Well, I have had great success with my Meyer lemon (I know success is relative but at 7' [2.3m]tall i think I have done well!) growing in my front garden up against my house. I have protected my trees - more like bushes, during the winter months from first frost onward. This past winter I was able to keep all the non ripe fruit on the tree without any loss.

So with this in mind, I decided to plant a Bearss lime and a Bouquet de Fleurs sour orange in a place where my Musa Basjoo (hardy banana) once called home - right next to my Meyers. A bit of an experiment, but I am hopeful that I will have similar success as I have has with the Meyers.

Does the Bouquet de Fleurs have any culinary uses? My plant is loaded with blooms at the moment, so it got the nod for this prime location.

Has anyone had any experience with a bearss lime planted in ground, in a cooler climate?

I have an in ground Bearss lime ,but in a warm greenhouse. You probably already realize that a lime is the least cold hardy (easiest to be damaged by cold), of all citrus varieties. Therefore, a Bearss lime will be a true test of your protection skills against winter temperatures. Good luck to you and your efforts. - Millet

I agree, Bearss lime is not cold hardy & will require a lot of protection. A better bet would be a Eustis limequat which tastes like a key lime, but much more hardy.

Bob Duncan, who is a retired the entomologist and local citrus guru (he spoke at the 2011 citrus expo) has a Bearss lime growing on PT rootstock and in the ground near Victoria BC - in perhaps a half zone more mild climate. He likes this lime because it (according to his trials) does not require heat to ripen the fruit.

Except for about a 4 to 6 week winter window, lack of sustained heat is almost more of an issue than the cold. The plants require to be covered through the spring to really get a kick start on growth and production.

What about the Bouquet de Fleurs?

Thanks, Greg