Hey Steve, There are a lot of people more knowledgeable than me but I'll try to help. I looked up your location and you are in USDA zone 8b which is good for cold hardy citrus. It really depends how much time you want to put into cold protection. I am in South Alabama in 8A and have Satsumas, Changsha, Meyer Lemon, Kumquats, Sanbokan Sweet Lemons, and a Limequat in the ground. This winter my lowest temperature so far was 19 last month. I protect the Satsumas, Lemons and Limequats by sprinklers. The Changshas do well on their on when they get some size on them. Check out some pictures at: http://picasaweb.google.com/jbwindham/Dec2006Freeze As far as wet ground goes there you have a problem. Citrus do not like wet ground. They get foot rot. All is not lost though. I'll bet the LSU Ag Center or your local extension agent can tell you the best rootstock for damp soils. http://www.lsuagcenter.com/ Good luck with the citrus. Jack

No, it couldn't. It’s a Tilia. What do you mean by buds? It had buds all winter which opened to produce those leaves. You can just about see next year’s buds beginning to form in the leaf axils. Did you mean flowers? If so they bloom when they’re mature enough to do so and if they have good growing conditions. This one seems to be in rather a shaded situation. Personally I’ve only seen them bloom in open situations and at a larger size.

Maybe it's a geographical deviation but to me, the needles look way too long for A. balsamea. Again, I'm no expert. And are there no 'buds' forming, out there, at the branch tips yet? My balsamea has thick, developed buds already. Underside of branch (A. balsamea).Top of branch.

no gal.. i meant the first pic.. those trees are not 10 feet tall .. the gate is at least 6 feet tall at the center.. the garage behind is at least 15 feet tall .. and the trees are bigger than both ... my caution is what i could do when i was 20.. or 30 .. and well into my 40s.. is not something i can do today ... and if i had to pay for this type of maintenance.. i could not do it ... but then.. from the first pic.. those peeps arent really worried about budget ... theyll just have the majordomo call the butler and tell him to call the gardener.. who will call the guys who will come do it .. lol ... the problem with finding random pix online.. is you randomly dont know where the planting is.. and it really doesnt matter what the plants in the pic are ... because you will never know if they will grow in your area ... the better post may have been.. what can i use to make tree line like this ... and others have already offered such suggestions ... ken