Pick fresh, fragrant citrus from your own plants

Eating fresh-picked vegetables and herbs engages our attention in summer.

But what about the lemon we squeeze over grilled salmon? Growing citrus plants may seem like one of those California-dreamin' fantasies, but several types will cooperate in the Northwest. To grow citrus here, concentrate on lemon-lime flavors. Oranges and grapefruit, for example, require warmth and light tough to duplicate.

Unless, of course, you'd like to emulate the great estate growers of Europe in the 18th century and build glassed-in strolling gardens called "orangeries" to hold precious citrus. A huge one still in use today is at Leiden University in the Netherlands. It's filled with citrus trees and other tropicals during the cold winters.

Growing tips

In the maritime Northwest, settle these citrus plants outdoors in May, bringing them inside in late September.

Plan to use large pots, at least 16 inches in diameter. Choose potting soil with good drainage. Crops will be small but pleasurable.

Most amenable to home conditions is the 'Improved Meyer' (or 'Meyer Improved') lemon (Citrus limon 'Improved Meyer'). You may find Meyer lemons in winter at gourmet grocery stores; they're thin-skinned, slightly sweeter than usual, small and nearly round. The tree bears best after about four years of growth. To get fruit rapidly, buy a plant at least 2 to 3 years old.

Lemons carry flowers and fruit together on the tree, with delectable bloom fragrance.

The Meyer lemon will survive cold temperatures down to 18 degrees but, like nearly all citrus, it stops growing at 50 degrees. To get that winter crop of lemons, keep it in a warm, sunny window during frigid weather. The more light, the better the growth.

Catalogs sometimes show citrus reclining on shady coffee tables as ornamental plants. They're happier in light.

A less familiar fruit, though also easy to grow, is calamondin (Citrus mitis), sometimes oddly called sour-acid mandarin. They thrive here because they continue growing below 50 degrees, so they don't get set back by cool summer nights.

Handsome houseplants, calamondin produces fruit resembling small oranges, with a lemon-lime flavor. A premier fruit expert, Sam Benowitz of Raintree Nursery in Morton, Lewis County, recommends this one for its simplicity of growth.

Thai cooking benefits from the leaves of Kaffir lime (Citrus hystrix). The scented leaves, sliced into strips, give authentic citrus flavor to lemon-grass soup and other Asian dishes. The fruit isn't the value on this one; grow it for the culinary leaves. It thrives as a summer patio plant and winter houseplant.

Odd but intriguing 'Buddha's Hand' (Citrus medica) produces fragrant rind with no pulp. The yellow fruit is shaped much like a hand. The rind, famous for its scent, is used for cooking and perfuming clothing. It makes an interesting patio display.

Where to find them

Many local nurseries carry Meyer lemon, and you may be fortunate to find one on a late-summer sale.

For a wider range of citrus types, look to catalogs. Raintree Nursery ships Meyer lemon, calamondin and Kaffir lime starting in September (www.raintreenursery.com).

A houseplant specialist in Connecticut, Logee's, carries 14 different citrus plants for home use (www.logees.com).

Now that we've settled lemons, what about a coffee tree (Coffea arabica)? Lovely — but yielding about one cup per year.

Homegrown has its limits.

Garden expert Mary Robson, retired area horticulture agent for Washington State University/King County Cooperative Extension, appears regularly in Practical Gardener and in our Saturday home section, digs. Her e-mail is marysophia@earthlink.net.