A longing for lemons

 Helena among her lemon trees.

On my recent trip to the West Coast I enjoyed the bed and breakfast hospitality of Helena Fierlinger at her lovely house and garden in Queen St, Westport. I also admired her prolific lemon trees - and thereby hangs a tale...

...when Helena was growing up in Czechoslovakia in the 1950s citrus fruits were a very rare and special treat, that came only at Christmas time. One year Helena was given a can of lemon juice drink. She loved it so much that she treasured the can with its lemon label for several years. She dreamed of living in a place where lemons would grow in her garden.

For most northern Europeans such places are further south in Europe, in Italy or Greece. The German poet Goethe was recalling Italy when he wrote

Kennst du das Land, wo die Zitronen blühn,

Im dunkeln Laub die Gold-Orangen glühn...

(Do you know the country where the lemons bloom;

Amid the dark foliage the golden oranges glow...)

For Helena, her 'lemon land' was to be much further south again. Getting there involved a long detour via the USA, where she lived for three decades, raising two sons and producing films. When one son and his family moved to New Zealand she also came and created a new life for herself, in a garden where lemon trees bloom and fruit. 

Fern trees grow tall in Helena's southern garden

Helena's raised vegetable beds in springtime

The garden wraps around her charming house. Guests enjoying her generous hospitality can relax in the garden (or on the flowery verandah) and enjoy some of her home-made lemon drink. Helena is no longer longing for lemons, but only for good recipes to use up her abundance of fruit. As soon as I get her Lemon Crush recipe I will share it.