"Gather ye rose-buds while ye may." Robert Herrick

"Gather ye rose-buds while ye may." Robert Herrick

Hello Friends!

Friends, Romans, countrymen...y'all. Foodies, gardeners, artists and collectors - let's gather together to share and possibly learn a thing or two in the mix.

Donna Baker

Sunday, June 26, 2016

My Citrus


Most of you know I have a large citrus collection - my pride and joy.  I've kind of become a citrus hoarder as the greenhouse in winter is overflowing, to say the least.

I returned from quite a long stay at the city house, and what did I find?  Several dead trees and the ground covered in citrus flower petals at the base of every pot.  There was to be a banner crop this fall. They had not been watered and in high summer temperatures, it is an every other day task.

This is my Australian Finger Lime tree.  It has never produced (in 3 years) and this year it was covered in little purple flowers.



So, there were no more flowers and the leaves were curled and drying up, but look what I discovered this morning.  My first crop of baby finger limes.


This is what the finger lime looks like when ripe.  It is full of large vesicles filled with lime juice.  They can be used on salads and I don't know what yet.  I'll have to look for recipes.  I can't wait to taste them.




21 comments:

La Table De Nana said...

Oh no.. could you get someone to water when you are not there?

Love the finger limes..very novel to me..I have never seen them...
Very dry and hot here also..

donna baker said...

Yes, but he didn't think of it and no rain came. I can't wait to try them in drinks and salads, maybe tabouleh or quinoa or a rice dish.

Val said...

Oooh! I'd never seen those before--How neat. Cilantro-lime rice is so good, if that appeals to you. 'Just butter, cilantro, and lime juice mixed with white rice. . . .So good with tacos and chicken.

Elephant's Child said...

I am so glad that you did have some baby finger limes - to ease some of the pain of the losses.
I have grieved (and it isn't too strong a word) in similar circumstances.

Haddock said...

Wonderful.
Never seen lime like these before.

Joanne Noragon said...

Lime juice is good; this looks better, like exquisite jewels.

Frances said...

Australian finger limes are totally new to me. What beautiful fruits...with many possible uses. Gosh, it's a shame about the dry-out. Perhaps you will restart your citrus grove?

xo

donna baker said...

And sounds easy Val, which I love.

donna baker said...

I did grieve silently, but will reinforce the watering and filling up the goldfish pond this week. Plus I'm going to haul some of the small plants to the city. They suffered the most.

donna baker said...

Yes, I should have mentioned I got most of my stock from Logee's Tropical Plants catalogue which you can order and find online. The have a wonderful selection of plants, including vanilla, cocoa, cinnamon. Just edible plant heaven.

donna baker said...

Yes, I'm hauling it to the city so it will definitely be watered while I am away.

donna baker said...

I'm working on it Frances. I've propagated plants and wanted to start new ones in smaller containers. Not knowing a lot about citrus, I planted them in the largest pots known to man and they grew and grew, but are so large, we can barely get them in the greenhouse (and did I mention they are heavy and have thorns all over them?)

Bea said...

Oooh! In the first photo the finger limes almost look like Persian cucumbers/gherkins. Citrus certainly comes in all manner of unusual shapes and sizes.

elaine said...

You will have to give your plant Waterer a bollocking Donna - sorry you have lost your citrus bushes. Those limes look very alien hope they taste better than they look.

angryparsnip said...

Oh my goodness what a mess, so very sad.
We have had such winds and last year I lost most of the blooms so a little crop. This year not so good either.
I have a small citrus grove and one winter about 8 years ago a huge cold front came down from Canada and I lost most of my trees. It was down to 18 for two days.
I keep trying to save one of my favorite tangelo but I think I might have to chop it down. When I bought this home the small grove was already established and wonderful.
Most of the trees were very old and were a great producer of fabulous sweet fruit.
I love finger limes !

cheers, parsnip and thehamish


donna baker said...

Citrus hoarder....

donna baker said...

See my Buddha's Hand on the right Elaine, and I'd like to.

donna baker said...

I am surprised by that where you live. I wish I could leave mine outside. I've seen these little alcoves built in the side of buildings in Italy, where they stored their citrus trees in winter. I'm still assessing the damage and wondering what is going to make it. I hate losing plants to varmints and bugs.fungus, but to not watering - I'm smokin'.

Mary said...

How adorable - new to me too!

Now I need Meyer lemons and finger limes - love citrus flavors.

angryparsnip said...

I understand ! very frustrating.

donna baker said...

Yes Mary, they would do well where you live. I started with Meyer lemons and boy do they produce.