Vegan Haul, and a Sad Little Lemon Tree

We just stocked up for a short week; organic pineapple, starfruit, mangos, limes, avos, oranges, and bananas.

Woke up to light snow this morning. Daytime high temperatures will be in the 40s for the ascertainable future. I think winter is biting at our heels now.

The banana plants were delivered Friday, and sadly, they were dead on arrival. The stem snapped on one, and the other was just gone. I emailed the company, but haven’t heard back yet. I hope this doesn’t get complicated.

Meanwhile, the Thai Black Stem banana plants are growing steadily. This variety doesn’t grow as quickly as the Basjoo, but the young plants are healthy. If they survive to maturity, they’ll be permanently potted bananas; inside in winter, out in the glorious sun in summer.

The Meyer lemon tree is not happy now. Whatever leaves it still has have shriveled up. The lime tree is fairing a lot better. It looks like the lime may make it until spring. Bringing citrus indoors for winter is perilous. They don’t like it. They want fresh air, warm breezes, lots of sun, and rain. No matter how much love you give them indoors, sometimes it’s not enough. I’m not giving up on the lemon tree. But it’s a sad-looking tree lately.

Both clivias are in the garage for winter. I let them go dry before placing them in a dark corner of the bay. If the temperatures drop any lower, though, they’ll be moved to my husband’s unheated work room, adjacent to the garage. They need to be cold and dry to go dormant, but freezing will kill them fast. By February, they’ll be done with their long rest.

We’ve already started cleaning house for the Christmas party. This weekend, I took down all the drapes and curtains throughout the house and washed them. I love having the curtains off the windows: the house is light and bright. The sun pours in, and the rooms warm up. The plants throughout the house perk up. My dream home would be largely glass, with no window treatments - like a big, beautiful greenhouse. Yes, I can see myself living in a greenhouse.

It’s a few days until Thanksgiving. My husband and I plan a peaceful day at home with the dogs, dinner, love, and football. And we have a 4-day weekend, yay! Really looking forward to it. And if time is on my side, I plan a weekend trip to Ballek’s to soak up some horticulture and check out their selection of clivias.

Live in peace.