This is probably not the final list ... still researching the orange and apricot, and as always comments are welcome privately or below, if you have a variety that works well for you.
- Boysenberry it is. They will be planted along No-Man's Land beyond the olive grove. It sits in full sun with a bit of shade in the hottest part of the afternoon summer, and the land sits fallow all year round. The owner of that patch offered it to us to plant if we'd like. I am reading that the boysenberry has woody stalks that need to be cleared out each fall to keep it growing like an adolescent, to maintain good berry production. So a trailing vine, although more beautiful and graceful, won't be as practical to prune as a bush. Good point, Barb. Thanks.
- An Orange tree or Clementine, planted closer to the house and easy to grab a snack as you walk by. We buy Cuties by the bushel, the sweeter mandarin hybrid oranges with thin skins and juicy petite fruit. I need to research what grows well here, strong root base, and resistant to the occasional cold snap.
- A Meyer lemon - fleshy, less acidic, a hybrid of traditional lemon and oranges. This is a hands down favorite with my friends, reported as easy to grow, full of taste and a deeper yellow color. Thin skinned, heavy in the hand, winter yield that is plentiful but it produces all year round. Thanks for the tip, Texas Tim.
- A Santa Rosa Plum - I have personal experience with one of these in the yard of my first house. The sweet tart delicious fruit is good and juicy, and the skin is firm and a little bit sour. I like the graceful thin branches with deep red-plum colored leaves. A definite yes.
- An Apricot. It is one of my favorite fruits, and with such a variety of purposes will be ideal. App-ri-cots. Not ape-re-cots. :) I need tips on the best and most hardy variety, if you have them.
- An Apple: Love apples, but there are too many choices to decide right for this season. It's already bare root season, and gotta get it in asap.
- A Blood Red Orange dwarf variety came to us last year from a roadside stand. It has an amazing acidic sweet tart taste with a deep red color. In Italy the tree grows plentifully and is the preferred orange juice served in ristorantes. Here you can get it by the quart, but it costs a small fortune. Our little tree bore fruit in its 2nd year, but we lost them in the move to the farm. This will be planted come spring alongside the garden.
