Tuesday, January 29, 2013

L′Orangerie du Château de Versailles

This morning I'm feeling inspired by the amazing orangery, built by Jules Hardouin-Mansart between 1684 and 1686, at the gardens of Versailles.  With more than 1,000 perfectly kept potted plants, this garden is without a doubt the world's most famous showcase of citrus trees indoor and out.  So being that I'm a bit of a Fracophile this got me thinking....maybe I should grow my own citrus?  Sure I may not have Louis XIV's sprawling outdoor setup but I do have an apartment with sprawling 10 foot windows and if the plants at Versailles can survive indoors between November and April I figure they can live indoors at my place, right?

I did a little searching and found these cute kumquat, lemon and lime topiaries at Viva Terra.  These citrus trees may be small but they grow full-sized fruit year-round...what a wonderful way to beat the winter blues!

2 comments :

  1. I've had a few friends that have tried it with mediocre results. Being from Orange County and now living in the snowy mountains, I'd LOVE to see some citrus in my home. Please write about your experience with it if you do try to grow one! P.S. Love Versailles

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  2. Beautiful! I bet a piece of fruit never hits the ground. Its on my bucket list to visit Versailles. We have a meyer lemon tree in the garden, but I've always wanted to add a kumquat tree as well...

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