I had a nice lemon tree in my small backyard but it died at all sudden about 5 years ago. It was total surprise to me because the tree was looked healthy many years but dying so quickly. I really did not know why.
I always need lemon in my kitchen, not only for dessert but also for salad dressing, seafood and drinks. Since then I have been thinking of getting a new lemon tree but fortunately my neighbor has one, just next door to over my backyard’s retaining wall. So I can reach to pick a few whenever I need to. It seems my neighbor never use them. So their tree looks wild. It is right now that the tree has many tiny white flower all over for this years’ new lemons. They look very pretty and also smell good. It’s spring.
When I grew up in the island, there were so many kinds of citrus available (normally winter to spring), but they all had different nice scent and good acidic taste and flavor. One of large green citrus called Daidai, size of orange, we get during cold winter. We cut several Daidai in a half and drop in the hot bathtub and rub on the body skin. I remember it was always very nice scent with smell of cedar bathtub. It has been an old tradition that everyone is still doing when first time the green citrus come to the produce market.
California is famous for commercially cultivated lemons and oranges but they are only one dimensional taste and flavor. However here in California’s hold homes, many home owners have lemon trees, and they are often used as an ornament to complement to their properties, rather than consumption.
One kind of lemon called Meyer which got a bit round shape and more orange color skin than typical yellow lemon. Their scent is unforgettable woderful, taste and flavor is uniquely sweet. I was told it is a hybrid of lemon and mandarin orange, and imported from China over 100 years ago. Last 10 years or so, Meyer lemon is getting popular in California and you can find them pretty easily at the market. Quite few my neighbors have Meyer lemon tree.
California’s population is growing and getting crowded, but it’s still the Golden State.
