good Earth Plant Company team. Thanksgiving 2021
Thanksgiving 2021 has arrived, and I’m so glad for the break. I’m sure you are too. What a crazy year! Right after a crazy year. IS this now the new norm? Let your holiday season begin by telling the people in your life how thankful you are for their presence in your life. And I’m thankful I have a platform like this blog to say so publicly to everyone on the record. I’m thankful for: I’m starting with my work family. Honestly, I spend a lot more time with them than anyone else, other than myself. Our culture has evolved into an outstanding place to work – I still have fun every day.… Read More

National Gardening Exercise Day: June 6

Get in your workout by getting in some gardening! Sunday, June 6 is National Gardening Workout Day. Photo: Jim Mumford
Our sedentary lives really hit home for many people over the last year. Did you gain the COVID-19, or was it 20 pounds? We now understand sitting in front of a screen for much of the day can be as harmful to our health as smoking cigarettes. Walking more is great, and if you have a treadmill desk, it’s not so tough to finish 10,000 steps in a day. But if you need to go for a walk the old-fashioned way – yes, outside! – it means you need to get in a minimum of five miles of walking per day.… Read More

Top Plant Care Tips From Good Earth Pros

Our horticultural technicians at Good Earth Plant Company are smarter than a fifth grader when it comes to taking care of plants. Photo: Anna Shvets plant care tips
Call us biased, but we believe the best horticultural technicians (friendly, reliable, and knowledgeable) anywhere in the world work at Good Earth Plant Company. We have the results – and the glowing client reviews – to prove it! Many of our reviews compliment our horticultural technicians’ ability to keep our clients’ plants looking healthy and beautiful. Many times we help our clients with advice on how to take care of their plants at home. They are so good, I decided to turn the blog over to them this week. I asked them for the best plant care tip they have learned while working for Good Earth Plant Company.… Read More

Time For Thanks At Good Earth Plant Company – Thanksgiving 2020 Edition

Who knew when I took this photo back in January 2020 what the year would bring? But we made it - Happy Thanksgiving 2020! Photo: Jim Mumford
Thanksgiving 2020 has arrived, and I’m so glad for the break. I’m sure you are too. What a crazy year! And amazing as it seems, it felt like it went by faster than ever. Let the holiday season begin by telling the people in your life how thankful you are for their presence in your life. And I’m thankful I have a platform like this blog to say so in public! I’m thankful for: I’m starting with my work family. Honestly, I spend a lot more time with them than anyone else, other than myself. I’ll begin with established rock star Erin, our Office Manager.… Read More

Six Nature Videos to Savor From Good Earth Plant Company

The amazing, awe-inspiring Ōhaupō Tree Church In New Zealand is made from living trees. Photo: The Ōhaupō TreeChurch
We love nature videos. We post them from time to time on our Good Earth Plant Company Facebook page (and we hope you’re following us). I’m guessing you might have a little extra time this week? So we decided to step aside from our usual blog format and share some of our favorites with you. Amazing Amazonia In 2018, my son Ted and I took a trip through the Pantanal region south of the Amazon forest in Brazil. Talk about being immersed in nature! So I was thrilled when one of my favorite YouTube channels, Conservation International, produced a video a few weeks ago on the Amazon.… Read More

Good People + Good Plants = Good Earth Plant Company Turns 43!   

Living the dream! #plantlife
The last week of October is kind of a big deal at Good Earth Plant Company. It’s true more than ever in 2020.  It starts off with my birthday on October 25 (and thank you for all the birthday wishes!). My favorite holiday Halloween comes in the middle. It ends on November 1 with the anniversary of Good Earth Plant Company, which first opened on November 1, 1977 as a flower bucket stand. It’s still nearly impossible for me to grasp, much less explain the entire 43-year trip. This year, hitting this milestone was far from a sure thing. The coronavirus pandemic packed a punch a lot of businesses couldn’t survive.… Read More

Be Like Nature, My Friend

We have so much to learn from the resilience of Nature. Photo: Quinton Delman/Pixabay
Is 2020 over yet? The situation in our country and in our communities leaves me nearly speechless. It has been a rough year. First, the coronavirus hit. Second, the U.S. economy took a dive, causing unemployment so high it didn’t even seem real. Then, just as it seemed like we might get through the worse of the pandemic crisis, the senseless murder of an African-American man in Minneapolis set off a chain reaction across the U.S. of anger and hurt, including in my home town — specifically the city of La Mesa, California. Many people staged peaceful protests. Some senseless opportunists used the protests as cover to pillage innocent business owners and communities.… Read More

Take Mom’s Advice: Find Gratitude In Tough Times

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.
Jim Mumford: My mom, Sandy Fowler,  is a cross-cultural psychologist. At age 81, she is the current president of the Society for Intercultural Education, Training And Research (SIETAR USA). Its annual conference is still a ‘go’ in Omaha, Nebraska this October. Mom is working diligently to make sure it’s a success. This blog was originally written by Sandy, and I found it worth sharing with our readers with a few updates – making it the first-ever mother-son blog post for Good Earth Plant Company! How about that, Mom? Sandy Fowler: I would observe that when Jim was young, he didn’t do as good a job at taking my advice as he has lately.… Read More

Top Blog Posts for 2019: Practical Tips and Naked Gardening

Find out which of our nearly 200 Good Earth Plant Company blog posts made our Top Ten List.
Good Earth Plant Company KNOWS what you like. Most of all, you like our practical tips. We know you love great photos. And who can’t use a laugh or a WOW in their day! But – we aren’t going to speculate why for the third year in a row, you made Naked Gardening our Number One most read blog post for 2019. We’re just going to report the facts. Good Earth Plant Company puts a lot of work into our blog, because we love bringing you the latest news about interior design trends affecting YOUR health and wellness at home and in the workplace.… Read More