I am so happy I can grow lots of juicy, nutrient-rich citrus fruits right here at my Bedford, New York farm.
Citrus fruits come in various colors, flavors, shapes, and sizes. Among the most recognizable are oranges and lemons. Less known, the smallest member of the citrus family is the kumquat. I love them all and I find it so satisfying to walk into my greenhouse and see them thriving. During this time of year, all my potted citrus trees are kept in one of my hoop houses at the farm. It is actually quite easy to grow citrus indoors as long as it can be kept in a sunny windowsill or in a bright corner of a room.
Here are some photos.
This year, my designated citrus hoop house is located between my large Equipment Barn and my vegetable greenhouse. My gardeners check the citrus house every day to look at the plants, water them if needed, and pick any delicious, juicy fruits when they’re ready.
Here is a view from the side of the hoop house. It is built in a Gothic style with tall ceilings in the center to accommodate the larger specimens. The entire structure is built using heavy gauge American made, triple-galvanized steel tubing and two layers of fabric – one is a heavy-duty, woven polyethylene that features an anti-condensate additive to reduce moisture buildup and dripping. The other side contains UV additives that allow the fabric to maintain its strength through the seasons. The plants kept here will stay indoors for a total of about seven months.
I keep the pots on long greenhouse tables specifically built to accommodate heavy containers. The tabletops are also made with industrial durable plastic that is smooth, non-porous and allows trays, flats, and pots to slide across the surface without snagging.
We also take advantage of the vertical space and place pots at different heights using stumps from felled trees here at the farm. It’s important to store the plants so none of them touch. This prevents a lot of diseases from being transferred specimen to specimen.
Citrus plants dislike abrupt temperature shifts and need to be protected from chilly drafts and blazing heaters. Dwarf citrus trees require at least eight to 12 hours of full sunshine and good air circulation to thrive.
I have many lemon trees. The Meyer lemon was first introduced to the United States in 1908 by the agricultural explorer, Frank Nicholas Meyer, an employee of the United States Department of Agriculture who collected a sample of the plant on a trip to China. Citrus limon ‘Meyer’ is my favorite lemon because this thin-skinned fruit is much more flavorful than the ordinary store-bought. I love to use them for baking and cooking.
Meyer lemons are also smaller and more round than their regular store-bought cousins. And they are deeper yellow with a slight orange tint when ripe.
This is a Nagami kumquat, Fortunella margarita – the most commonly grown type of kumquat. The tree is small to medium in size with a dense and fine texture. These trees are quite cold-hardy because of their tendency to go semi-dormant from late fall to early spring. Unlike other citrus fruits, which have thick, pithy rinds, kumquat peel is thin and soft, and perfectly edible.
Similar in size, but more round is the calamondin. Calamondin, Citrus mitis, is an acid citrus fruit originating in China. Calamondin is called by many names, including calamondin orange, calamansi, calamandarin, golden lime, and musk orange.
The fruits of the calamondin are small and thin skinned. Its juice can be used like lemon or lime to make refreshing beverages, or to flavor fish and various soups.
These are blood oranges. Blood oranges are known for the deep blood-red color of their flesh. The fruit gets its pigment from the antioxidant anthocyanin, which is also found in raspberries and cherries. Depending on the variety, the blood orange can be sweet or tart, but are ripe when their flesh turns a blush-red.
Citrus flowers are either solitary or clustered – and one can practically smell their beautiful aroma. A general rule of thumb is the smaller the fruit, the more often the tree blooms.
All citrus fruits are members of the genus Citrus and many of them have thorns on their trees. Some of the most common citrus trees to sport thorns are Meyer lemons, most grapefruits, and key limes. Thorns provide protection from predators, specifically hungry animals that want to nibble away at the tender leaves and fruit.
Another citrus bearing fruit right now is the Citrus australasica, the Australian finger lime or caviar lime. Australian limes are a species of the plant genus Citrus that are native to Australia and Papua New Guinea. They have a minty, citrus aroma with a tangy, sweet, and slightly sour, floral, lemon-lime flavor.
And this is my beautiful Citrus limon ‘Ponderosa’ or ‘The American Wonder Lemon’ – this plant produces a thick mass of highly fragrant flowers, which become tiny lemons. Those lemons get bigger and bigger, often up to five pounds! This ‘Ponderosa’ citrus tree is pretty large, so it is always stored in the front just behind the doors of the hoop house.
Here’s a closeup of one of its fruits – it is bigger than the palm of one’s hand.
A variety of other tropical plants are also kept in this hoop house. I am so fortunate to have these structures where these specimens can develop and thrive year-round.
This foxtail agave has light, bluish-green, smooth, pliable foliage that forms a rosette and can grow to five feet tall and wide. It has arching leaves and does not produce spines.
Here is another agave – a black-spined agave with pale blue-green leaves armed with small dark teeth along the edges.
Here is the Chinese fan palm with its wide-spreading crown and drooping fan leaves that have a layered “weeping” appearance when mature.
On this side of the house are my Cymbidium orchids. Cymbidium, or boat orchid, is a genus of more than 50-evergreen species in the orchid family Orchidaceae. The best place to grow cymbidium orchids indoors in on an east facing windowsill, although a shaded south facing window will also work. Cymbidiums need medium to bright light intensity in order to thrive, and do best with as much light as possible. With the right light, the leaves will be apple green not dark green.
And in winter, when they bloom, they explode with lovely sprays of flowers – each plant can have up to 15 or more. Here are just a few. Walking through my greenhouses on any given day is so refreshing, especially on the most gloomy winter days.
Among my favorite plants are the exotic forms of succulents - they make excellent container specimens.
If you like growing plants, but don’t really have the time to care for them properly, I encourage you to consider growing succulents. Succulents are so easy to maintain and are able to survive prolonged drought because they store moisture in their fleshy stems, roots, and leaves. Some succulents look like smooth stones, while others display perfect rosettes or resemble strings of bold, green beads.
Here are some of the many succulents in my collection - enjoy these photos. And be sure to watch my newest episode on caring for succulents on the Roku Original "Martha Gardens" streaming free now on The Roku Channel.
Many of my smaller potted succulents are stored along one side of my main greenhouse where they can get lots of light. Most varieties need at least half a day to a full day of sunlight.
I have amassed quite a collection of interesting and rare specimens over the years. Succulents are often grown as ornamental plants because of their striking shapes. They are best planted in clay or terra cotta pots with proper drainage holes because the vessels dry quickly, and prevent water from building up. Succulent comes from the Latin word “sucus,” which means juice or sap. It’s also a nod to the nourishing leaves that help these plants survive in extremely warm conditions.
Agave is a genus of succulents in the subfamily Agavoideae of the broadly circumscribed family Asparagaceae. This is Agave ‘Queen Victoria’. This elegant, domed plant has deep green leaves that are strikingly edged and patterned in white.
This is a black-spined agave, Agave macroacantha. It is a slow-growing, evergreen succulent that forms rosettes with pale blue-green leaves armed with small brown teeth along the edges.
Many of you are familiar with the giant blue agave with its grayish blue leaves. I have many of these in all different sizes. Do you know… tequila is actually distilled from the sap of the blue agave?
And this agave has green leaves with bright cream, prominent margins that form a symmetrical, small, round rosette. The leaves also have tiny cinnamon brown marginal sharp spines.
I also have a wide collection of Echeverias as well as Aeoniums. To tell the difference, Aeoniums have leaves that are flatter, while the leaves of these Echeverias are more round. The edges of Aeonium leaves also have small points like teeth, while the leaves of Echeverias don’t.
Echeveria is a large genus of flowering plants in the stonecrop family Crassulaceae, native to semi-desert areas of Central America, Mexico and northwestern South America. I have echeveria in shades of green and purple.
The leaves are fleshy and have a waxy cuticle on the exterior. Often the leaves are colored and a firm touch can mar the skin and leave marks. The echeveria plant usually doesn’t exceed 12 inches in height or spread.
This is Haworthia coarctata. It is a succulent plant that grows up to eight-inches tall with long stems packed with robust succulent leaves. It is normally dark green but sometimes acquires a rich purple-red when in full sunlight.
This is Haworthiopsis fasciata, formerly known as Haworthia fasciata. It is a low growing heavily suckering succulent that forms crowded clusters. It has silvery white raised pearly tubercles that connect to form bands that give the impression of “zebra stripes” but only on the underside of its leaves.
This interesting grayish white succulent is called a woolly senecio. Native to South Africa, it is a perennial dwarf shrub belonging to the Asteraceae family.
These look like strings of pearls. Senecio rowleyanus, commonly known as string-of-pearls or string-of-beads, is a creeping, perennial, succulent vine belonging to the family Asteraceae.
Opuntia, commonly called prickly pear or pear cactus, is a genus of flowering plants in the cactus family. Like other spiny succulents, the prickly pear has flat, fleshy pads called cladodes covered in spiky spines.
Barrel cacti are various members of the two genera Echinocactus and Ferocactus, endemic to the deserts of Southwestern North America southward to north central Mexico. Some of the largest specimens are found in the Sonoran Desert in Southern Arizona. These are slow growing – some take up to 30-years o reach maturity.
This is called an old man cactus, Cephalocereus senilis – a species of cactus native to Hidalgo and Veracruz in central Mexico. It got its name from its white hair and rather slow-paced growth. This Mexican cactus is so thickly covered with soft-looking hairs that its columnar stem is often obscured.
I purchased this interesting succulent during a trip to Arizona – this cactus looks like a smooth stone formation.
Rhipsalis is a cacti genus with approximately 35 distinct species. I have many types of rhipsalis growing in my greenhouse. They are native to the rainforests of South America, the Caribbean and Central America. Rhipsalis is a cacti genus with approximately 35 distinct species. I have many types of rhipsalis growing in my greenhouse. Rhipsalis specimens have long, trailing stems making them perfect choices as indoor hanging plants. Also known as chain cactus or mistletoe cactus, the thread-like succulent stems on the cactus are narrow, green and in can grow several feet long.
This ric rac cactus is one of the most exotic cactus houseplants. It shows off distinctive foliage – the stems are serrated and lobed, like a backbone and has a thick, leathery texture that perfectly suits the dark green color. If it gets enough light, ric rac cactus will bloom with stunning pink and white orchid-like flowers.
What are your favorite succulents? There are so many from which to choose. I hope this inspires you add one, or two, or even three to your personal collection. And don’t forget to watch “Martha Gardens” to learn how to care for these beautiful plants. It’s streaming now for free on The Roku Channel.
Here in Bedford, New York we're expecting a mix of rain and snow showers, with temperatures in the 40s. Although these are warmer than usual conditions, it is winter, and all the gardens and most of the trees are bare.
This time of year, while my outdoor grounds crew is busy pruning many of the trees around my home, it's nice to take notice of all the tree forms and how they look without their lush foliage. These trees are deciduous. Deciduous trees lose their leaves in the autumn months, while evergreen, or coniferous trees, retain their greenery through the year. Some deciduous trees hold onto their leaves longer than others. And, there is also a group of deciduous conifers, which are needle-leaved trees that actually lose their needles come fall.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
This is the great sycamore in my back hayfield – the symbol of my farm. The American sycamore, Platanus occidentalis, is a wide-canopied, deciduous tree, usually growing up to 100-feet tall, with a massive trunk and open crown of huge, crooked branches. Here, one can see those branches now that all the foliage has fallen for the season.
Fruit trees are also deciduous. All deciduous fruit trees have a period of winter dormancy, the stage between leaf drop in the fall and bud break in the spring, which protects the tree buds from freezing weather.
Another deciduous tree is the copper beech. The copper beech, Fagus sylvatica purpurea, is a large, deciduous shade tree known for its beautiful burgundy foliage that turns a lovely shade of copper in fall.
And here it is in summer when it is all leafed out with its lovely dark colored foliage.
Across from the copper beech are these rare weeping hornbeams – there are six planted at the edge of my soccer field.
The same weeping hornbeams are so vibrant and lush green in summer.
This is the hornbeam hedge along the back of the Summer House and the Winter House. The hornbeam, Carpinus, is deciduous and very fast-growing. In fact, it can grow about four to five feet per year. I always keep a close eye on all the hornbeams and keep them well groomed.
Here is a photo of it just after it was pruned last summer.
Another deciduous specimen is the linden – categorized within the Tilia genus, which includes about 30 species native to North America, Europe, and Asia.
Here is the same allée of lindens in summer. Lindens can grow from about 65 to 130 feet in height. It develops dense, pyramidal or round-shaped crowns and can live several hundred years.
And remember these gorgeous horse chestnut trees at the foot of my long Boxwood Allée? Also deciduous.
Here they are now – completely bare. The form of the branches are interesting on their own against the cloudy sky.
Some deciduous trees hold onto their leaves, such as the American beech. This tree falls between evergreen and deciduous. The leaves die, but many don’t fall when they die. Botanists call this retention of dead plant matter marcescence.
And this is the same grove in early fall when the trees are filled with greenery.
Evergreens, or conifers, are plants which have foliage that remains green and functional through the season. These tend to bear cones and have needles or scales. I have one area dedicated to evergreens here at the farm. A pinetum by definition is an arboretum of pine trees or other conifers for scientific or ornamental purposes.
I also love to plant many evergreens in the woodland. I get them as bare root seedlings, nurture them in pots until they are strong, and then transplant them to more permanent locations.
There are also deciduous conifers. These trees form cones and sprout needles like conifer trees, but they also change colors in the fall and lose their needles every year like deciduous trees. The larch is one of them.
Here it is all leafed out. This is a weeping larch, Larix decidua ‘Pendula’. It has bright green needles in spring, which turn gold before dropping in fall. This curvaceous tree is located at “the triangle” where the carriage roads leading to the Boxwood Allee, the Pin Oak Allee and the woodland, all converge.
Another example is the dawn redwood, Metasequoia. Dawn redwoods grow faster than most trees. This tree forms a natural triangular shape throughout its life.
And here they are in early autumn.
And of course the bald cypress, Taxodium distichum, another deciduous conifer. Though it’s native to swampy areas, the bald cypress is also able to withstand dry, sunny weather and is hardy in USDA climate zones 5 through 10. These trees do so well here at the farm. Here it is late last summer.
Like trees with leaves, bald cypress trees drop their needles in the fall leaving the tree – well, bald. And in spring, all the trees here will start to show off their beautiful colors once again. I hope this inspires you to appreciate the trees where you live – even in winter, when many are bare.
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