Modern Gardens Jan

LEMONS
Sharp and zesty, lemons add a
MOUTH-WATERING TANG to
a range of sweet and savoury dishes
WORDS: MELISSA MABBITT. PHOTOS: STOCKFOOD, SHUTTERSTOCK,
GAP, JOHN PAUL URIZAR & WILLIAM MEPPEM/BAUERSYNDICATION.COM.AU
Refresh your palette this month with zingy
lemons. These handfuls of dimpled
sunshine will wash away the excess of
Christmas with their fresh flavour and
zesty fragrance. Every part of the lemon has a
unique quality and use, from the thick skin that
can be grated for slivers of tart rind, to the juice
that’s an ideal ingredient for lightening creamy
sauces and desserts. A simple slice of lemon is
both a brilliant garnish in drinks and an easy way
to add a lift to fish and meat dishes.
Although they are a fruit that you might
associate with sunny holidays in the
Mediterranean, lemons are actually a winter
fruit, coming into season in autumn. The trees
have fragrant white flowers that bloom in late
winter followed by fruits that take up to a year to
ripen, and we can grow them in the UK. They
last a long time on the tree once they mature, so
a tree can be adorned with glowing fruits for
months at a time.
Most lemon trees don’t like freezing
conditions and need a space to grow indoors for
winter. The good news is they make a beautiful
POT IT!
Grow your lemon tree in a
container so you can easily
move it in and out of doors
between the seasons. Sit it on
your patio in a sunny spot
from April to October, then
bring it indoors for the rest of
the year. They don’t like
sudden changes, so put it in a
south-facing window indoors
and when you take it outside
in spring, put it in a shaded
spot for a couple of days
before moving it into the sun.
A terracotta pot will give your
plant a Mediterranean vibe
and lets water evaporate from
the compost quickly, giving
the lemon the drier conditions
it needs. A pot-grown tree
stays naturally smaller, only
growing to about 1.5m tall.
houseplant. Move them indoors in October and
put them somewhere bright but cool. An
unheated conservatory or porch is ideal, but the
windowsill of a cool spare room will also be fine.
Just don’t keep them in your lounge or kitchen,
which will be too warm.
Hardier lemon varieties ‘Eureka’ and ‘Meyer’
can grow outdoors in the ground all year round
if you live in the south and have well-drained
soil. They will thrive even given a touch of frost,
so are great for city and town gardens that have
lots of buildings around providing shelter.
The other trick to a happy and thriving lemon
tree is to water all year round, pouring on
enough to completely soak all the compost in
the pot, which will usually be at least half a
watering can full. Don’t let the pot sit in a saucer
of water, let it completely drain away. And
before you water again, let the top of the
compost dry out. Drop a capful of liquid citrus
feed (such as Westland Concentrated Citrus
Plant Food, £3.99/250ml, marshalls-seeds.co.uk)
into the watering can every couple of weeks
from March to October.
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118 MODERN GARDENS JANUARY 2018