Saturday, April 23, 2016

Spring Surprise

Have you ever taken in an abandoned cat or dog?  Sometimes it doesn't work, but most of the time it works out quite well.  We did have a cat  kitten that insisted it would never be held, and since I had discovered I was allergic to cats years earlier, we knew we would be sending it to someone else to become a scratching post within days.  I never did hear from that girl...

Anyway, plants that have been abandoned can sometimes be like abandoned animals.  Back in the corner of the garden shop, sitting woefully and all by itself on the dusty table, was a Meyer lemon that had just been transplanted by the garden people as a last ditch effort to save it.  Citrus trees are very hardy and do not give up the fight for life easily.  It had bare branches with only a few leaves.  The scraggly orphan had been planted somewhat askew in the pot as if the garden people did not want to put out too much effort.  They offered a big discount if we would take it away.  Orphaned plants are our specialty and we did.

The gnome-like plant was the saddest looking little tree that sat in my kitchen all winter but hung on to the dozen or so leaves through the cold gray days.  I fertilized it just before spring and it seemed to perk up.  Then as the weather warmed in mid-April, I took it outside on the deck to adjust to storms and winds and direct sunlight.  The leaves got bigger and greener.


In a little more than a week it put out buds and blossoms.  Close to 100 I am guessing.  It was screaming with rebirth energy and demanding to live.


Meyer lemon blossoms are larger than one would expect, and they bloom on branches even when there are no leaves like many fruit trees.  Yes, I will have to remove many when they begin to fruit because the tree is so small, but for now I am enjoying their beauty.


Then today I was happy to see my first lemon.  I have never owned a Meyer lemon tree and I am as proud as any new parent or pet owner.  It will be hard to pick most of these off as they first form so the tree can put energy into growth and I will miss their tangy goodness.


Another bit of knowledge is that these blossoms are tremendously fragrant and can pretty much overwhelm your senses if you are sitting next to them transplanting seedlings as I was doing the other day.  I had to get up and move away.  They fill the air in the quiet of the early evening when I go out to share that time between daylight and night.  I close my eyes and pretend I am somewhere in Greece on a rocky island in the moonlight.  It already is a magical plant.

23 comments:

  1. The will of plants to go on living is inspirational. The lemon tree is pretty, and the flowers are as sweet.

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  2. You don't give up on plants, that's for sure. It pays off!

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  3. I cherish our Meyer lemon tree, it is about six years old and prolific.

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  4. It has pretty flowers. What a treat to have fresh lemons.

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  5. too much shade in my yard for a fruit tree but over at the shop now...plenty of room.

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  6. It sure does seem like a magical tree. I look forward to seeing how this little plant goes through the next season or two. :-)

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  7. Hooray for the lemon! May it keep you in pies, and lemon for your tea, for many years to come!

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  8. I wish I could smell those blossoms through my computer screen.

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  9. I just have to hear the words "meyer lemon" and the smell is there. And the memory of my grandmother and her prize winning meyer lemon, which grew wild beside the gully at the back of the farmhouse. We always smiled when Gran bragged about her prize winning lemon tree. Her lemons won at the local agricultural show every year. We always thought that was very funny because the only time she went near it was to pick the fruit. Oh, and I believe with new meyer lemons you should pick off any fruit that begins to develop. The plant will use a lot of nutrients and energy to make the fruit so by removing them all that energy will go into new growth and make a bigger and stronger tree. That's the belief here anyway. Aren't those flowers heavenly?

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  10. Such a beautiful little tree. I can just imagine the scent. Yummy.

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  11. How nice to read this early in the morning.

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  12. Your little lemon tree looks like it's doing very well! As for taking in abandoned cats, dogs, etc. - been there, done that. All our little critters came in from the cold... and found themselves a home. I'm probably not that lucky with plants.

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  13. What a fun and lovely little rescue tree.

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  14. Wonderful. I like the idea of rescuing a languishing plant and bringing it back to life.

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  15. Wonder if you'll be keeping it in a pot or eventually plant in ground? I had a variety of dwarf trees in whiskey barrels on my patio but .circumstances caused me to have to leave them suddenly before I had a drip water system set up for them. I was gone two weeks in the summer & they didn't survive nor did the barrels. Haven't tried again. Did get to harvest some mandarin oranges & a few lemons earlier. I should try again.

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    1. My climate is such that I will try to keep this dwarf size and move it in and out with the seasons.

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  16. Call it a bonsai? Gosh that magical plant is happy. I don't think I have ever seen a happier plant.

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  17. Aww. Well done, you!!! I believe the tree is rewarding you for rescuing it. It looks like it is a happy little tree and now you are enjoying the lovely scent it is giving off and are able to relax and dream. :)

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  18. You are a true lover of plants -- this one responded well to your care and love. I once knew an old man (now deceased) that rescued plants from a small dumping area in a cemetery that was located near his farm -- plants that had once sat at the feet of cemetery tombstones. His front porch was a nursery of salvaged cemetery plants that thrived under his care. They eventually were settled in the soil around his farm house. Your story about your plant was thoughtful. Enjoyed. -- barbara

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  19. Abandoned plants dare not cross my threshold. They will not survive. So proud of your ability to rescue the perishing:-)

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  20. What a wonderful tale of rejuvenation and hope. You make me want to take better care of my garden. I shall try - when the north winds go away. Blessings from Dalamory

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  21. I never tire of walking around the yard and seeing how many daffodils, or irises have made blooms. I'd be thrilled with a lemon. Reminds me of looking for peppers on my my pepper plants. Sometimes I get tons but they don't develop.

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  22. I don't know that lemons would grow in our climate which makes me sorry as the scent sounds tantalizing. I have been breathing in the plum blossoms' heavenly scent!

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Take your time...take a deep breath...then hit me with your best shot.