Just a quick climate check tells me that even coastal Virginia can go down into the twenties. Better pick a hardy variety, and hope for the best if planted in-ground. Are containerized fig trees an option? Store them in an unheated garage, in the colder months, then roll them out to grow in the warmer weather. Easy, if the containers are on dollies. I'm sure fig growers who live in the "Old Dominion" will be posting some information about your fig-growing endeavors. Hope this may help. Frank, from The Bronx, NYC PS...Call up some local nurseries in the area in which you think you might relocate, and ask what varieties grow well in that specific area. I'm sure you will have plenty of choices. I grow "ATREANO", and I am almost certain that this fig will do well in Virginia too.

I will grow in container but will try in the ground also when I can propagate. When the fig gets bigger, my intention is to wrap and put in a root cellar, or put under house, it doesn't freeze. I used to work at an arboretum and my middle name was propagation, and although I don't have the wonderful greenhouse and mist table to use anymore, I still love to multiply plants. I haven't been very active in my green pursuits since last baby, but this year I have been making up for lost time :). I ordered 2 plants so may try one in dormancy and one indoor culture. Will have to see. I even have an old greenhouse that would make passable cold frame for in the future. So annual burial occurs wrapped in waterproof material or just throw the tree in the ground and put dirt on it? (I am imagining roots all over the place, lol) I know some people trench in their roses. I don't even know why I want a fig so badly, they are very photogenic. I am just glad to have avenue to talk plant and read plant and learn about one that has really piqued my interest. The rest of my orchard acquisitions are doing decent. Figs just seem special....... Good health and wishes to everyone, threejsmom31 :)

Hi all, Just a list of most all the locations mentioned in this link and a few others I added all in one post hope this is helpful. Bay Flora http://www.bayflora.com/figtrees.html Burnt Ridge http://www.burntridgenursery.com/fruitingPlants/index_product.asp?dept=19&parent=7 Edible Landscaping http://www.ediblelandscaping.com/plants.php Encanto Farms http://encantofarms.com/2010available.html Fig Trees net http://www.figtrees.net/ Grimo Nut http://www.grimonut.com/catalog.php?catID=71 Itilian Figtrees http://www.italianfigtrees.com/blog/ Just Fruit and Exotics http://www.justfruitsandexotics.com/Figs.htm Land of Enfigment http://landofenfigment.com/index.html Michals Fig Trees http://www.figtrees.ca/varieties.html Agricultural Research Service http://www.ars.usda.gov/Main/docs.htm?docid=12871 Petals from the past http://petalsfromthepast.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=31_38 Raintree http://www.raintreenursery.com/catalog/producttype.cfm?producttype=FIGS Rolling River http://www.rollingrivernursery.com/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&page=shop.browse&category_id=20&Itemid=26&vmcchk=1&Itemid=26 Trees of Antiquity http://www.treesofantiquity.com/index.php?main_page=shopping_cart&sort=20a&page=1 Trees of Joy http://www.treesofjoy.com/ Wills Orchards http://www.willisorchards.com/category/Fig%20Trees

Lago, yeah the Delaware Coast has a pretty favorable climate for windmills and such. They are not is wide spread because people just aren't aware of such thing as cold hardy palms and the availability is not as great as in VB. It's getting better. The early "palms pioneers" like the Royal Rose B&B shown above illustrate the great potential here. They have been my garden inspiration and I have windmills lining my Victorian wrap around porch. We are a high end zone 7b here according to the 2012 USDA map. Earlier revisions by AHS and Arbor Day placed the immediate coast as the northern most extreme of 8a. That latter point seems to really ruffle feathers for some reason. But those of us who live on the coast know that we're in a bit of a sweet spot. You hit a very interesting point about the geography of our coast (Delaware Bay to our north) mimicking VB coast (Chesapeake Bay to their north). They are a good half zone milder being 100 to 120 miles due south, but also closer to Gulf Stream which is deflected out to sea by the OBX of NC. We recognize we're not VB climate, but we're not far off either, which people find hard to believe. I agree with you that pot grown palmettos are a better long term survivor. They are hard to come by in most places in the areas. Never seen here. There are some very rare palmettos here. I did a thread in the fall (Sabal Palmettos in Delaware) you can look for. There is a hurricane cut palmetto near Bethany Beach that was planted by a friend if mine at his former garden center. It was growing slowly and had some setbacks. But he sold the center to a woman who is "palms clueless". She didn't protect it winter a year ago, but surprisingly it recovered nicely and was getting a decent green crown by November. Then she cooked it with lights wrapped in plastic this winter. We write it off. Shame. It would've been better off left alone. After this mild winter, it would've come through perfectly and had a great summer growth a head of it. Yesterday, my friend texted me that the palm is still alive! It has 8" of new green growth pushing out of the top. It just shows the resilience of the mighty sabal palmetto. Hurricane cut palmettos are a poor choice for marginal areas like here. But that one is an interesting experiment. A smaller, pot grown palmetto has been at a Fenwick Island (inches above the MD/DE line) for a few summers, is un protected other than seated infringe of a very short wall. It looks great and is example of why this type should be tried more often. Again, they are not available. I've read extensively about palmetto and most sites say they are an 8a tree, but hardy to 7b with good seating. I'm going to do a drive to Gary's nursery this week to pick up pot grown 7 gal. palmettos and a Birmingham. Besides the "Sabal Palmetto in Delaware" thread, I did "A palmy visit to Bethany Beach" a few weeks ago, you might find interesting. Bethany Beach seems to have an even sweeter microclimate because if the Inland Bays to their northwest, which may moderate cold winter winds.