Citrus

Appears in
Bountiful
Bountiful

By Todd Porter and Diane Cu

Published 2013

  • About

BELOVED CITRUS. GIVEN OUR TEMPERATE Southern California climate, citrus quickly became the foundation of our garden. We built planters to raise the semi-dwarfs onto a pedestal and allow their roots to stretch and meander. We designed curved pathways to bring visitors brushing past the sweet scents of lemon blossoms. We placed trellises where the candylike tangerines could overgrow and dangle their fruit within easy grasp.

Because we have had the good fortune to be able to grow our own citrus, it’s nearly impossible not to be infatuated with them. There truly is nothing like citrus picked fresh off the tree: oranges packed with sweet juices that drip down your forearms as you cut them open, lemons with oils so saturated in their rinds that with one slice they can be smelled across the room, a tangerine left on the tree to sweeten through midsummer, gently warmed by the sun and enjoyed alongside a morning cappuccino.