My first Tofino Meyer Lemon!

Last Tuesday, as the sky hailed, rained, and broke for sun, I excitedly harvested a Meyer Lemon from my greenhouse in Tofino. My 3 lemons have been harvestable for quite some time but I wanted to see how things would progress over winter. I am happy to report that in spite of some below 0 temps this winter, they faired well.


The occasion that inspired this harvest was a visit with Daniela who I have been trying to connect with for a chocolate elixir for about 5 years (and we finally did)! You wouldn't think that could happen in a small town but it does, all the time!


I have never picked a lemon off a tree before (never mind one in Tofino) but it was very fragrant. I figured this was a good sign of a tasty fresh tree-ripened fruit and I was not disappointed. Thankfully it hadn't gone mouldy sitting out in the greenhouse all winter nor had it frozen.

It was so delicious that when we cut some slices off to sample, we ended up eating the rind too!! The inside was quite orange, and tasted like a cross between a lemon and an orange. The rind was surprisingly soft and not bitter. It would never even have occurred to me to eat the rind if Daniela hadn't been there. Her mom used to get giant lemons sent from her homeland of Sicily for the family to eat as a special treat, including the rind, so I am grateful my descendent-of-Sicily-friend was there for my first lemon harvest!

Here is Daniela, enjoying some homemade lemongrass and Meyer Lemon tea*. Yes, that is a squished lemon rind as "garnish" on the mug lip but she ate that too! So delicious, so fun, so grateful for my lemon tree, my greenhouse and friends like Daniela! :)

*Lemongrass tops steeped in hot water with some Meyer Lemon juice.

Plots Available in Tofino's First Community Garden

The Tofino Community Food Initiative is pleased to announce its first organic community garden. Eight 4' x 6' (1.2m x 1.8m) plots are available at the community garden site in the Tofino Botanical Gardens (TBG). Plots are available for a one-year lease and come ready to plant with access to garden tools and water. (The annual lease fee of $75 also includes a one-year membership to the TBG.) Preference will be given to people without secure access to garden space. Gardeners must make a one-year commitment and sign a user agreement. If you are interested in a plot, please contact the TCFI at tofinolocalfood@yahoo.ca by March 11.

A meeting of all community garden plot owners will take place at the end of March or early April. A soil preparation workshop/work bee will take place April 15th so plot owners should be prepared to attend this.

Organic Gardening Course

This spring west coasters will again be able to become a Master Organic Gardener by taking a two-week course offered by Gaia College. Here are the details. Members of the TCFI have taken the course, so if you have questions, just post them here and we'll do our best to answer them in a timely fashion.

Highlights from "Fruit Trees & More"

Here are a few highlights from the little field trip I took to Bob and Verna Duncan's "Fruit Trees & More" Farm. They live down in Sidney and grow an amazing variety of things you wouldn't imagine possible on the island: lemons, limes, navel oranges, kiwis, grapefruit x pomelos, small citrus fruits, persimmons, dates, olives, an avocado tree, loquats (whatever they are), guavas, pomegranates, tea, peaches, nectarines, a million kinds of apples, pears, and so much more. Best part is, you too can buy plants from them! Lemons and limes do not require heat to ripen, unlike the sweet citrus fruits, so we can grow them here on the wet coast with some minor accommodations! I have 2 yellow lemons on my tree right now! Here is their website.


Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

In the pics: kiwis, navel oranges, grapefruit x pomelos, persimmons, date tree.