I have an accidental avocado tree growing outside (not in a pot) that has so far survived 4 winters in zone 6 and is now 7 feet high. I don't expect it to fruit, and I am very surprised every year when it leafs out. It is in a protected area right next to my house on the west, and just past it is an old fashioned well structure of the wishing well type but it is a real well with real water in the bottom. This house is of stone, built in 1925 and the walls at the bottom are close to 2 feet thick. The ground to the south falls away steeply, so cold air does not pool in this area. All of that probably has a lot to do with the survival of the tree. It has gotten down to zero F in the last couple of winters but that hasn't happened often or lasted more than one night. I have not done anything to protect this tree such as wrapping it. One of these winters the temperature will go down far enough that the tree won't make it. But, at this point it's an interesting anomaly. This is in the most southwest corner of Pennsylvania.

You might want to consider trying your luck with the fast fruiting variety. This means you have to play with time a little here. You can grow a banana and grow it indoor until it's too big for the pot. At the first sign of warm weather in late Spring or early Summer, bring the plant out and plant it in the ground in a sunny spot. Water, feed it regularly and mulch the soil to promote maximum growth in that growing season. Some bananas I have planted that have fruited quickly are Rajapuri, Apple Banana and Praying Hands. However, both Apple Banana and Praying Hands are large plants. Only Rajapuri is a small variety--up to 8 ft tall. I know the Dwarf Cavendish is a smaller variety too, but I'm not able to get it to fruit after three years even in FL. There might be some other smaller and fast fruiters. Maybe some others here who have experience with them can post. There's a likelihood you might get fruit in the first growing season outdoor, but again with bananas, there's no guarantee. My Rajapuri has for the past couple of years been consistently throwing out fruit every six months.

My oldest bush fruited last year and the birds got most of them. The few I tasted were okay but nothing special. They are better than that other hybrid series - Jan, Joy and Joel. I have them all and though they are gorgeous in bloom the fruit tastes like a mild plum and not at all cherry like. Those plants do suffer some form of foliar disease which also damages the fruit. The most cherry flavor I've found is the Nanking Cherry, also very pretty in bloom. The fruit are tiny but quite tasty. I've had Northstar Cherries do well here in the past and I have a 'Kristin' and a 'Danube' that should fruit this year and both seem to be happy. You really have to try different ones and see what does best in your garden and you have to give them multiple fruiting years before you give up, the flavor can change as they age. I've found a few random seedlings near these bushes/trees which may end up being hybrids - I won't know until they bloom and fruit which should be in a few years. Two of them look like the Jan/Joy/Joel with a slightly different leave shape and one looks like a Nanking with a slightly different structure and leaf. I also have the wild plum Prunus angustifolia in the next row so they could have crossed with whoever. Whatever they are the seedlings look very healthy. I like to shop at Edible - easy drive from Raleigh.

I am not sure how self fertile Shinko is, though it is one of the most fire blight resistant Asian pears. I know 20th century is partly self fertile, and makes a good pollination partner for Shinko as it tends to bloom only slightly earlier. Asian and many European pears will also cross pollinate if their bloom period overlaps. I would certainly suggest adding a second pear of a different variety to cross pollinate (2 trees of the same variety will not cross pollinate, as they are genetically identical). I know Shinko and Hosui have similar chill requirements, and similar bloom times, so Hosui would also make a good partner. Some of the other Asian pears have much higher chill hour and may not bloom with Shinko.