 Avery Bartlett-Golden next to his Thailand Giant variety of elephant ears. Progress of the Magnificent Colocasia |
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Left: Open to the hot summer sun, the Gravel Garden features interesting cacti and Mediterranean specimens. Right: A pastoral quality prevails in this view of mature trees atop a hill and meadow plantings below, near Chanticleer House.
Intrigued by the diversity, I wondered how it was achieved. "There are seven Horticulturists, each responsible for the design, planting, and maintenance of an area. The areas are continually evolving, each with its own feel, yet joined together as one complete unit, “explains the chanticleer website. It's also helpful to understand how much work and care an outstanding garden requires and I was especially curious about this one. I learned that there are fourteen full-time year-round gardeners and groundskeepers plus six other full-time staff member. In summer, the number of staff members doubles and includes interns and exchange gardeners. During the winter, year round staff members build and create furniture from wood harvested on the property, and construct fences, bridges, drinking fountains and other decorative touches.Throughout my visit, there were staff gardeners available to speak with about any aspect of the garden.
The bold colors and textures of the Teacup Garden at Chanticleer.
Flowers petals in a bowl of water and a hand crafted whimsical garden gate add charm to the entry of the Teacup Garden.
My favorite spot, and the part I found the most inspirational, is the teacup Garden. As the Chanticleer Garden website explains, “The Teacup Garden and Chanticleer Terraces feature seasonal plants and bold-textured tropical and subtropical plants. These areas change greatly from year to year. Non-hardy plants overwinter in greenhouses and basements.” It’s an area of lush, colorful plantings that use foliage as much as flowers to create vibrant borders. I especially loved the combination of banana plant leaves with the sizzling red of hibiscus flowers, and other exotic looking plants. As it happens, there are cold hardy bananas and also cold hardy hibiscus varieties. Another lovely idea for just about all gardeners were the gorgeous bowls of water with floating flower petals placed in various spots near the houses on the property. With great ideas for plant combinations and decorative touches I can put in my own garden, visiting Chanticleer was both a pleasure and an inspiration!
~To learn more about Chanticleer Garden, including plant lists and videos, go to: chanticleergarden.org
~To learn more about Chanticleer Garden, including plant lists and videos, go to: chanticleergarden.org
A beautiful amaryllis given to me by a friend cheers my windowsill
on a snowy day.
on a snowy day.
Enchanting Amaryllis
By guest author Avery Bartlett-Golden
In stores, homes and catalogs during December holidays, red and white Amaryllises are perhaps as evocative of the season as Poinsettias. Generally grown in the Netherlands and shipped over in time for the holidays, this voluminous flower has fascinated growers for centuries. The first bulbs flowering like today’s amaryllises were brought over in the early eighteenth century from the southwest cape of South Africa. These bulbs were the true amaryllis, Amaryllis belladonna. Since then new flowers from the Caribbean and South America were discovered. These were also called amaryllises and are related to what grace our homes today. They belong to the family Amarilidaceae, but are actually members of the genus Hippeastrum, hybridized with a wide variety of other related bulbs.
The symbolism of this flower is interesting. As the FloriSmart website explains, “The name Hippeastrum is a combination of two Greek words: Hippeus (knight) and Astron (star). Knight star refers to the star shaped petals which look like the medieval weapon. The flower symbolizes quite a few things: pride, enchanting beauty, friendship and affection. This makes the Amaryllis a perfect flower to give to a loved one.”
After flowering, new bulbs can be planted in a tall narrow pot about twice as wide as the bulb. Hippeastrums like well-drained soil and prefer to be planted with the neck of the bulb above the soil. Once frost danger has passed, they can be brought outside to a location protected from direct sun for the duration of the summer. This helps the bulb build reserves to enlarge and to produce flowers. Since Hippeastrums are from the tropics they are not winter hardy.
The symbolism of this flower is interesting. As the FloriSmart website explains, “The name Hippeastrum is a combination of two Greek words: Hippeus (knight) and Astron (star). Knight star refers to the star shaped petals which look like the medieval weapon. The flower symbolizes quite a few things: pride, enchanting beauty, friendship and affection. This makes the Amaryllis a perfect flower to give to a loved one.”
After flowering, new bulbs can be planted in a tall narrow pot about twice as wide as the bulb. Hippeastrums like well-drained soil and prefer to be planted with the neck of the bulb above the soil. Once frost danger has passed, they can be brought outside to a location protected from direct sun for the duration of the summer. This helps the bulb build reserves to enlarge and to produce flowers. Since Hippeastrums are from the tropics they are not winter hardy.
White crinum lilies blooming in June in our garden.
To extend the wonderful inflorescences, or flowering, of amaryllises outdoors, Crinum lilies can be used. Relatives of Hippeastrum, but with a number of species native to the southeastern United States, Crinum lilies are known for their durability and longevity. Another interesting bulb is the Xamarcrinum. Amarcrinums are intergeneric crosses between crinums and the true amaryllis. For a flower identical to the Christmas flower, Hippeastrum x johnsonii is a good intergeneric cross hardy to zone 7a.
With such variety, spanning arid climates to the southeastern United States and the tropics, the Amarilidaceae family provides nearly endless variety. Thus, perhaps the beautiful Christmas lily can not only bring beauty but serve as an introduction to a vast family of incredible flowers for nearly any climate.
For information on caring for your amaryllis visit:
https://www.extension.umn.edu/garden/yard-garden/flowers/growing-and-caring-for-amaryllis/
Avery Bartlett-Golden is a Horticulture Science major at North Carolina State University.
With such variety, spanning arid climates to the southeastern United States and the tropics, the Amarilidaceae family provides nearly endless variety. Thus, perhaps the beautiful Christmas lily can not only bring beauty but serve as an introduction to a vast family of incredible flowers for nearly any climate.
For information on caring for your amaryllis visit:
https://www.extension.umn.edu/garden/yard-garden/flowers/growing-and-caring-for-amaryllis/
Avery Bartlett-Golden is a Horticulture Science major at North Carolina State University.
Majorelle Garden
by Annette Bartlett-Golden
by Annette Bartlett-Golden
@Annette Bartlett-Golden, House at Majorelle Garden. Oil on canvas, 10 by 8 inches. $150.
A bold color scheme centered around an electric cobalt blue and a huge variety of plant specimens are part of what make Majorelle Garden in Marrakech, Morocco so special. My husband came across photos of Majorelle Garden on the internet and was so fascinated by its bold exuberance that it inspired the design for his library. So, when we were planning our trip to Spain, we were delighted to find that we could easily visit Marrakech, too, (Morocco is just south of Spain). As it turns out, Majorelle Garden is a top attraction in Morocco and for good reason.
Bougainvillea, cacti of all shapes and sizes, water features, and the brightly painted villa dominate the senses. This stunning twelve-acre oasis is the conception of French artist Jacques Majorelle who settled in Marrakech and in 1923 purchased the land where the garden dwells. “Jacques Majorelle, a passionate amateur botanist, created a luxuriant garden which would become his most dazzling work. For almost forty years, he continued to enrich it with new varieties of plants from all five continents, fashioning a ‘cathedral of shapes and colours,’ an ‘impressive garden’,” explains the Majorelle Gardenwebsite.
Bougainvillea, cacti of all shapes and sizes, water features, and the brightly painted villa dominate the senses. This stunning twelve-acre oasis is the conception of French artist Jacques Majorelle who settled in Marrakech and in 1923 purchased the land where the garden dwells. “Jacques Majorelle, a passionate amateur botanist, created a luxuriant garden which would become his most dazzling work. For almost forty years, he continued to enrich it with new varieties of plants from all five continents, fashioning a ‘cathedral of shapes and colours,’ an ‘impressive garden’,” explains the Majorelle Gardenwebsite.
Majorelle Garden in Marrakech, Morocco created by the French artist Jaques Majorelle and later the home of Yves St. Laurent.
Jacques Majorelle is also known for the distinctive vibrant cobalt blue with which he had the buildings painted. It is said that this color, called Majorelle blue, reminded him of the blue he observed in the Atlas Mountains, visible from Marrakech.
In 1980, the property, which had fallen into disrepair, was bought and renovated by French fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé. The villa now hosts the Berber Museum with an excellently curated collection of artifacts from Berber life. I particularly enjoyed the air conditioning which was a welcome respite from the sweltering 106°F outside! Despite the heat, I enjoyed visiting this amazing garden and I am so glad to have had the opportunity.
In 1980, the property, which had fallen into disrepair, was bought and renovated by French fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé. The villa now hosts the Berber Museum with an excellently curated collection of artifacts from Berber life. I particularly enjoyed the air conditioning which was a welcome respite from the sweltering 106°F outside! Despite the heat, I enjoyed visiting this amazing garden and I am so glad to have had the opportunity.
A tranquil fountain and a beautiful sitting spot where I took a moment to rest.
Samplings from an Epic Garden Tour:
A Photo Journal
By guest author Avery Bartlett-Golden
During Easter break, I embarked on a 10-day garden tour to see some of England’s finest botanical offerings. However, since April is tulip season, I had to began with a brief stop in Holland. Here are a few of my photos. Look for an article about my experiences in next month’s newsletter.
A Photo Journal
By guest author Avery Bartlett-Golden
During Easter break, I embarked on a 10-day garden tour to see some of England’s finest botanical offerings. However, since April is tulip season, I had to began with a brief stop in Holland. Here are a few of my photos. Look for an article about my experiences in next month’s newsletter.
Keukenhof Garden
Keukenhof Garden, one of the world's largest flower gardens,
in Lisse, Holland.
in Lisse, Holland.
Tulips are everywhere at Keukenhof Garden which is only open during three months in spring.
RHS Garden at Wisley
The Royal Horticultural Society's garden at Wisley in England was spectacular!
Azaleas at Wisley and a long view of the garden.
Chelsea Physics Garden
Pond at the Chelsea Physic Garden in London, England, is the country's second oldest botanical garden.
One of the lovley paths in the garden and an English couple waling in front of the statue of Dr. Hans Sloan.
Trebah Garden
A charming path at Trebah Garden leading to beautiful coastal views in Cornwall, England.
A gorgeous view of the beach on the Helford River that leads to the sea. The sailboat coming inland made it picture perfect!
Avery Bartlett-Golden is a Horticulture Science major at North Carolina State University. He is currently studying abroad in Valencia, Spain.
Inside a millennial olive tree at the Pou del Mas open air museum in Spain.
Spanish Olives
By guest author Avery Bartlett-Golden
In amongst a grove of millennial olive trees, my class and I tasted olive oils from the fall’s harvest. This semester one of my classes at UPV (Universitat Politècnica de València) is oliviculture, or the cultivation of olives. One of my favorite parts of the class are the fieldtrips we have gone on from visiting thousand-year-old olive trees, to practicing pruning the trees, and visiting oil mills.
Our first trip to the Castellón region, between Valencia and Barcelona, was absolutely amazing, introducing us to some of the oldest olive trees in Spain, and in the world. First we toured a cooperative mill where we saw the machines used in producing olive oil. There olives from local producers are brought in by truck, weighed and washed. Then they are ground, centrifuged to separate the oil and mash, and finally the oil is filtered and bottled. Freshly bottled oil is sold regionally.
After visiting the mill, we went to see one of the olive groves that had sent olives to the mill. Among more recently planted trees stood olives that had been cultivated by the early Arabs, as well as some that may have been established by the very last Romans in the area. In front of one of the venerable trees we tasted a sampling of oils from the farm and region.
Our professors described the search for balance among the various elements of olive oil: sweet, salty, bitter, and finally the bite at the end after swallowing. As we listened, we savored and mulled over the complexities in the oils. Noting the differences between filtered and unfiltered and between varieties, we learned about the flavor profiles of the regional cultivars.
By guest author Avery Bartlett-Golden
In amongst a grove of millennial olive trees, my class and I tasted olive oils from the fall’s harvest. This semester one of my classes at UPV (Universitat Politècnica de València) is oliviculture, or the cultivation of olives. One of my favorite parts of the class are the fieldtrips we have gone on from visiting thousand-year-old olive trees, to practicing pruning the trees, and visiting oil mills.
Our first trip to the Castellón region, between Valencia and Barcelona, was absolutely amazing, introducing us to some of the oldest olive trees in Spain, and in the world. First we toured a cooperative mill where we saw the machines used in producing olive oil. There olives from local producers are brought in by truck, weighed and washed. Then they are ground, centrifuged to separate the oil and mash, and finally the oil is filtered and bottled. Freshly bottled oil is sold regionally.
After visiting the mill, we went to see one of the olive groves that had sent olives to the mill. Among more recently planted trees stood olives that had been cultivated by the early Arabs, as well as some that may have been established by the very last Romans in the area. In front of one of the venerable trees we tasted a sampling of oils from the farm and region.
Our professors described the search for balance among the various elements of olive oil: sweet, salty, bitter, and finally the bite at the end after swallowing. As we listened, we savored and mulled over the complexities in the oils. Noting the differences between filtered and unfiltered and between varieties, we learned about the flavor profiles of the regional cultivars.
Amongst the elders at Pou del Mas open air museum where many thousand-year-old olives grow.
Next, we visited Pou del Mas open air museum, located next to the old Roman road known as Via Augusta, where one of the largest concentration of thousand-year-old olives grow. In one part, there were olives that had been planted around a late Roman house, and another grove marked the site of a Roman racetrack. Standing among these ancient trees was quite humbling, especially as there were no visible traces of the house or track remaining. It was also interesting to learn that while olives trees can survive for a millennium, they don’t produce growth rings that can be counted to estimate age, and often their trunks even become hollow. Thus, the most accurate historical datings have been made by size measurements and by carbon dating trees.
Learning about olives on this trip has helped me understand how olives and olive oil have been an essential part of the southern Mediterranean diet for millennium. It has also given me an appreciation for these beautiful enduring trees and their importance in Spanish culture.
Avery Bartlett-Golden is a Horticulture Science major at North Carolina State University. He is currently studying abroad in Valencia, Spain.
Learning about olives on this trip has helped me understand how olives and olive oil have been an essential part of the southern Mediterranean diet for millennium. It has also given me an appreciation for these beautiful enduring trees and their importance in Spanish culture.
Avery Bartlett-Golden is a Horticulture Science major at North Carolina State University. He is currently studying abroad in Valencia, Spain.
In search of more olives in the Castellón region of Spain.
Ana in front of some neighborhood woods.
Winter Trees
By guest author Ana Delfina Mejia
Since I first arrived in Greensboro, I have been fascinated by the trees. I live in Panama City, Panama and we don’t have so many trees there. The ones I see always have leaves, because in Panama we don’t have seasons like in North Carolina. The only difference between summer and winter is that in winter we have rain all day long.
What I like so much about the trees here are that they don’t have leaves now. Seeing the sky through their branches is my favorite thing about them. I like the different shapes of the branches; it makes them more interesting. Also, I enjoy that I’m able to see the entire form of the tree. For me, it’s as if I am looking at a painting.
Guest author Ana Delfina Mejia is a high school student in Panama City, Panama. She spent her summer break in Greensboro, North Carolina.
By guest author Ana Delfina Mejia
Since I first arrived in Greensboro, I have been fascinated by the trees. I live in Panama City, Panama and we don’t have so many trees there. The ones I see always have leaves, because in Panama we don’t have seasons like in North Carolina. The only difference between summer and winter is that in winter we have rain all day long.
What I like so much about the trees here are that they don’t have leaves now. Seeing the sky through their branches is my favorite thing about them. I like the different shapes of the branches; it makes them more interesting. Also, I enjoy that I’m able to see the entire form of the tree. For me, it’s as if I am looking at a painting.
Guest author Ana Delfina Mejia is a high school student in Panama City, Panama. She spent her summer break in Greensboro, North Carolina.
Searching for cork in the Parque Natural de La Sierra de Espadán.
On Cork
By guest author Avery Bartlett-Golden
Often when thinking of oak trees, an image of tall stately trees comes to mind. However, the oak genus has a strong connection to wine - from the barrels used to age wine in to the corks sealing the bottles. Quercus suber is the tree from which cork is harvested.
The cork tree, Quercus suber, is an interesting plant, intermediate in size with deeply fissured bark and evergreen leaves. At home in the Dehesa of Spain and Portugal as well as the Mediterranean Rim, it has evolved a unique strategy to resist the regions’ forest fires. Commercially used as an insulator, cork bark also functions as insulation for the tree, insulating the trunk and branches from the heat of forest fires and allowing swift recovery. While very rare, the bark can grow to 20 cm thick if the tree is left to grow naturally. Limited in range primarily by the presence of suitable acidic soils, Q. suber requires around twenty years before the first harvest of bark, and depending on the region, nine to fifteen years to reach a suitable thickness necessary to produce wine bottle stoppers.
Last semester I took a class called Protection of Forest Health: Wood and Cork. As part of the class, we took a field trip to the Parque Natural de La Sierra de Espadán to learn about cork. Near the park we visited the Sierra Espadan Corks company and watched the cork manufacturing process first hand.
By guest author Avery Bartlett-Golden
Often when thinking of oak trees, an image of tall stately trees comes to mind. However, the oak genus has a strong connection to wine - from the barrels used to age wine in to the corks sealing the bottles. Quercus suber is the tree from which cork is harvested.
The cork tree, Quercus suber, is an interesting plant, intermediate in size with deeply fissured bark and evergreen leaves. At home in the Dehesa of Spain and Portugal as well as the Mediterranean Rim, it has evolved a unique strategy to resist the regions’ forest fires. Commercially used as an insulator, cork bark also functions as insulation for the tree, insulating the trunk and branches from the heat of forest fires and allowing swift recovery. While very rare, the bark can grow to 20 cm thick if the tree is left to grow naturally. Limited in range primarily by the presence of suitable acidic soils, Q. suber requires around twenty years before the first harvest of bark, and depending on the region, nine to fifteen years to reach a suitable thickness necessary to produce wine bottle stoppers.
Last semester I took a class called Protection of Forest Health: Wood and Cork. As part of the class, we took a field trip to the Parque Natural de La Sierra de Espadán to learn about cork. Near the park we visited the Sierra Espadan Corks company and watched the cork manufacturing process first hand.
View of the Parque Natural de La Sierra de Espadán.
The first peel of bark from the cork tree is usually too rough for making stoppers and is commonly used as a decorative substrate for orchids and other epiphytes in cultivation. Planks of bark to be used for stoppers are usually dried from six months to a year before being boiled in water to clean and improve the workability of the cork.
Once dried, the planks are cut in strips the length of a stopper and manually or mechanically punched. The blanks then get sorted optically by machines and by hand into differing grades and defective stoppers are removed. The blanks are then labeled with ink for red wines and branded for white wines where ink could potentially bleed. Finally, the blank is usually waxed with paraffin or silicone, although some manufactures use naturally derived paraffin of beeswax.
Once dried, the planks are cut in strips the length of a stopper and manually or mechanically punched. The blanks then get sorted optically by machines and by hand into differing grades and defective stoppers are removed. The blanks are then labeled with ink for red wines and branded for white wines where ink could potentially bleed. Finally, the blank is usually waxed with paraffin or silicone, although some manufactures use naturally derived paraffin of beeswax.
After sorting, washing, trimming, stamping, and waxing, the corks are finished.
The Sierra Espadán Corks company is one of the very few to use FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified cork which ensures that the product comes from sustainable forests. The company also uses cork from the natural reserve, one of the only parts of Valencia where cork grows. The conditions here require fifteen years between peels but the end result is a special cork sought after for some of the finest vintages of Spanish wins.
After seeing the factory, we hiked through part of the Sierra Espadán reserve and observed cork trees in different stages of growth. We also noted fungi and diseases in Q. suber and intermixed pines. This was a grand experience in very gorgeous country.
Guest author Avery Bartlett-Golden is a Horticulture Science major at North Carolina State University. He is currently studying abroad in Valencia, Spain.
After seeing the factory, we hiked through part of the Sierra Espadán reserve and observed cork trees in different stages of growth. We also noted fungi and diseases in Q. suber and intermixed pines. This was a grand experience in very gorgeous country.
Guest author Avery Bartlett-Golden is a Horticulture Science major at North Carolina State University. He is currently studying abroad in Valencia, Spain.
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Students walking through parts of the Parque Natural de La Sierra de Espadán near Valeancia, Spain.
Some of my many houseplants in their usual spot.
It’s a Jungle in Here!
By Annette Bartlett-Golden
If you came to the Holiday Open House Art Show or saw the photos you would little have suspected that I have at least fifty potted houseplants. Fifty-two to be exact. That’s because for a couple weeks half of them were congregated in the spare room where they were intermittently kept company by the cat during her long afternoon naps. One day in the spare room endeavoring to squeeze past the sharp thorns of the lemon tree to water plants on the far side, I marveled with some annoyance at how I had ended up with the care of so many plants. There was a time I didn’t have a single plant - although I was quite young then.
By Annette Bartlett-Golden
If you came to the Holiday Open House Art Show or saw the photos you would little have suspected that I have at least fifty potted houseplants. Fifty-two to be exact. That’s because for a couple weeks half of them were congregated in the spare room where they were intermittently kept company by the cat during her long afternoon naps. One day in the spare room endeavoring to squeeze past the sharp thorns of the lemon tree to water plants on the far side, I marveled with some annoyance at how I had ended up with the care of so many plants. There was a time I didn’t have a single plant - although I was quite young then.
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A portion of my houseplants sojourning in a spare room and the African violet.
The collection of houseplants tends to fall into four categories: purchases, propagation, gifts and offspring. I bought the African violet because it was beautiful and the Anthurium because I wanted to make a painting of it. My son couldn’t resist buying bromeliads, begonias and many others at his university’s plant sales. Even my husband bought an agave.
Some plants, such as the three young pineapples, were intentionally propagated from the leafy tops of pineapple fruit bought at the grocery store. My son nurtured these with the hope of one day harvesting his own fresh pineapples.
Some plants, such as the three young pineapples, were intentionally propagated from the leafy tops of pineapple fruit bought at the grocery store. My son nurtured these with the hope of one day harvesting his own fresh pineapples.
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Right: The cockatiel Meg perched on the staghorn fern.
Left: ©Annette Bartlett-Golden, detail of Happy Anthurium. Watercolor, 5 x 7 inches. $100
Left: ©Annette Bartlett-Golden, detail of Happy Anthurium. Watercolor, 5 x 7 inches. $100
A good number of the plants came as gifts. The Christmas cactus, shamrock, aloe and philodendrons were given to me by friends over a decade ago. An elderly woman gave my son orchids and neighbors gifted him with jasmine, a floppy cactus specimen, a Sago palm, the lemon tree, a staghorn fern and many other interesting flora.
As if that wasn’t enough, a whole lot of these plants multiplied. The aloe constantly has children, the philodendrons reproduce from just a leaf put in a cup of water and the bromeliads, after flowering, grow new shoots that will mature and flower in their turn. Even the magnificent elephant ear outside had a child which I dug up and potted to winter inside.
So what is a plant lover to do? This is the gift giving season and a great time to share my bounty of plants!
As if that wasn’t enough, a whole lot of these plants multiplied. The aloe constantly has children, the philodendrons reproduce from just a leaf put in a cup of water and the bromeliads, after flowering, grow new shoots that will mature and flower in their turn. Even the magnificent elephant ear outside had a child which I dug up and potted to winter inside.
So what is a plant lover to do? This is the gift giving season and a great time to share my bounty of plants!
Our young lemon tree grown from seed.
Lovely Lemons
By guest author Avery Bartlett-Golden
Cultivated for the last millennium, the lemon has fascinated people since its beginning as a hybrid between a citron and a sour orange. Thought to have originated in East Asia or India, the lemon made its way west and may have been a novel plant in Roman gardens. The first written records of cultivation come from Arabic texts in the tenth century. Lemon trees are an important part of traditional Arabic and Mediterranean gardens, where the lemon fruit is valued for its scent, oil, and juice.
In Spanish the word azahar or flor de azahar refers to the citrus blossom and is derived from the Arabic word for flower. In Andalusia, Murcia, Valencia and southern Spain in general, the scent of oranges and lemons wafting on the breeze are a cherished part of early spring both in the countryside and cities where citrus are planted as street trees.
In North Carolina and most parts of the United States, we sadly can't grow acres of lemons, but we can grow lemons in pots. A couple years ago our plant loving neighbors up the street gave me a small lemon tree, around two feet tall, planted from the seed of a grocery store lemon. This year my tree began flowering at the end of July but lemon trees can flower anytime during the year. Since I first got it, my plant has continued to grow and this year it produced eight lemons! Two are ripe now and the others will be soon.
By guest author Avery Bartlett-Golden
Cultivated for the last millennium, the lemon has fascinated people since its beginning as a hybrid between a citron and a sour orange. Thought to have originated in East Asia or India, the lemon made its way west and may have been a novel plant in Roman gardens. The first written records of cultivation come from Arabic texts in the tenth century. Lemon trees are an important part of traditional Arabic and Mediterranean gardens, where the lemon fruit is valued for its scent, oil, and juice.
In Spanish the word azahar or flor de azahar refers to the citrus blossom and is derived from the Arabic word for flower. In Andalusia, Murcia, Valencia and southern Spain in general, the scent of oranges and lemons wafting on the breeze are a cherished part of early spring both in the countryside and cities where citrus are planted as street trees.
In North Carolina and most parts of the United States, we sadly can't grow acres of lemons, but we can grow lemons in pots. A couple years ago our plant loving neighbors up the street gave me a small lemon tree, around two feet tall, planted from the seed of a grocery store lemon. This year my tree began flowering at the end of July but lemon trees can flower anytime during the year. Since I first got it, my plant has continued to grow and this year it produced eight lemons! Two are ripe now and the others will be soon.
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Lemons ripening on the young potted lemon tree at the beginning of the month.
The easiest way to propagate lemons is from seed. If you use seeds from a regular store lemon, the chances are that it is a “Eureka” cultivar. Like most oranges, lemons will be true enough to seed (except for the Meyer lemon). Plant lemon seeds in good potting soil and keep the soil moist. It is best to consider lemon trees a patio plant and to be prepared to move them outside once the frost risk has passed.
Outdoors, lemon plants prefer a very sunny site protected from wind and lots of water. During the hot summer, lemons in Spain are perfectly happy in blazing squares and courtyards. Lemons also require lots of nitrogen in the summer. I prefer to use blood meal since it is easy to apply, decently long lasting, and has low risk of burning leaves. In the fall, special care should be taken to bring in the lemon plants before the temperature drops to 45°F since they suffer greatly at temperatures below that.
Although fruiting takes time, usually 2-5 years, lemons are still very handsome decorative plants. In time, lemon trees will grow rather large, but they can be kept a manageable size, and still maintain their beauty, with careful pruning. It is also good to know that while young lemon plants from seed, like mine, have a few thin thorns, they gradually diminish with age. Finally, if you happen to get bored with your lemon tree you can always graft other types of citrus onto it for an orangerie in a pot!
Guest author Avery Bartlett-Golden is a Horticulture Science major at North Carolina State University. He is currently studying abroad in Valencia, Spain.
Outdoors, lemon plants prefer a very sunny site protected from wind and lots of water. During the hot summer, lemons in Spain are perfectly happy in blazing squares and courtyards. Lemons also require lots of nitrogen in the summer. I prefer to use blood meal since it is easy to apply, decently long lasting, and has low risk of burning leaves. In the fall, special care should be taken to bring in the lemon plants before the temperature drops to 45°F since they suffer greatly at temperatures below that.
Although fruiting takes time, usually 2-5 years, lemons are still very handsome decorative plants. In time, lemon trees will grow rather large, but they can be kept a manageable size, and still maintain their beauty, with careful pruning. It is also good to know that while young lemon plants from seed, like mine, have a few thin thorns, they gradually diminish with age. Finally, if you happen to get bored with your lemon tree you can always graft other types of citrus onto it for an orangerie in a pot!
Guest author Avery Bartlett-Golden is a Horticulture Science major at North Carolina State University. He is currently studying abroad in Valencia, Spain.