My Dream Orange Grove

So we’re staying in Anna Maria Island, Florida. And I can honestly say I’ve never been to such a chilled-out, friendly and beautiful island. The sand is fine and white, the beaches are long and there is not a hill to be seen – perfect for strolling. But the best thing about this island is that the house where we’re staying has Orange trees in the garden. I kid you not – with actual Oranges on the trees.

Not only Oranges but Lemons too.

And Limes. What an amazing thing to be able to walk out of your kitchen door and pick a Lemon. Today, I made salad dressing with Lemon picked fresh from the tree. Actually, it didn’t taste any different than a shop bought one – but it felt different.

I would love to have my own citrus fruit trees. I actually have no idea how to grow Oranges or Lemons but I would learn, very, very quickly if only I lived in the right environment.

Category: Growing Fruit     Tagged: , ,

11 Comments on “My Dream Orange Grove”

  1. Citrus are supposed to be not that difficult to grow. It used to be a fad in France and Spain for the aristocracy to have an ‘orangery’. Apparently, all you have to do is grow them in pots and then haul them in for the winter.

    But the thought of twice annual wrestling matches with enormous pots has always put me off until a month ago, when Gurneys (the big seed company in the U.S.) sent out an ad for 3 dwarf citrus plants for only $10. Who could resist? So I’m waiting (with bated breath) for delivery day.

    I keep a light on in the hall all night, so I’m hoping I can rig something up with that to give them the extra light they need. I know one of them is a Meyer lemon and they are heavenly (tiny but very sweet).

    If we can grow them in Oregon, you can grow them in the UK.

  2. Wow looks lovely! Glad you’re having a super chilled time. My mum and dad have grown an orange tree in their garden in Spain :) When I last went out they were removing some of the tiny green buds to give the remaining ones a better chance – and it worked.

  3. That sounds so lovely!
    We had some sunshine in the UK yesterday and then a horible hail storm! So much for Spring being in the air!
    I am thinkng of getting a damson tree for my garden … not quite as exotic as lemons but still would be lovely to pick them!

  4. It sounds idyllic. I hope you’ve got plenty of gin to go with the lemons.

  5. We have the same [oranges & lemons in the garden] experience at a house we often stay at in Crete. And Iannis keeps chickens at the bottom of the garden so at breakfast we can have orange juice from ‘our’ trees and a boiled egg from ‘our’ chickens. Lovely!

  6. We went to Mildura, an inland Victorian town famous for its oranges, last year. As we drove in, the scent of the blossom came through into the car — just delightful.

    I suppose I shouldn’t tell you that there used to be a saying here that only people without friends had to buy lemons in Sydney. My late neighbours used to give me oranges, and they told me that my lemon tree was a scion of their own (almost certainly ‘Eureka’). Grapefruit and mandarin trees are also fairly common. Tahitian limes need a sheltered spot, but I plan to get one in the next few years.

    I should point out that we can’t grow anything with a chilling requirement!

  7. We live in Canada, and when we take our 5th wheel to Texas for the winter, we stay in a park that used to be an orchard. They left some of the trees for us to pick and my hubby just opens the window at the table and picks the oranges right from the tree. It is so nice to have fresh fruit for breakfast. I wish we could have oranges and grapefruit here in Canada.

  8. I am very jealous being here in the cold and damp back in UK! I have left you an award on my blog. I hope you will accept, you are not obliged to pass it on. I just thought I would let you know that I like your blog.

  10. The pictures look amazing!
    I live in a quite cold area, and I have a lemon tree and a calamondin tree. I move them out in a sheltered spot in the garden, and make sure they get loads of sun. They also love rainwater instead of tap, so make sure they are not covered under a tree.

    Mine stay out in the garden as long as the temperature doesn’t go colder than 8 degrees celsius.

    Then I move them inside close to a window facing south or west.

    To times (late december and late february) a year they get spider mites, and I use a spray twice a year to keep them away.
    If the trees drop their leaves, they will grow back again in april. No real harm done!

    My little lemon tree produces about 4 lemons a year, and loads of beautiful lovely scented flowers. The Calemodin (small fruits that I use in slices in my water) produces about 15 fruits a year.

    They grow really slow, so I urge you to buy as big/old as you can!

    Even here in Norway they seem quite strong and well tempered! :) I hope you buy one, and blog about it!

  11. How Funny! I grew up in Bradenton. My dad still lives there. He’s British too. ;D We got lots of UK visitors there when I was growing up.

    I miss the sunsets!