Leona LemonLast month I took advantage of the $20 worth of free plants from Springhill Nursery, and ordered the Improved Meyer Dwarf Lemon Kit for the price of shipping only. It arrived by UPS today, small (as I expected it to be) but healthy, and showing new growth. I immediately planted her in the enclosed potting mix, in the enclosed pot (which happens to match my patio table and chairs), gave her a good drink of water, and christened her Leona. Why Leona, you ask? Well, Mr. Granny's mother was a Meyer. The lemon tree is a Meyer. Mr. Granny's mother's name was Leona, which begins with an L. Lemon begins with an L. Makes perfect sense to me that we should name her Leona.
What a wonderful compliment, to your MIL. I'm sure she would have loved it. Hope it grows well and you have plenty of lemons. (Oh just thought, I hope she wasn't a sourpuss, you know how some MIL's can be, it would be appropriate that way to. LOL)
ReplyDeleteMy brother has been wanting one of these little beauties for a while now. I can't wait to see how Leona fairs!
ReplyDelete- Kimmi
Yes, the name is quite fitting. Will you have to bring your tree indoors for the winter? or is it time to get a greenhouse!
ReplyDeleteDebbie, the real Leona was not a sourpuss at all! Just the opposite, a sweet and loving mother/mother-in-law and grandma. If I'm lucky enough to get lemons from Leona Lemon, they will be used to make sweet lemonade and sweet desserts!
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Kimmi, I've already managed to lose three in-the-ground lemon trees at our AZ home, due to being away half the year and the neighbors under or over watering them for me. Let's hope I can keep a small "portable" on alive!
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Heather, I'll bring it indoors before it freezes here, and transport it to Arizona for the winter. It will have to make do with a north facing plant window for a couple of months, so I hope it can handle it. I suppose I'll have to introduce it to that gradually, much like hardening off a plant. Actually, there will be many days it can go outside, even during the winter months. I'll just have to make sure it comes inside at night. we do have a south facing, sunny window in Arizona.
Aw, that's cute! I bet she's smiling at this from the Great Beyond...Hope Leona lives long and prospers!
ReplyDeleteMakes perfect sense to me, too.
ReplyDeleteBest,
Tony
SB, the original Leona lived for 88 years. I hope Leona Lemon lives a fraction of that!
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Thanks, Tony...it makes me feel better that I'm not alone ;-)
hope you get some lemons this time! Mmm, lemon pie sounds soooo good!
ReplyDeleteIt's so nice to treat yourself sometimes. Good choice.
ReplyDeleteShawn Ann, my favorite! Or maybe Meyer Lemon marmalade. Thomas sent me some of his, and it's sooooo good as a sauce for chicken or pork chops.
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Cheryl, Mr. Granny has always wanted a lemon tree, so maybe he'll help keep this one watered. He never did water his tomato, so it got moved out to the garden :-(
I love our Meyer. A happy, productive tree. And such nice lemons.
ReplyDeleteYaay! You finally got your Meyer--and for a sweet deal too! I hope it grows better for you than my potted Meyer is... I haven't mentioned it on my blog recently because I'm too embarrassed and ashamed. It's in a sad state...
ReplyDeleteI can't help but think that only the criminally insane give names to plants!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the new addition to the family.
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful! Welcome to the family, Leona. What a beautiful name.
ReplyDeleteI snagged myself one of these beauties as well. When I first recieved it I knocked all but three of the leaves off of it! EEK, Thankfully once it started really warming up outside it's put on a huge spurt of growth and looks better than when I received it!
ReplyDeleteStefaneener, you live in lemon growing country.....I, like Thomas, will have to grow mine as a house plant. What on earth was I thinking? If I had waited just two weeks, I could have bought two of their ever blooming lilacs instead. Silly me.
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Oh, Momma_S, I have a feeling yu and I will be crying on each other's shoulders. I could never make a house plant live. My little Leona has a hard row to hoe ahead of her.
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TIG, pot, meet kettle. Do we remember Tamara?
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Thanks, Daphne. Hmmmm, she doesn't look a bit like either of us. I hope she fits in ;-)
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Ribbit, it beats naming her after my mother. Somehow "Ethel Pearl" just doesn't fit her.
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Tenessa, that's good to hear! I think this is a good time of the year to get it started, not too hot and not too cold. Hopefully it will have a well established root system by the time we transport it south.
Hi Gran. I purchased my Meyer lemon from Spring hill a few years ago as well. It was a rough start (I set mine out when the weather was still relatively cold and ended up losing most of the older leaves) but my tree rebounded very quickly. If you haven't already, I would get some slow release citrus fertilizer (avoid the sticks). It really does wonders.
ReplyDeleteI got my first lemons exactly one year after getting the tree. Good luck!
Wow, Thomas, one year to real lemons? I should be so lucky! I've never seen citrus fertilizer around here, so it might have to wait until I get to AZ. I'll look for it though.
ReplyDeleteMy MIL is also a lovely Leona. I happen to think it is also a beautiful name! :) Hope it grows beautifully!
ReplyDeleteMegan, me too :-D
ReplyDeleteLeona looks lovely!
ReplyDeleteKelly, Leona said "thank you" ;-)
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your "new arrival", Gran - she's absolutely beautiful! Hopefully it won't be long before she's grown and covered in heavenly-scented blossoms.
ReplyDelete...and I thought I was the only one who thinks meyer lemon trees are deserving of names... ;-) Glad I'm not the only crazy out there!
I have been Jonesing for a lemon tree for some time now but have continually talked myself out of it because our indoor growing conditions are not good at all (too much shade from trees for plant to really thrive during the winter in our house. I wish I could figure out a way to manage the over wintering - if I did I would do this in a heart beat!
ReplyDeleteLeona looks like a good little start and I bet with your green thumb gives you lemons in a hurry.
Your naming process makes perfect sense to me, Granny. She's lovely, truly. And soon enough, those freshly scented blooms will add to her beauty!
ReplyDeleteDon't you just love it when the nurseries offer coupons for free goodies? :)
Caffienated Mom, I think there are a lot of us crazies out there. Not all of them will 'fess up to it like we do ;-)
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Kitsap, that's my worry...no south facing windows in my house, except the living room, and those are under a porch roof and get no sun. In previous years, we've headed to AZ in early October, but we're not going until January this year. I hope I can keep it happy for a couple of un-sunny months in the house!
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Meredith, free is always good. You know me and my bargains.