I just had my first Drippin Honey, and it's the best tasting pear I've ever had. I've also got Yonaishi and Olympic Giant, and they don't come close. It's incredibly sweet for an Asian Pear, as sweet as European Pears, but has a more distinctive taste. It's also got the texture of the Asian Pear. Up until now, Coralstar Peaches were my favorite fruit. Drippin Honey changed that. Oh my, they are so good. The fruit came out fine, with no spraying at all. The only problem is, I only got two this year (the first year I got any). Hopefully next year I'll have more. I'll certainly be planting more of them. It's a pity only Gurney's and Henry Field's sells them. I don't like either company (well, it's the same one), but that won't stop me from getting a couple more of these trees.

Asian fragrant pears can be very fragrant, more so than European pear varieties, but it's a musky perfume-like fragrance, completely different from the exquisite pear aroma of a European pear like 'Comice'. Although I have tasted an excellent Asian pear, personally I prefer the aroma and flavor of Comice, although I could understand why some people might like fragrant pears more. The texture between the two is also different. Though they can both be firm, Asian pears are crisp and watery, whereas Comice has a dense texture. The texture of Asian pears kind of reminds me of eating jicama.

Hi, I am looking for larger Contender peach stock, they announced that they will grow, hopefully, for me on my farm. when I contacted my supplier, they said it would be 2-3 years before they can get me some trees. (No, don't send me to the 'Big catalog' companies. deep adversion to their products. I had some of the new MINNESOTA SNOWSWEET apple trees this spring, and some have fruit started, will leave one or two apples per tree. I know i shouldn't, but I have waited a long time for them. Very late spring, I am about halfway between St. Paul, Minnesota and Lake Superior! after last summers extreme drought, am looking forward to a good crop. I am also looking for some GINGER GOLD apple trees. If you are in the 'northern' climes, I hope you have checked out the Zestar from the U of M. I have had 3 smaller crops from mine, fantastic. I put in some Prarie Magic trees this spring too. Deer, bear, and little old ladies from town do in most of my crop. Can't resist a challenge. Anyway, after running into fresh Colorado peaches at Gilettte, Wyoming last summer, I am hooked, and want to get some going before it is too late for this old farm boy. Never knew a peach could taste so good. Our pears, plums, and apples are about 2 weeks behind, due to late spring. so if you can direct me to a grower of good peach and apple stock, thanks. George

Here's a lilst of fruits for Zone 14 (the Sunset Western Garden Book designation for the Sacramento area; we don't use USDA zones in California with accuracy): POME AND STONE FRUIT TREES Apple -- [best crops with two different trees] Arkansas Black Astrachan Beverly Hills Black Twig Fuji (bears alternately) Gala (Royal Gala) (fireblight-prone) Golden Delicious Granny Smith Gravenstein Jonathan Melrose Mutsu Newtown Pippin Northern Spy (slow) Rome Beauty (Red Rome) Spigold Winesap Winter Banana (Winter) Pearmain Apricots -- Autumn Royal (ripens late) Blenheim (Royal) Floragold Golden Amber Royalty Tilton Aprium (apricot-plum hybrid) Flavor Ann Flavor Delight Honey Rich Tasty Rich Cherry -- [need two different trees] Bing Black Tartarian English Morello (sour) Montmorency (sour) North Star (sour) Royal Ann Stella Van Cherry-Plum -- Delight Sprite Nectarine -- Desert Dawn Double Delight (ornamental, too) Fantasia Flavor Top Goldmine John Rivers Independence Silver Lode Snow Queen Southern Belle (genetic dwarf) Stanwick Sungrand Nectaplum (nectarine-plum hybrid) Spice-Zee Peach -- Bonita Babcock Bonanza II (genetic dwarf) Desertgold Donut (Saturn) Early Elberta Elberta Fay Elberta Fortyniner Gold Dust Halehaven Honey Babe (genetic dwarf) Indian Free July Elberta Redhaven Rio Oso Gem Peach-Plum  Tri-Lite Pear -- Bartlett Baldwin Comice Fan Stil Flordahome Hood Kieffer Monterrey Moonglow Seckel Sure Crop Winter Nelis Pears, Asian -- (Some are relatively self-fertile but still do best with a pollinator; others absolutely require a pollinator (because pollinators are specific in many cases, check your references before purchasing just any pollinator). Also check for fireblight resistance (a common disease among some cultivars).) Chojuro Hosui Ichiban Kikusui Kosui Mishirasu Nihon Nashi (Okusankichi) Niitaka Nijisseki (20th Century)  for coldest areas Seuri Shinko Shinseiki Shinsui Tsu Li (Tse Li) Ya li Yoinashi Yongi Plum, European -- Brooks Damson Early Laxton* French Prune Green Gage Imperial* Italian Prune Mirabelle Reine Claude Seneca* Stanley Sugar Plum, Japanese -- Burgundy Casselman Eldorado Elephant Heart Kelsey Laroda Nubiana Santa Rosa Satsuma (many others) Pluot (plum-apricot hybrid)  Black Kat Blue Gusto Crimson Heart Dapple Fire Early Dapple Flavor Fall Flavor Gem Flavor Gold Flavor Grenade Flavor Heart Flavorich Flavorite Flavor Jewel Flavor King Flavorosa Flavor Queen Flavor Supreme Flavor Treat Flavor Wynne Geo Pride Marcia's Flavor Plum Parfait Royal Treat Spring Flavor Quince -- CookeÂs Jumbo Orange Pineapple Smyrna OTHERS Fig -- (Black) ÂMission ÂBrown Turkey ÂConadria ÂKadota Jujube (Ziziphus) -- ÂJin ÂLang ÂLi ÂSherwood ÂSilverhill Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica) -- ÂBig Jim ÂAdvance ÂChampagne ÂGold Nugget ÂMacBeth Mulberry, Black (Morus nigra)  ÂPersian ÂBlack Beauty ÂKaester ÂPakistan King ÂSullivan ÂThompson Pomegranate -- ÂAmbrosia ÂBlaze ÂEarly Wonderful ÂEversweet ÂGrenada ÂPink Pearl Drops ÂRosamia ÂSweet ÂUtah Sweet ÂWhite ÂWonderful NUTS Almond (takes two for pollination with noted exceptions *) -- ÂAll-in-OneÂ* ÂCarmel ÂGarden PrinceÂ* ÂMission ÂNeplus Ultra ÂNonpareil ÂPrice Chestnut (takes two to pollinate)  ÂColossal ÂDunstan ÂEurobella Filbert, Hazelnut (takes two to pollinate)  ÂBarcelona ÂBrixnut ÂButler ÂDavianna ÂDu Chilly ÂEnnis ÂWhite Aveline Pistachio (Pistacia vera) (takes two to pollinate)  ÂJoley  female ÂKerman  female ÂPeters  male (pollinator) ÂSfax -- female Walnut -- ÂChandler ÂHartley ÂHoward ÂTehama UNCOMMON HARDY FRUITS Mulberry hybrids -- ÂCollier (Morus alba X M. rubra) ÂIllinois Everbearing (M. alba X M. rubra) ÂTehama ("Giant White") ÂWellington (ÂNew AmericanÂ) Black persimmon (Diospyros digyna) Che (Cudrania tricuspidata) Pawpaw (Asimina triloba) (some self-fertile, otherwise hand pollinated) Potential (not tested well) -- ÂMary Foos Johnson ÂMitchell ÂOverleese ÂProlific ÂRebeccaÂs Gold ÂSunflower (sf) ÂTaylor ÂTaytoo ÂWells Persimmon hybrids -- ÂKeener ÂNikitaÂs Gift ÂRossiyanka Strawberry Tree, Chinese (Myrica rubra) Joe