I win

meyer lemon tree, originally uploaded by gardenpunk.

We've finally got a Meyer Lemon Tree!

We had a photinia in the front yard, courtesy the previous owners, trained as a standard (aka. the lollipop bush).

A few weeks ago, it died suddenly. Oh darn.

This morning on the way to the Farmer's Market, we stopped at our local nursery and they WERE TOTALLY OUT OF MEYER LEMON trees. Drats. Perhaps in the fall then.

We went to OSH this afternoon (this is the only hardware store in the area that isn't a Home Depot or Lowe's - remember we don't shop there any more, plus I like OSH more anyway. I can always find what I need easily, and they have a polite and helpful staff), and sitting right out front was this 'Improved Meyer' Lemon. It was in the back of my car faster than you can pucker.

We took out the photinia, and man was it dead. Chris cut the lollipop part off with our alligator loppers, and was able to pull the trunk out of the ground with his bare hands. While yes, he is super strong and totally beefy, the rootball of this photinia was as big as two of his fists. Given it's size and age, we assume it would have been larger.

Anyhow, I now have my Meyer Lemon tree.

And all it took to convince Chris was 3 words.

"Homemade lemon bars."