Back in June 2005, I wrote a post titled An Orange of Destiny that chronicled the hope and despair of a little orange tree that was brought from Florida to New York. While the post itself sought a happy ending, reality did not and the tree was dead three months later.
In the post, the giver of the tree (myself) assured the receiver (S.Rod) that I’d get another one on my annual business trip to Florida if the tree died. However, in May 2006, I changed jobs and that opportunity to get another tree from Florida was gone.
So fast-forward to Janaury 2007, and I was searching for a birthday gift with a narrative quality for the lovely Ms. S.Rod. I recalled my pledged assurance and decided to cash it in. I visited the sales site for the company Smith & Hawken and after some deliberation decided to purchase a Kaffir Lime tree (also known as a “kieffer” variety for all you 24 fans out there). To my surprise, the tree arrived via UPS Ground in a couple of days— totally intact, in good shape, and by some stroke of luck, on an unseasonal 60 degree day before the recent cold spell hit.
Of course, S.Rod and I have been tasked with keeping the tree healthy and fluorishing indoors, where temperatures near windows are low, and sunlight is scarce. So aside from the recommended 30-10-10 fertilizer, we sealed the windows from drafts with plastic sealant and have a strong dual incandescent-fluorescent lamp overtop.
Granted, we got the lime tree at a much later stage than the orange, so it should prove heartier in its resistance to external forces. But it is the only other sign of life in our apartment (where pets aren’t allowed and we’re not ready or certain we want kids), so keeping it alive is a prime responsibility. Indeed, a little tree is a good place to start in the chain of responsibility. Let’s just hope that we learned our lesson from its predecessor. Cheers.
Click here for the uncropped hi-resolution version.