Lemons have it all, from vibrant, sun-filled fruit and deliciously scented blossoms to glossy green, aromatic, evergreen foliage. Add to that their willingness to be shaped and potted and you’ve got a winner on all fronts. Every garden should boast at least one lemon tree, even if it’s just to save you from having to pop out to the greengrocer for that vital ingredient in a recipe. Best of all, the fruit can be relied upon to radiate the warm glow of a Mediterranean summer on the dreariest winter’s day.

 

 

Long recognised as the queen of fruits, lemons became a must-have during the 17th century thanks to the Sun King, Louis XIV of France. At his chateau at Versailles hundreds of lemon trees were grown in specially designed movable wooden cubes that we now call Versailles tubs.

Lemons make excellent standards: just trim all the lower branches and lightly clip the top into a pleasing ball or cone shape. You can espalier them by training branches to spread out flat like a fan, which is a great way of saving space and taking advantage of a warm wall.

 

Best of all, most citrus trees are now available on dwarf ‘Flying Dragon’ rootstock, so you can grow them in the tiniest of gardens – even a balcony will do. Growing them in a container will restrict their roots so that they are effectively  “bonsaied” anyway.

 

Water the soil well when you plant and add long-term fertiliser. Don’t disturb the roots, as they are just below the surface. Water the lemon tree regularly but don’t drown it and keep mulch away from the trunk to avoid rot.

 

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You'll need: Three pots of your selection, three wet oasis balls. lemons, wooden skewers, cellophane or hard paper, green foliage.

 

Fill the base of your selected vessel with cellophane or hard paper to support your design and keep the oasis ball high in the pot.

 

Soak your oasis ball and place it in the pot so that it sits about halfway out of the top of the pot.

 

Skewer some lemons and, starting from the bottom, work your way round the edge and then up, rising above the rim of hte container with your skewered lemons. Place them at different angles to give a good fit, like a jigsaw puzzle.

 

Once the arrangement is complete, place sprigs of foliage into any gaps between the lemons. Water sparingly every few days to keep the foliage fresh.

 

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You'll need: 2 glass vases or vessels (one slightly smaller than the other), fresh lemons, citrus foliage or similar.

 

Clean both vases for a sharp look. Place the smaller glass vase inside the larger one. You should have an even space of approximately 5cm between the two vases.

 

Cut lemons into even slices about 4cm thick to fit the space between the two vases.

 

Place slices inside the cavity like a jigsaw puzzle, trimming segments into halves where needed to get around corners.

 

Fill the space with water to keep the lemons fresh.

 

Pour water into the smaller vase and fill with sprigs of foliage to create a loose dome shape.

 

*You can stack one vase on top of the other if you want something taller. Complement the display with other glass or ceramic vases in complimentary tones.

 

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