Thank you, Matt, for the cocktail of information. 
Dax
One thing I want to order for this year but really need help with is apricot. Let me say right out of the gate that I am fully aware (thanks to the kind, helpful folks on this site) that apricots are a real long shot for me and may well only fruit one every few years. Because I have all the space in the world and am willing to put in a little extra work and money to spray 2-4 more trees even if they will rarely if ever produce fruit, I’m going to give them a try. So I acknowledge that I’m charging wind mills but I’m going to do it, so I’d at least like the best chance I can get. I found this awesome article about growing apricots in places with early frost (Texas, in the case of the article) but for all I know the article isn’t accurate so I’d love to have you all vet the article, or just offer suggestions in general.
http://www.texasgardener.com/pastissues/novdec07/Apricot.html
So far, based almost entirely on the above article, it would seem that my best chances lie with the following apricots:
Chinese (not a late bloomer but can withstand colder temps/more frost than most varieties
Tomcot (Doesn’t bloom late but blooms for a long time (3 wks) so if first blooms get hit, later ones may not
Jersey cot (Late bloomer)
Harglow (Late bloomer)
Tisdale (Late bloomer)
Bryan (Late bloomer)
I have found every variety listed above for sale somewhere except the last 2 and just haven’t looked for them yet.
I’d love to hear whether you folks think the article that I’m putting so much emphasis on is accurate. But even more, I’d just like to hear what apricot varieties you think are MOST LIKELY to bring me some occasional fruit. For those who don’t know, I live on the border of TN and KY and am in zone 7a but very close to 6b. Thanks.
I’ve been growing apricots outdoors in Texas since 1971. I haven’t seen the differences between varieties suggested in that article. They all get frozen out most years. In any one yr either they all make or none do. So I’d be inclined to plant the ones that taste best. That said I could be wrong and TX isn’t TN. The variety that’s done well in humid and dry climates is Tomcot. Start there and see how it goes. If it won’t produce I doubt you’ll find one much better for consistent production and it tastes pretty good.
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Well I’m going in the opposite direction. I’m ordering the following pomegranates: Parfianka, Sin Pepe, Ariana, Medovyi Vasha, Sirenevyi, Salavatski, and Utah Sweet. These will be my fall fruits, as apples just
don’t do that well in my climate, and I’m devoting that space to Poms and Figs.
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I did go to the site and bought a new peach and a new euro plum. Their trees are the best!
Long live your Ouillins plum!
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Matt, it is odd, I’ve had the strangest lucky with gages. My first Bavay was destroyed by borers. Bought a new one last minute from Raintree four years ago (I accepted a ‘whip’). I was fairly upset about being sent a whip, but ‘beggars can’t be choosers’; at least Raintree had one in stock. Do you remember Konrad from GW? His words were so true. "Mrs. G whips can produce faster than tree year old trees). Boy was he ever right. My three year old ‘Bavay’ whip produced the best plums I’ve ever eaten last summer! I bought an ‘Oullins’ Gage from Arboreum this year. I have quite a few of their trees. I have also ordered a Carman peach from them. Cannot wait for that tree too!
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I agree w/ Fruitnut. When I grew several varieties of apricots here, they all bloomed relatively close and were frozen out most years (including Jerseycot and Harglow). I’m trialing another apricot Scott has recommended for late blooming, but it hasn’t fruited yet.
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As always, “ya’ll” (its a southern thing!) have been really helpful. I also trust fruitnut and Olpea WAY WAY more than whoever wrote that article, which is why I hoped you would read it and give feedback. When Fruitnut, with his well established expertise, experience IN TEXAS (where the article was based) and WITH APRICOTS for 44 years (FORTY-FOUR!), speaks on this topic, I LISTEN!
Since Tomcot is on the list anyway, and Fruitnut says its a good tasting variety, I’m certainly going to order one of them. I think they self pollinate but if anyone wants to suggest a good pollinator or just another good apricot for my zone 7a/6b property in Tennessee, I’d like to hear it. thanks all.
Scott- I think you’d like Black Limbertwig’s taste- some sweet, some tart, nice texture.
I gave up on apricots. The trees are beautiful but I never get any apricots. Frost gets the blossoms nearly every time. When the frost doesn’t get them the bugs do.
hambone, I already have it fruiting and I want more of it 
I prefer it to Myers Royal which is fine but does not size or set evenly and is not quite as good flavored.
Great. The literature I read does not give Black Limbertwig the credit it deserves. People rave about Royal Limbertwig, Red Royal Limbertwig, Myers, Brushy Mtn, Caney Fork, White. I hope to taste these others in a couple years. I suppose it’s possible they ALL taste good.
Silver Gem Nectarine
PF 19-007 Peach
Black Pearl Cherry
Calville Blanc dHiver Apple
Hidden Rose Apple
J-59 Persimmon
Josephine Raspberry
I would like to praise England’s here. Received 2 persimmons yesterday 9 days after my initial email to Cliff inquiring about availability. Very well packaged and great roots, especially on the Chinebuli! Nearly 2’ of taproot.
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My trees are coming fedex tommorrow. Merry Christmas to me 
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No doubt about it, @mksmth …getting a box of new trees is like christmas morning as a kid!!! Hard to explain why its so exciting to open a gift that- even if everything goes well- won’t actually be ready for 3-5 years!!! Imagine if we’d been told "here is the new bicycle you wanted. Next year you will get the front tire, the year after you get the back tire, and in 3 years you will get the chain. haha.
I probably have waited too long to get any, but I’ve decided that the fruit tree/bush I want this year are some of the Romance Cherries. If anyone has any recommendations for the sweetest and best ones for my zone 7a/6b area in TN and/or a good place to buy them, I’d sure appreciate some help on my selection. (I have read all the threads here on Romance cherries but since my zone/area is different from most of the ones discussed, I’d like to hear thoughts on the sweetest and best ones for my area…or if any of them will really do very good). Thanks.
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Scott, it sounds like just good for jam isn’t worth it for you, but I think Beauty makes excellent jam/sauce when generously sweetened.
The skin imparts a great deal of flavor and cooks to a gorgeous saturated red. I just squeeze the pulp out of fully ripe/red fruit to separate the seeds. Boil it down and hit it with an immersion blender directly in the pot. Add a ridiculous amount of cane sugar to taste, and cook to the desired consistency.
I like to leave it pretty loose for icecream. Its very easy to make and one of my daughters favorite toppings for waffles.
Eaten out of hand, I don’t care for Beauty at all, but I don’t like watery fruit and generally eschew Japanese plums.
I bought mine from HoneyberryUSA. Romeo, Juliet, and Carmine Jewel arrived bareroot in early November (I prefer Fall planting in my location); Crimson Passion and Lutowka will arrive in Spring. I ordered all sour cherry varieties available at HoneyberryUSA (except for Evans Bali) to see if any of them will work out in California zone 9.
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Oh… How I wish I could grow mangoes, lychees, bananas, lemons and oranges… I am in zone 4/5… So no. Here is my list for next spring:
- 1 Prairie sun Persimmon + 1 seedling for pollination from Whiffletreefarmandnursery Never had an american persimmon in my life!
- 1 Natasha and 1 Andrey cold hardy argutas (actinidia/kiwi)… from Whiffletree. Anybody tried them?
- 1 Cooke’s jumbo Quince (fan, cordon or espalier on my West facing wall…we’ll see how it goes) from Whiffletree
- Aurora haskap (delicious sweet/tart little berries)
- Veteran peach (not the best tasting but the hardiest choice for me) Fan trained, on my East facing wall!
Other things on my list but I didn’t decide yet (suggestions are welcome!!!):
- Mulberry (enough space for only one… needs to be hardy)
- Apple or euro pear. Idealy, would be 1. Hardy 2. Early 3. Russet 4. Disease resistant 5.Good?
- Cornelian cherry (yellow or red? + again, never tasted it!)
- Blackgold cherry (this one is almost doomed, but I’d try ANYWAY
Would love to taste pawpaws, jujubes, amerian persimmons, shipovas and medlars !