An Orange By Any Other Name Would Smell As Sweet

The calendar may say February, but the garden is saying Spring.  A few weeks ago I stepped into my yard and an amazing fragrance swept over me.  Looking around I saw the white/pale-yellow blooms of the mock orange trees that grow right outside my kitchen door.  Their pretty flowers give off the most wonderful, intense aroma that stops you in your tracks.  It's heavenly, meaning if heaven smells as good as it should then it smells like this.  For more info on mock orange trees (or shrubs) beyond pretty and fragrant go to http://landscaping.about.com/od/shrubsbushes/p/mock_orange.htm.

While the mock orange tree produces no real orange fruit, many, many other trees, especially here in Southern California do.  Right now is the season for oranges of various varieties plus multiple other types of citrus.  Here's a picture that includes some oranges, grapefruits and tangerines from Melissa's, and you can learn more about what the best citrus varieties available are right now at http://www.melissas.com/Products/Categories/Citrus.aspx.  The Cara Cara oranges are especially juicy and sweet - almost heavenly.

For those of you who like recipes, and in case you missed my post last year about making candied citrus peel, dipped in white chocolate, and sprinkled with seeds, herbs, etc., it's not too late to check it out:  http://adventureswithnancyrose.blogspot.com/2011/03/very-peeling-candied-citrus.html.  Mr. Citrus will be happy to see you.

The calendar may say February, but the garden is saying Spring.  A few weeks ago I stepped into my yard and an amazing fragrance swept over me.  Looking around I saw the white/pale-yellow blooms of the mock orange trees that grow right outside my kitchen door.  Their pretty flowers give off the most wonderful, intense aroma that stops you in your tracks.  It's heavenly, meaning if heaven smells as good as it should then it smells like this.  For more info on mock orange trees (or shrubs) beyond pretty and fragrant go to http://landscaping.about.com/od/shrubsbushes/p/mock_orange.htm.

While the mock orange tree produces no real orange fruit, many, many other trees, especially here in Southern California do.  Right now is the season for oranges of various varieties plus multiple other types of citrus.  Here's a picture that includes some oranges, grapefruits and tangerines from Melissa's, and you can learn more about what the best citrus varieties available are right now at http://www.melissas.com/Products/Categories/Citrus.aspx.  The Cara Cara oranges are especially juicy and sweet - almost heavenly.

For those of you who like recipes, and in case you missed my post last year about making candied citrus peel, dipped in white chocolate, and sprinkled with seeds, herbs, etc., it's not too late to check it out:  http://adventureswithnancyrose.blogspot.com/2011/03/very-peeling-candied-citrus.html.  Mr. Citrus will be happy to see you.