A Heaven Scent

With a little thought about what you plant  in your outside space it will not only look beautiful but will yield some very useful and inspirational things prompting the unleashing of  the creative you.  Lemon trees  look great and you can grow them in a pot on your balcony or terrace (they will flourish in a sheltered area or you can take them inside  if the winter is very harsh).  The tree will give fruit all year round.  When the blooms appear before the fruit the air is scented like a heaven send – it doesn’t get much better than this.  Lemons get used lots in summer to help olive oil dress your salads or squeeze into a summer cocktail or fruit add to a fruit punch. In winter try making your own lemoncillo the perfect winter schnaps or a lemon loaf to help keep your cockles warm, entertain guests and make your kitchen smell like a kath kidson advert!  The perfect pretty plant, with many uses,  to grow in a big pot on your balcony or terrace.  Keep your lemon tree well watered and in a sunny spot  to produce big bouncy lemons!

How to make lemoncello 

You will need

5 unwaxed lemons, 750g caster sugar, 700ml boiling water, 1 litre bottle of vodka

What to do

Zest your lemons (making sure you do not to include any of the white pith) Pour vokda over zest, put in an airtight jar for at least a week, shake daily,  pour boiling water over sugar and disolve, then add the vodka and zest mixture that has been resting for a week and leave in the airtight jar again for a further week, shake daily, strain into bottles and add some lemon zest strands to each bottle

Some inspirational uses

Refreshing and light the perfect palate cleanser and digestive, have with tonic water as a sweet tasty refreshing drink, add to champagne, mix with a fruit juice for a delightful cocktail, drizzle on ice cream, fruit salad or fresh strawberries.