Your best plants of 2017

@Zigs That's the best Zigs

 

Not so unlikely as it may seem, @longk . Asiminier t grows in S Canada, is reputed to be hardy to -25C, has been trialled in Germany etc... It certainly resists the dodgy winters here. In the hope of commercialising it (in a small way) I planted 10 little grafted trees this autumn. The only reasons that it's not already popular are the short shelf life and impossibility of mechanical harvesting.
@NigelJ , thanks for the link!

 

My main concern is that we lack summer warmth and sunshine here to ripen the fruit.

 

Hmmm....we'll have to get @pete to trial one If Lagerstroemia and Strelitzia flower in Kent, custard apples should be a doddle!

 

I've got two Asimina triloba plants, both flower, but were seed grown and they need to cross pollinate.
Might be because one is in the garden and one on the allotment, I don't know, but they flower about 10 to 15 days apart, only ever managed to get fruit one year by hand pollination.
The fruit ripened, but personally it was not to my taste, as I remember very sweet and gooey.

 

I like the fruit and I like the flowers but I don't have the space for two bushes. Booger!

 

I think @noisette47 has a self fertile cultivar.

 

Complaints from Owcho that I hadn't put him on this thread

 

Bull do-do! You just wanted to show off
He does look resplendent though

Ah..............maybe I might plant one at work then.

 

Apologies for the thread drift Should have done this ages ago!
My original plant was from a company called Baumaux...think it was 'Prima'. When I researched plants for my mini-orchard, well, there are lots of named, grafted plants out there, but it was a toss-up between Prima and Sunflower for fruit size. None of them are cheap They're half the price in the USA but couldn't find anyone willing to export. Got them from Planfor in the end. I could have raised them from seed but as Pete has discovered, they take a long time to produce and the results are variable. My original tree would have produced within 3 years if it hadn't been attacked by deer (twice). The new ones are well protected...electric fence and plenty of scarecrows

 

I assume that the current is turned up high enough to produce venison as well

 

If only...... Couldn't do it, to be honest. They're such beautiful animals even when they're munching their way through the roses and young trees. Wild boar, now, that's another story!

 

However, the thing about wild boar is that they have so much attitude that even if you plugged them into the national grid they would just laugh at you! Taste good though

 

Don't they just! They're a real problem here and getting worse. Especially in towns where the hunters aren't allowed to cull them. Luckily, they've got sensitive noses so a combination of current and cheap perfume and chilli powder keeps them at bay. Um..trying to get back on track , how are you overwintering your Swainsona? I'll catch up with the answer tomorrow.....mon lit beckons.... night night