This issue was hotly debated here about a year ago. If I remember correctly (I'm on another computer so access is limited) the stock that was destroyed as carriers were from two of the three major CA nurseries. The third was certified virus-free. Stock from other states, such as Texas and Florida, was unaffected. Where I live there are a lot of the original Meyers still around. The East Bay was still mostly small homes (on what is today large urban lots) and rural farms until the late 1960's; the Warren Freeway section of Hwy 580 was not completed until the mid-1970's. I don't see any reason why a Meyer wouldn't live 50-75 yrs if properly fed (and that's a big IF, most people don't feed their Meyers as much as they should). The older citrus trees in our area were all planted in the 1930's and 1940's, and are still going like gangbusters today. One of my co-workers who lived in Concord in the mid-1990's had a home in a former orchard-turned-development, and said there were Meyer trees all over her area. The trees bore great big gorgeous lemons year-round. A neighbor across the street from her, who was born and raised in one of the original tiny cottages circa 1920, said she remembered when the Meyer orchard was planted in the 1930's, and watched as the owner sold off the land to developers in the 1970's and most of the trees were bulldozed.

You can plant right next to the house and semi-espalier it. That is what I have done on the south side of my house with a key lime....this provides it with some extra protection and most years, looks cool and gives me more golf ball sized yellow gems than I know what to do with. This year,m because of the cold, my tree is defoliated with some small limb kill...but very much alive and will be fully leafed out by June. This is a good way to plant a citrus "north" of its zone and have it not only survive, but thrive, most years.

Denise, for one thing, I'm glad you rid those shavings..they are bug magnets..wish you would have done it when you got the trees. If there are shavings on the lime, please remove them. When you water your trees, do you do so thoroughly? This is the important thing..there is no set schedule for watering plants..when they're dry then it's time to water; this includes 98% of various plants, not only citrus. Give them a hearty drink until water seeps from the drainage holes..this way you know every inch is getting a drink. Did you repot the plants? Where do you think the bugs came from? Did the insecticide kill them? Though I'm a firm believer in using organic methods, the stuff you used is a close to organic compared to other products. Did the container say the brand rid milipedes? I have the same problem..my lemon trees produce faster than limes. In fact I've had a Persian and a couple Kifers since last yr and none have fruited, yet lemons grow. I don't get it. Have you ever fertilized your trees? If you can't find a citrus fertilizer use an Azalia food..it works great. I'm sure others will join in w/answers..Toni

Oh my goodness I saw seed packets online for those California poppies! I wanted to purchase them so bad since they were one of the few offered that didn't have a dark center. A botanical garden near me grows that type (I think) and I wanted them the first time I laid eyes on those beautiful petals. I was about to splurge on flower seeds last weekend, especially on that poppy variety, but my boyfriend did a good job helping me hold back my impulses. I'm still trying to narrow down all the seeds I put in my cart Thank you for showing us what they look like! It confirms the variety I've been looking for. And the way you grew them looks amazing! They look like 2 separate herb bushes that somehow grew huge flowers