Often we may reject a variety based on limited bad experience that doesn't truly represent the qualities of that variety. That's why I stressed my limitied experience with Tomcot. The trees were in a shallow soiled part of my nursery. Harglow is another I forgot to mention and have recently been forgetting to order- maybe ACN doesn't carry it and I should go back to Hilltop who used to give me larger trees anyway (dissappointed with size from ACN this year!). Harglow does blossom a bit later than other varieties and Alfred seems to spread the bloom a bit. Difference between these so called late bloomers and others seems slight here- but there is a regional element to this. Up here we only get a week seperation from first and last blooming apples (thank goodness, really simplifies the spray schedule). I've never had a year where later blooming between varieties of a given species has served to advantage the harvest although it obviously increases your odds a bit. Interestingly, sometimes your earlier flowering varieties fare better in late frost as happened one year for me with peaches. Blossums that had already been pollinated when frost came bore some fruit- later blossums did not. I guess that contradicts the first sentence in this paragraph but nevertheless amplifies my point.

I'm in Laton, on the Kings River. Looking for plants for a steep levee. It's sprinklered so I can keep water on it, but it does tend to run down hill. I end up with puddles at the bottom if I run the system too long. Part of the levee is in full sun and part is shaded by valley oaks. Any suggestions would be appreciated. They have to be easy to grow and maintain. I don't have a lot of time to spend on my garden, just a few hours per week.

I think it was centralcali's palm of the Sacramento or farther south valley. Last he posted in early spring it had thrown two good fronds..and that part of the state gets cold in winter. North of Santa Barbara its a given they get ratty in winter..but I'm starting to seeing trunking palms here in the SF bay area.

Alan: I think you were asking where exactly I was...I'm in Dinuba.