We know you want your plants to grow.
Whether you’re a hobbyist gardener or a landscaping professional, we make products so you can make the most of your soil and plants.
Our Commitment to You
Good Dirt® is committed to making products that are Simple, Successful, Sustainable™.
Simple
Whether you’re new to gardening or a seasoned veteran of toiling in soil, we believe easy-to-use products are more pleasant to work with. We want your labors to cultivate a passion for digging in the dirt.
Successful
We want your garden to thrive, so Good Dirt® is constantly crafting products to work magic for your garden. Our BogBits® & sustainably harvested peat give roots the optimal balance of air and moisture, and our PlantBiotics & Plant Food keep your living soil “alive."
Sustainable
Good Dirt® products are derived from renewable plant-based components and focus on naturally occurring ingredients. We want to help make the Earth a clean place, respecting and caring for it so future generations can all enjoy gardening.
Our Story
Gardening is our lifestyle
When Suzy Newsom started Good Dirt® out of her home in Raleigh, North Carolina with her husband Al, they had a simple goal in mind – to bring easy to use, sustainable products to gardeners of all experience levels that help them get the most out of their soil and plants.
Suzy grew up in Brazil surrounded by tropical plants and Al grew up with two grandfathers passionate about farming and gardening. Gardening is in their genes!
Good Dirt® grew strong roots quickly, with Suzy’s marketing background helping their brand connect with fellow passionate plant parents on social media. Her purpose is to inspire other gardeners to create the same lifestyle that she and her family enjoy.
We love listening to music while in the yard, caring for the food we plant, harvest, and prepare. The memories we create with our friends and family in our outdoor space are cherished.
Suzy Newsom
Good Dirt® Founder
“Chief of R&D,” Al Newsom has been in love with soil and plants most of his life. He studied horticulture at NC State University, owned an urban gardening store, operated a landscape company, and now travels as a global consultant on plant varieties.
Al Newsom
Good Dirt® Founder
Gardening is our therapy… it’s our lifestyle.
When Al & Suzy became frustrated with less-than-effective gardening products and commercial potting mixes, they decided to set out on a mission to create their own.
On a trip to Canada, they encountered a naturally occurring phenomenon found in peat moss bogs — ‘sticks’ that could be broken down into a fiber for a new type of potting mix. A kind of mix that would provide a better balance of air space and water retention; a better home for roots to grow and form.
Al & Suzy worked with a team to develop their own special recipe using this new magical ingredient, and BogBits® was born. With recipe in hand, they knew they had something special.
Good Dirt® was born on the strong foundation of BogBits® for a line of potting mixes — and expanded to more sustainably produced, pesticide-free products like plant foods and soil conditioners. Created so that everyone can enjoy the benefits of gardening in their own space.
Meet The Artist
Sarah Simon
Sarah Simon is a designer, artist, illustrator and author at TheMintGardener — and the creator behind the beautiful watercolor illustrations on Good Dirt’s packaging.
Finding inspiration in the ever-blooming variety of textures and colors in her urban garden, Sarah creates and teaches lush watercolors inspired by the diverse variety of herbs, flowers, and trees grown in her yard. With a continually blooming following of botanical and art lovers alike, Sarah shares her teaching talents locally in Seattle, where she regularly instructs Watercolor Classes to students of all skill levels. Follow her beautiful work on Instagram at @themintgardener
Good Dirt® Gives Back
“Good Dirt, Good Deeds” and Childhood Education
When we teach children to garden, it’s about so much more than playing in the dirt. They learn about where their food comes from and how gardening is good for their bodies and their minds.
Part of our core mission is to teach children how to love the ground they walk on, nourish it, and grow their food by planting gardens. With the “Good Dirt, Good Deeds” program, Good Dirt® teaches kids how to plant seeds and so much more — like how precious water is in nurturing the garden and how to take care of our natural resources.
Good Dirt® supports local teaching gardens with our all-natural, nutrient-rich soil and plant food. We work closely with schools in our area, so children of all ages find out how their food grows and how to take care of their physical and emotional health.
Addressing Food Insecurity & Encouraging Entrepreneurial Farmers at an Urban Nonprofit Farm
Good Dirt® supports our local nonprofit urban farm by donating products from trial plants, to seeds, and our Good Dirt® soil and plant food. We believe in connecting with our community and supporting the next generation of farmers. We’ve been privileged to mentor emerging farmers onsite and bring in world renowned plant nutritionists for training opportunities.
We’ve also created raised beds at the farm and grown food as part of the “Plant A Row for the Hungry” national program, which focuses on reducing hunger by encouraging community and individual gardeners to plant an extra row in their gardens. The produce from those extra rows/containers/beds are then donated to local food collection systems (food banks, shelters, families in need).
