Water from a stream, a sheltered valley, a gently sloping hill, and proximity to the lake garda were the fundamental requirements for building an enclosed lemon garden called lemon house or sardì in the local dialect. Often built on several terraces (còle), linked by stone stairs, these structures came in many different sizes. A massive wall enclosed it on three sides to ensure an eastern-southeastern exposure. At its center or on one of its extremities was the casèl, a shed for storing roofing materials.

The roof, which slanted toward the back, was supported by pillars connected by walls or large chestnut rafters called sparadòs that were 30 to 40 centimeters in diameter. Other smaller beams called canter were nailed in five or six parallel lines perpendicular to the sparadòs.
The lemon house was covered when the first frosts arrived in November. Wide planks called as were laid on the roof, while narrower planks called mezì, glass windows (envédriàe), and specially numbered doors (üsére) were installed on the facade.

The fir wood planks used on the roof were about 5 to 6 meters long, 20 centimeters wide and 3 centimeters thick. Two planks were laid side by side, and a third was laid on top of the two; all were nailed along the line of the smaller beams. A frame was constructed on the front using three larch beams called filaröle that were inserted, in parallel, into the pillars of the shed on three levels. They were blocked at one end by a stone that fit into a slot (préa da filaröla). Five to six wood planks, two to three glass panes, and two doors were installed between one pillar and another.
The planks used on the front, which were 5 to 7 meters long and 20 to 25 centimeters wide, were composed of two overlapping planks that were nailed together (one was narrower than the other to form a sort of ledge) These were attached to the filaröle with wooden pins (cavìc' or biröi), about 10-12 centimeters long, inserted into slots.

The glass windows on the front, which were between 5 and 6 meters tall and 50 centimeters wide, were formed by a fir wood frame and crosspieces that held the glass panes in place. These windows were propped up against the me?ì planks and held into place by wood pieces (paserèle or galèc') that pivoted on a nail. The doors, which were between 5 to 7 meters tall and about 50 meters wide, were simple planks laid side by side and nailed to three crosspieces. They also had hinges so they could be opened.
The lemon house of Limone sul Garda had to be closed against the cold in November. Dry grass (pàbol) was used to seal (stupinàr) all gaps. An old proverb said "A Sànta Caterìna, stüpìna, stüpìna!"(By Saint Caterina's, seal them!"), meaning the sealing process had to be completed by November 25th, which was the feast day of the saint.
The lemon tree and its fruit suffer when the temperature nears 0 degrees Celsius (32 degrees Fahrenheit). If that happened, the only remedy was fogàr (lighting fires with kindling, branches and leaves) all along the terraces.