Monday, November 10, 2008

And we have sprouts!

My seeds have sprouted! Seeing the tiny little green leaves emerge from the soil always makes me happy because I know that with love and care they will provide a delicious harvest in the coming weeks. I can't wait to cut some fresh lettuce leaves and make a salad. It will be a while before the cucumbers, tomatoes and peppers are ready, so I must be patient. We are supposed to have temperatures in the mid 80's this week, I'll have to make sure the lettuce stays in the shade after about 10:00 a.m. I think it will be fine if it's out of the midday heat.

We transplanted some young citrus trees about a week ago - a Meyer lemon, a key lime and a calamondin tree. They aren't looking too spiffy at the moment but I hope they will all adjust to their new home soon. I am going to do some reading on our state's ag extension site and see if there's anything I can do to help them. Some of you might be asking "what the heck is a calamondin?" Well, I'll tell you - it looks like a baby orange or tangerine that has ripened and it has a tangy, sour flavor that I just love! They are small, about 1-2 inches in diameter. I discovered them when I was about 8 years old; my great aunt had a tree outside her back door at her house in West Palm Beach (Florida, of course), and my grandfather (her brother) had a nice tree on his farm in Arcadia. A hard freeze in the early 80's killed Grandpa's tree; we both had high hopes that it would recover but it wasn't meant to be. Calamondins make delicious jelly, if I can find enough this year I plan on making several pints. I may give some of them away as gifts, but most of the jars will happily take up residence in my cupboard waiting to be spread on a warm piece of toast or partnering with creamy peanut butter for a Saturday afternoon sandwich.

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