frequently asked questions

Why go GREEN?

To live affordably.

They are a part of my private garden- and aside from the fact that they are pretty and form a green arched bridge, I picked this image to represent Sustainable Footprints for the following reasons: (see also Links page- House Plants Clean Air)

1. A Point Loma homeowner, I live near Lindbergh Field, the Marine Depot and old Naval Training Center- now Liberty Station. There is a very busy six lane highway on the other side of the fence. The cymbidium orchids and loquats are clearly thriving and producing.
2. They like the additional heat from the tarmac, the air movement from the passing cars and trucks, the bright sunlight and are delighted with the coastal fog, and admittedly infrequent rain, acidic or not.
3. The drought tolerant loquat tree affords partial shade to the orchids and helps maintain their humidity in a southern California coastal climate. In turn, the orchids oxygenate and purify the surrounding air by reducing air pollutants and facilitate the air purification processes which continue throughout the night.
4. Together they clean and cool the ambient air, metabolize the aromatic hydrocarbons and help filter and sequester the dust, dirt, noxious gases and noise from the street
5. Cymbidium orchids are particularly good at removing trichloroethylene from the surrounding atmosphere. TCE, a cancer-causing compound and mutagen that is the most commonly found chemical at Superfund sites, was widely used as a degreaser and aircraft engine cleaner at Lindberg Airfield, as well as commercial airports and military bases around the country.
6. These plants will survive locally outdoors for years with benign neglect and are prolific producers of long lasting, (up to 3 months) fragrant blooms, beautiful foliage in varying shades of green year round, and abundant, sweet, juicy fruit.
7. The loquat is a member of the rose family, originating in China, but thrives in a number of places throughout the world.
   • The golden-yellow fruit has a pear-like flavour with a touch of apricot and pineapple. It is delicious eaten raw, stewed, preserved, dried and the roasted seeds can be used as a coffee substitute. Loquats can also be used to make wine.
   • Loquat is a good source of Vitamin A, which is crucial for visual and dental health of an individual.
   • It contains malic acid, tartaric acid, citric acid, high amounts of potassium, maganese, pectin, vitamins A, B and C, and B17. Vitamin B17 is known as amygdaline, laetrile or the anti-cancer vitamin, as it helps prevent cancer.
   • Loquats are appropriate for maintaining optimum health, as they are low in saturated fat and cholesterol.
   • Loquats are rich in fiber, making them suitable for those who wish to lose weight.
   • Extract from loquat leaves is an important ingredient for lung ailments and has been used by Chinese since ancient times.
   • The loquat leaf is said to alleviate coughing and nausea.  It even dissolves phlegm and is an expectorant.
8. Orchids are the largest and most diverse plant family on Earth. There at least 100,000 hybrids and 25,000 cultivars.
   • A great deal of orchids make their home in tropical environments, however orchids have been found on every continent with the exception of Antartica.
   • Orchids have reparative and protective properties, especially for skin and hair, and have been used in Asia for centuries.
   • Extracts of the flowers can be applied topically as a moisturizer- they fight free radicals, increasing skin immunity and are rich in minerals, such as zinc, calcium, magnesium, iron, and copper, enhancing your skin's own natural mineral content.
   • They have spectacularly unique adaptations for insect pollination, sexual reproduction, but also propagate asexually.
   • Most are long-lived. In fact, some species are virtually immortal, given the proper attention. Divisions or propagations of orchids discovered in the 19th century are still growing and flowering today.
   • Orchids are hardy. They arose some 76 to 84 million years ago. Old as the dinosaurs, the family was fairly young at the time of the extinction of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago, according to scientists who identified the ancient fossilized remains of a pollen-bearing bee as the first hint of orchids in the fossil record.