Wednesday, 9 July 2025

The Middleton Lemons

Growing and maintaining plants in an apartment that is unoccupied for several months each year can be challenging not to mention the logistics of potting, storing compost, equipment etc with limited space.  But I have gardened for many years and created two gardens from scratch so it’s hard not to. I still have the desire to grow things wherever I am despite being thwarted by Mario’s brutal unwanted pruning in Italy and the mow and murder gardener in our Ilkley communal gardens.

Before we left for Italy in April I passed two plants I really didn’t want to lose to a friend to keep for me.  I’d slipped a few lemon pips into the compost of the Swedish ivy, plectranthus verticillatus, one was growing.  My friend said she’d take great care of the seedling and named it Pippa.  In Italy I had a message to say another little lemon seedling had appeared, I named it Kate and then just recently James appeared, he stayed in the pot with the ivy as he was only small.

The two original plants came back to the penthouse after MrFF met up with their keepers on a group walk but the first two lemons were deemed too fragile to travel in the boot of the car and spend the day there while the walk took place.   With difficulty I managed to get James out of the compost and into his own pot, so far he has only his seed leaves.

Last Friday we travelled to our friends’ house near York to have lunch, admire their newly landscaped beautiful garden and collect the lemon sisters from the greenhouse. The girls had kindly been repotted into little terracotta pots complete with saucers and labelled.  They have grown considerably and like the other fostered plants are extremely healthy.

At present they sit in the lounge next to the balcony doors though they can probably go outside this week if the forecast heat returns.  I hope I can keep them going, it would be a delight to have lemon plants in the apartment, does three count as a grove?   My single Italian lemon tree in Italy shown below is thriving, why did I never think to plant pips there, I could have an orchard full by now.

For those who don’t follow the British royal family, Pippa Middleton is the sister of Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, wife of Prince William, James is their younger brother 


4 comments:

  1. Fantastic developments! Do they give off a lemony scent as they mature? Your tree in Italy looks magnificent.

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  2. That's the only problem when you grow plants and you're not going to be at home for extended periods, at least you've got someone who can look after precious ones for you. We've just had a week in Majorca, I'm only growing one tomato plant, I'd left it stood in plenty of water, not ideal but I thought it would have to do, but it was on its side on our return so there must have been some wind. Consequently, it hadn't been able to have a drink and it wasn't in the best shape. I'm waiting now to see if it recovers. Your lemon tree in Italy looks fabulous, plenty of supplies there to add to a G&T.

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  3. I wish lemon trees grew here! I love them!
    Happy week friend!
    hugs
    Donna

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  4. How wonderful! I love lemons and anything with lemon in it. Thank you for visiting my blog!
    I’ll add yours to my list! Have a lovely week! Sal 😁

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