Stocking up for winter

The insanity continues. As if there wasn’t enough excess happening downstairs in the root cellar, where about 200 bulbs are chilling in their pots and vases, I’ve also been adding to the plant room upstairs.

While shopping for evergreen branches the other day, I noticed that the nursery had added—probably just to torment me—a table of citrus trees to their selection of gift plants. Right in there with all the amaryllis, zygocactus, rosemary, lavender, and cute little ferns growing out of little rocks or whatever.


These were sizable trees, too, many with fruit and buds all over them. I have always wanted to keep some citrus growing through the winter, moving it outside in summer, so how could I resist? I could not resist. I am now the owner of a dwarf Lisbon lemon. It is meant to be grown outdoors, of course, as the instructions make clear. Nothing there about keeping it going inside, but I know it’s possible; many grow citrus indoors.

I have purchased small plants from Logee’s before, but they didn’t make it, which was disappointing because they were pricey for their size. This lemon is established; at the very least, it will take longer to kill. At the most, I’ll be making cocktails with my own lemons from now on.