P S ~~~~~~~~~~~ i forgot to say............. Now..... isn't that just like MS KAREN..... arriving FASHIONABLY LATE>>>>!!!! (((Possibly new name: Fanny Fashion ! tee hee))) Keeping us on pins and needles..... with ALL those PHOTO's of the past & Present and the *** FUTURE ~ ! ! ! ~ ~ ~ * * * Oh .... I'll tell you..... Ya'LL are just totally something else..... WE CAN ALL STICK TOGETHER>>>> During these kinda slim times... here... we can T * A * L * K ~ ~ ~ & Laugh & S* H * A * R * E & we can even Cry together....if necessary ! ! ! we can Help each other with IDEAS.... how to Save Money... and USE Our HEADS ~~~TOGETHER ~~~~ and Share Ideas... and ADVICE ~~~~ to economize and *** E * N * C * O * U * R * A * G * E ~~one another !!!! W E are in this " Dream " together !!!!!!! Let's Get 'er done !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Love, and Prayers ! God Bless ! SusieSunshine zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ Thanks Kirk for the DREAM !!!!!!!!!!!!! Love U Sharing !!!!!! Glad I got to come to the Dream !!!!!!!!!!!! and Let's plan on more GET 2 Gethers ! ! ! ! !

Yeah the Growing Citrus and about another half dozen popular guides, coffee-table style booklets, etc are not in depth enough. I'm ready to order Biology of Citrus. I'm hoping it will answer all my *very specific* technical questions I have been unable to find in research articles ... of course I'm dreaming. At least I'm hoping it will fill the missing knowledge gaps and perhaps identify how citrus DIFFER from other foliage, especially other fruit trees. I'm hoping it's as technical as The Citrus Industry Volumes (of which the first two volumes are now free online at http://lib.ucr.edu/agnic/webber/). Every once in a while I do a search for the whole collection of the Citrus Industry, but it's just so darn expensive.

Our most popular fig (and we grow commercially in zone 7 a next to Dulles Airport Northern, Va, is what we call Champagne, but some call verte. Unfortunately we did not realise what a demand there would be for it, so only have about thirty trees, but we are adding another 50 this year. Our second most popular is brunswick - but it has issues with splitting some years, but a huge producer and 2nd best for our customers (and we sell both retail and wholesale to some of the best restaurants in the area, including Inn at Little Washington, Girasole, etc.) We have a nice interesting white fig wild collected in mountains of Bulgaria - people either really like it or do not like it..... Excellent for us as has a very large late crop, but no breba. We grow 4 other varieties we sell commercially, and have another ten or so which seem not to appeal a great deal to people, so will probably be replanted with champagne. We always keep two of everything in case someone really likes it or tastes change. For us, early-on big issue was reliable hardiness and good production, why we wound up with so many varieties, names of some of which have been lost (if one can trust the names in the first place). Anyone still looking, we have a fig festival in September where numerous varieties can be tasted, along with what we consider a very good pure balsamic vinegar.Figs make a great vinegar and great way to use up extras or split.

Notice how everybody is suggesting different varieties? There are a lot of wonderful Teas. Currently competing for first place in my affections are 'Etoile de Lyon', 'Archduke Joseph', and 'Mme. Antoine Mari'. All are big, strong, healthy, frugal, elegant plants, with very beautiful flowers when conditions are favorable. MAM's last, abundant flowering looked more like a Polyantha's than a Tea's, the flowers, in corymbs, were so numerous and the blooms so small; but it was hot and droughty. In spring the blooms were large and luscious. She's gearing up for another flush now in spite of a month or so with no water. 'Etoile de Lyon' is, oh, just wonderful: I have a recent thread on her. I love yellow roses, and she is that, not one of the pink and lemon or natural-peach-ice-cream-colored types. 'Archduke Joseph' has achieved the feat of turning into a full-sized climber, currently about 15' x 10' x 10', still setting buds in spite of a month of drought. Shapely coppery-pink fragrant blooms and particularly excellent, clean foliage. All these varieties have at least some fragrance--least to most, EDL, MAM, AJ--and all have individually beautiful flowers, though perhaps EDL is the most stunning of them all--though MAM can compete there.