I already wanted to attend this from the post in gulf coast forum, but how can anybody not want to meet a guy brave and friendly enough to holler "Free BBQ" in the AL forum? All the way over to Panama City should be part of AL anyway, but this probably isn't the place to start such a mini-rant. "Want to attend" is a done deal for me, am trying to attend, that's as much as I can commit at this point at my end. Nothing against the swap in N AL, which I'd like to attend just as much, just a lot farther away from me in an area much less familiar.

Hi Bill I don't have a cocktail fruit tree but I do have a cocktail plum and a cocktail pear. This is the second year planted, the plum fruited a few 3 different plums last season, the pear has not given fruit yet. I was just talking to my friend this morning and showing her the yard and she said that she bought at HD a citrus cocktail and now she only get lemons. The plum has 4 different kind of low chill plums The pear also have 4 different of low chill varieties of pears Silvia

As a child, our front yard was bordered by Surinam Cherries...The only thing with them is that they DO get wormy if not treated, but make the most amazing jellies! I'm also a huge fan of figs. I do have a Loquat tree that I LOVE! I've learned (on here) that they can be pruned not only to allow sun through (I have pineapples growing around mine) but you can do the "bonsai" thing with them as well. I also love my dwarf bananas. I chose RajaPuri because of the compact size. I started with one sick little plant that someone at ACE hardware was throwing out...he said it was dead. Well, no it wasn't, but it WAS almost dead...waterlogged. Six months later, I now have 9 banana trees! I'm really glad to hear about the nuts that grow here. I used to have pecans in Lake Wales, but they never fruited heavily and the goats got most of the ones we could reach anyway! One should always have a citrus tree. They're fantastic for more than just fruit. I keep a pineapple orange (my favorite) and a Meyer Lemon (dwarf) that does beautifully. I also use the rinds as a disinfectant (I use everything for everything, lol) in my kennel, as well as a deodorizer! One thing about figs: They're pollinated by wasps, so if anyone grows them, cut them in half before biting into them...or you'll never eat another one! Just like Surinams, figs are used by the pollinator to lay their eggs.

I think KayJones is either in or near the Florida Panhandle, and PurpleinOpp is in southern Alabama but frequently participates in this forum. Those are the only two members that come to mind. :( If it were me, I would post this to the Alabama Forum, and maybe the Southern Forum, the Southeast Coastal Forum and the Tropicals Forum. It sounds awesome - I wish I could go!! Carol in Jacksonville This post was edited by love_the_yard on Fri, Oct 4, 13 at 10:05