from wikimedia
Yep, last week our lemon of a car stung us – again. Used cars and relishing the freedom of no car payment will only take you so far in this cold, cruel automotive world. And then a head gasket blows – ‘nuf said.
On a much more pleasant note, I am the happy new owner of a dwarf ‘Improved Meyer Lemon’, one of the hardiest and easy-to-grow citrus fruits. This tasty hybrid of a tangerine and a true lemon has a floral perfume and a refreshingly tart, but sort of sweet tangy flavor. I can’t get enough of them when they’re in season during the winter months.
My little lemon tree is destined for a big fat glazed pot situated just outside the french doors of our dining area. Here it can bask with me in the warm afternoon sun sheltered from the north wind. I’m not that naive – trying to elude a car payment is one thing, counting my lemons before they crop is quite another. This placement will also allow for yanking this expat tropical quickly indoors if (more likely when) temperatures drop below 25. Frankly, I’ll be happy to savor the constant flush of dizzingly fragrant, heady white blossoms as I lounge in my vintage yard chair with a good book. ‘Improved Meyer Lemon’ is a constant producer, meaning it flowers and fruits all year. Of course, not here in the Puget Sound area. But like the optimist that only the owner of a 1998 Subaru wagon with 150,000 miles on it can be, I can hope.
I’ll bet you didn’t know how practical lemons can be in the organic gardener’s arsenal. From my first book, Hortus Miscellaneous:
Lemon Juice: A Gardener’s Aid
Weed killer cocktail: Mix a dash of lemon juice, a generous splash of white vinegar, and 1 ounce of cheap gin in 8 ounces of water. Spray on offending weeds; especially effective on a warm day.
Stop ants in their tracks: Squirt lemon juice around windowsills and doorjambs to repel ants.
Deter pests: Mix a mild soapy solution with a squeeze of lemon juice. Spray on plants to keep pests away.
Relieve mosquito bites: Apply a paste made with lemon juice and cornstarch to bites to take away the itch.
Clean up: Massage hands with a cut lemon after a day in the garden. Any little cut will be excruciating, but nothing cleans dirty nails quicker.
2006 Honda Element
And here’s a snapshot of our new-to-us car. It’s brilliant tangerine color puts it squarely in the citrus family, but let’s hope it’s NOT a lemon. Meanwhile, I’m loving the color echo with the garden and eagerly anticipating my lemon blossoms and lounging.
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You will love, LOVE, your Element. We’ve had them since they rolled off the factory line in ’03 (husband and I each have one) and never plan on buying anything else. From the plastic floors, to the suicide doors, to the cavernous cargo space (when the back seats are out/up), to the fact that it completely saved our lives once in a t-bone rollover accident, this is our car for ever after.
Lorene – Thumbs up from the other blogger in the family for your new car choice! So sorry it was an emergency purchase. You didn’t have a lemon, all Subarus have that issue and it’s unbelievable that the company hasn’t managed to fix it yet they still sell so many cars. Never again, for us. Meyer lemons are my favorite – I always pick a lot at my in-laws’ when we visit them in California. They take them for granted, but for me they are an incredible treat! Cool that you have one, hope it overwinters indoors without any scale or other issues as I’ve heard they can have.
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oh no…I’m sure I’ll have scale, and white fly and dropping leaves and every other malady… I just lead a rich imaginary life!
But I know I’m pleased with our new Element – where else am I gonna find a car that matches my ‘Ballerina’ lily flowered tulips?!
OMG…first let me say that the ones you walk away from are the very best kind. Thank you so much for the confirmation. And yeah, gotta love those plastic floors you can just hose down! Plus I get a great 30′s vibe off the “suicide doors” no?