My garden is freakin awesome (especially pre-Winter 2009). Unfortunately that winter was just a bit too cold for too long for most of my tropical plants. I still love the look and layout of the garden space though and it was really what sold me on the house. The previous owners wanted to plant lots of edibles and butterfly attractants. Unfortunately most of the butterfly attractants didn't survive that winter either, but I do have plans to start bringing some back into the space.

The edibles are just fantastic though. There are two varieties of banana trees, two varieties of lemon trees, a satsuma tree, a key lime tree, and another mystery citrus that is still pretty young and hasn't produced fruit yet. There is some sugar cane I have yet to figure out a use for and a fig tree that the birds always seem to pick at before I do. There is a strawberry guava tree that I think will never produce fruit here because of winter temps. The grape vines that grow on a trellis above the walkway to the backyard are just gorgeous and our wedding picture standing underneath it is one of my favorites. All of that and those are just the big ones! We have lots of herbs too and whatever veggies I attempt to grow in a given year.

Of everything we have, nothing gets me more excited than the Meyer lemons. I'm like a giddy school girl when I pick the first one of the season and the last one makes me want to cry as if I'm saying goodbye to a good friend. This year the last one made an individual sized lemon icebox pie for National Pi Day on 3.14. This recipe is perfect for anyone who loooovvvvess lemon. It has a bamn! in your face lemony tartness that I loved. If by chance you are looking for a more subtle lemon pie check out Emeril Lagasse's recipe. I made it a while back and really liked it, but since he incorporates cream cheese it has a more mellow lemon flavor that I liked but wasn't exactly what I was looking for.