Lemons are the new tomatoes

Looking back, in a totally self-indulgent way, at old blog posts, amongst posts about culture, fashion, commuting and weird behaviour by the general public, there are quite a few posts about my tomato plants.  In 2007, I had some success with four tomato plants, which I named after members of the Ramones. This was not to be repeated - neither the success nor naming my plants after rock band members - I'm tempted to think the two may be connected.

But I have a new gardening interest. Our new(ish) home has a conservatory - something I feel slightly wary of mentioning in real life as it isn't something I was particularly looking for or had any experience of - I don't think we have conservatories in the north east and I swing between thinking it sounds terribly posh or terribly naff.  But I digress.

As well as leaving a full set of cane furniture, the previous owners also left behind some plants, including a lemon tree.  It already had a few small fruit when we moved in, which is how I knew what it was.  Beside the bits of fruit, it has lovely flowers and such a wonderful smell.  I was absolutely determined that I would keep it alive and thriving. I bought it citrus feed and read up on how to care for it. But then last summer was a cold one and the winter even worse.  And frankly a few weeks ago, even though I was still watering and feeding it, I wasn't although convinced that it wasn't dead.

But then it flowered and I noticed a few new shoots on its branches.  Good signs, I thought.  And then on Friday night, I noticed, hidden beneath amongst the leaves and still green, two lemons.  At the moment, they lack a lemon's defining characteristic i.e. being lemon in colour -  they look like limes right now. But there they are. I'm taking it as a good sign.