Lemon Tree - April 2011

My first batch of lemons - only 4 this year, but not bad for a first crop. I'm so pleased with my lemmon tree; it has really thrived and grown very quickly. We also have a bird building a nest in the dead center of the tree, which is pretty neat... they just better leave my lemmons alone!!

Mango Tree - April 2011

April 2011: Updated images of my Glen Mango tree, weighted down with ripening fruit. Last year I started with about a dozen and ended with just one that reached full ripeness. My hope is that at least three or four will reach ripeness this year. They should ripen around late June or early July.

African Lilly (Agapanthus)

April, 2011 - Updated images of my favorite African Lillies, thriving in my front garden. They are in full bloom now, and will probably be at peek around the 4th of July.

Monstera Deliciosa

Impacted by the cold and dry spell.

Monstera is a large-leaf philodendren.  I planted several as fill between some live oaks in some open beds in my back yard (hence, full sun).  Like the xanadu, they prefer indirect sun and so I am not surprised that they have not thrived, but my hope is that the oaks will soon become more full and provide more shade. Once mature and thriving, they appear to be robust; but before then, they seem to be rather delicate and impacted by cold and dry weather; they do best in the wet summer. It isn't widely known, but they produce an edible fruit that is supposed to taste similar to a pineapple; however, we have been warned that it is very difficult to gauge the ripeness... and if you eat it before it is perfectly ripe, it feels like broken glass going down your throat. If they survive and eventually thrive and produce the fruit, we will test it and post a follow-up.

Orange Tree (Citrus spp.)

My pitiful orange tree.

I purchased my orange tree at the same time as my lemon tree, but with substantially different outcomes.  Whereas the lemon tree has doubled in size and has show rapid growth, the orange tree has been stagnant.  I admit that I am pretty disappointed in the orange tree; my expectations were much higher. Like the lemon tree, it has sharp thorns covering its trunk and limbs.

Lemon Tree (Citrus spp.)

After several years of low availability, citrus trees became more attainable around 2009.  At that time I bought a lemon and an orange tree, both of which were about the same size… both were very small. The lemon was grafted from a fruit-bearing tree but had not produced any fruit during the first season in the ground (not surprisingly).  However, it has grown incredibly quickly, easily doubling in size since initial planting; in contrast, the orange tree has shown virtually no growth.  The lemon tree is very pretty and very fragrant; the leaves themselves have a refreshing lemon smell.  The one downside is the sharp thorns that protrude from the trunk and branches; in retrospect, I probably would have purchased a tree without the thorns.  With young kids I have considered relocating to a more remote area of the yard; in the meantime I have been cutting the thorns off.  I want to wait until after this coming fruit season in the hopes of it bearing fruit.

Look at those nasty thorns!

Sweetbay Magnolia (Magnolia virginiana and cvs.)

My wife and I planted a Sweetbay Magnolia in the front swale of our yard by our mailbox.  We bought a relatively large specimen which was about 12’ tall when planted.  The Magnolia is a very pretty tree, with large leaves with hues of green, purple, and brown.  It yields beautiful, large, fragrant white flowers. It has thrived since planting and always looks good. We continue to be pleased with our Magnolia tree.