San Diego

Real vs. Fake: The Christmas Tree Smackdown

| December 1, 2016 | Categories: Environment, Good Earth Plant Company Tips, Indoor Plants, Sustainable Living
One of the Christmas trees created by Good Earth Plant Company for our clients.
The debate starts up every year about this time. We’re no closer to settling it, but it doesn’t stop me from trying. So choose up sides, and let’s go. Which is better for the earth, a real Christmas tree, or an artificial Christmas tree? There’s a little twist to this discussion in Southern California: our ongoing drought. Despite the welcome rain in San Diego County earlier this week, California is in its third year of a serious drought. The average Christmas tree grows for an average of six to eight years before it reaches the typical six to seven-foot height for cutting and display.… Read More

Time For Thanks at Good Earth Plants and GreenScaped Buildings

| November 23, 2016 | Categories: Awards & Achievements, Good Earth Plant Company
Good Earth Plant Company's original business location on a Thanksgiving nearly four decades ago! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
It is (already!) Thanksgiving 2016, and I’m thankful for many people in my life. Thanksgiving is a good time to let them know. I’m thankful for: • My folks: far from perfect, but great role models and teachers. They set a good standard and give me plenty to both admire and laugh about. • My son Ted: just enough of me in him to make me proud, just enough “other” to make him interesting. He is going to save the world. You watch. • My daughter Allie: although she tries to deny it, she is way too much like me – plus smart, capable and talented.… Read More

Help Good Earth Plant Company Support “A Growing Passion”

| October 6, 2016 | Categories: Architecture and Design, Gardening, Indoor Plants, Media Coverage, Nature and Wellbeing
Jim Mumford and Nan Sterman, KPBS TV
One of my favorite ways to spend time is to pass along my love of plants and nature and educate people about their many benefits. But even though I try, I can’t do it all myself. I have a business to run after all! There are plenty of other people who feel the same way. One of them is my fellow San Diegan Nan Sterman. Nan is no “Jane come lately” to the sustainability movement. Since the 1970s (as long as me!) Nan has used her skills as a garden designer, author, botanist, and award-winning garden communicator to help transform planted landscapes from overly thirsty and resource intensive to climate appropriate and sustainable.… Read More

Projects Inspiring Us At Good Earth Plants RN

| September 29, 2016 | Categories: Biophilic Design, Case Studies, Green Roofs, Living Walls, Sustainable Living
Regular blog readers know about my passion for improving our communities and our health and well being through strengthening our connection to nature. It’s amazing to me how something simple like introducing natural elements in our work environment like plants and natural light can reduce job stress and improve our health overall. I get inspired when I see people around the world creating projects taking this simple idea and making it real. Yes, I also admit to being a little envious too, because I would love to see more projects like this in San Diego. Several projects got a “wow” out of me and I’d like to share them with you for your daily dose of “wow” instead of a basketball trick shot or cute pet video.… Read More

Green Roofs Are Even Greater Than We First Thought

| September 15, 2016 | Categories: Architecture and Design, Biophilic Design, Green Roofs
North America’s largest living roof – about the size of eight football fields – continues to flourish atop Dearborn Truck Plant’s final assembly building, part of the Ford Rouge Center. Photo: Courtesy Ford Motor Company
When I first installed the green roof at Good Earth Plant Company in 2007, all of the information about the long term impact came from Europe. There weren’t all that many green roofs in the United States and there weren’t many studies being conducted on the few that existed. Times change and we are much more enlightened about the positive impact of green roofs on the immediate environment and their contribution overall. Some of the best studies are coming from The Green Roof Research Program at Michigan State University. One of MSU’s collaborators is a company which might not come to mind when you think about green roofs: the Ford Motor Company.… Read More

Go Green When You Remodel Your Home

| August 25, 2016 | Categories: Architecture and Design, Environment, Indoor Plants, Plantscaping, Sustainable Living
Good Earth Pl;ant Company makes sustainability a way of life.
Plenty of people put off home improvement and remodeling projects over the last few years due to America’s Great Recession. Get ready for a new look in a lot of homes – maybe even your own. Several major industry studies predict a big jump in remodeling activity. The Joint Center for Housing Students of Harvard University projects a trend for home improvement and repair expenses to reach eight percent by 2017, nearly double the historic average, based on its own model it calls the “Leading Indicator of Remodeling Activity” or LIRA. And who are we to argue with Harvard? The website HomeAdvisor and the National Association of Home Builders reports also agree with the Harvard outlook.… Read More

I’m Jim Mumford and I Approved This Green Message

| August 18, 2016 | Categories: Biophilia, Good Earth Plant Company, Sustainable Living
Go green this election and request an electronic sample ballot this year.
The November election is barely 10 weeks away and San Diego County residents will have a LOT of decisions to make. Not just the big one about who will be our next American President, but about legalizing marijuana, changing the way local elections work, and whether we want to help build a new stadium/convention center downtown for the San Diego Chargers. There are so many decisions and so much information for voters, the San Diego County Registrar of Voters will send City of San Diego residents not just one but TWO ballot pamphlets, each more than 100 pages long. Only the fall fashion magazines have more pages (so I am told).… Read More

Before You Go Back to School, Go Back to Nature

| August 11, 2016 | Categories: Environment, Gardening, Nature and Wellbeing, Sustainable Living
A Harvard study found teens living in areas with high quality green spaces are at less risk of depression.
Those precious days of summer vacation are already starting to wind down. Back to school ads are everywhere. By this point of the summer back when I was a kid (yes, I realize this is a LONG time ago to some of you), I didn’t stay at the breakfast or dinner table a second longer than I had to. I was too busy outside with all kinds of activities. Do kids even build forts anymore? If you are still trying to pry your kids away from the screens of their phones, tablets or laptops to enjoy outdoor activities during the summer and haven’t been too successful, don’t give up.… Read More

Cool Moss Walls: The Hottest Trend in Green Living

| June 23, 2016 | Categories: Architecture and Design, Indoor Plants, Living Walls, Moss Walls, Plantscaping
Good Earth Plant Company installed this moss wall at the Bluebeam software company in Pasadena, California, covering three of our hot design trends: moss walls, the WELL building standard, and the color green.
We make the rounds of all top events in the green building industry checking on the latest products and trends. I just returned from Longwood Gardens. The hot topic was hotter than San Diego’s last heat wave: moss walls. As Bernie Sanders might say, moss walls were YUUUUGE! It’s been a long time since everyone was this excited about a single product. The reasons are simple. Moss walls provide all the benefits of traditional living walls and several more. They can thrive in nearly any indoor setting. Growing conditions can be far from perfect – but they don’t need any light, water or maintenance.… Read More

Summer Gardening Projects Let Kids Get Dirty and Keep Parents Happy

| June 9, 2016 | Categories: Biophilia, Gardening, Good Earth Plant Company, Good Earth Plant Company Tips, Indoor Plants, Nature and Wellbeing
Share your spare veggies and other produces with co-workers this summer.
Kids are counting down the days until school is out for the summer. Don’t we all remember that feeling? If you’re a parent, you have a different perspective. Something like, “oh no, how am I going to keep the kids busy and out of trouble all summer!” Why not encourage your kids to do something that comes naturally? Encourage them to get their hands dirty in fun gardening activities. Take advantage of San Diego’s summer weather to work on projects outdoors when it’s cool enough, and indoors when the sun is a little too strong. There are many age appropriate opportunities for gardening and art projects that will instill a love of nature that will last a lifetime.… Read More