Hello, friends!
I live in the foothills of south-western NC some 50 miles north west of Charlotte, and my winters differ from 7B to 8B. The precipitations are around 4" monthly year around. The soil is hard red clay which does not get dry too fast and in case of excessive rain will just shed into cricks the extra water. It is south but not as hot and humid in the summer like in Washington DC or NJ. Last year, when most of the south, and not only, was over 100 degrees for days and days I had just a couple of days reaching 100. This year the maximum was 92 degrees as it is a cooler summer, but sun's radiation is pretty high as I am located at the latitude of 35.6 degrees which is similar to being a bit north of Los Angeles, to parts of north Africa, Sicily, Cyprus, Syria, Teheran etc. Well, not all varieties will take my winters, but for a backyard gardener a dozen or two varieties will be plenty.

I moved into my new house in 2010 and started to plant my figs in the spring of 2011. The first cuttings were planted directly into the bulldozer disturbed ground along the western wall of the house. All of them took, and last year I had my first figs. This year the plants are full of fruits and when I have seen  that, I have reworded them with some chip mulch. This year I have planted some last year's starters along the eastern wall of the house and in the yard. 

My plants and fruits are not bothered by any critters underground or above the ground, and I do not even have a dog in the yard. I do not know how to explain it, but it is true. I have watered my plants just in the first year  of their life.

Sometimes I dream of some milder winters and no April freezes, try to imagine  a fig paradise around my house, but at the same time some bad associations start bugging my mind like scorched rocky soil after a total of 0.16" rain in July, fig trees covered with hungry bugs, gofer tunnels, birds pecking the best figs, netting and cages around the plants, expensive irrigation systems with high water bills, salinization of the soil etc. No offence, but those fig plant's pictures I have seen posted from dry and rocky hills of Israel and Spain made me fill sorry. Those plants with twisted twigs with three leaves on the tip made me think of them as of some poor children that wait to be adopted by a Norway Spruce size Celeste from my neighborhood. At the end of the dream I would just say, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Calm down and leave in the neck of your woods whatever it is."
 Above are some pictures I took yesterday. In the higher hedge the plants are 2 years and 5 months old, in the shorter hedge they are 1 year and 5 months old.
Best regards,
Boris

Boris so far your situation sounds very nice hope it continues for you.
I must ask on that plate what are those green things.

That is absolutely beautiful Boris. I agree with you 100%. I had a really great rate of survival with sticks I just went out and poked in the ground under the live oak.
It will be much harder for me to do with some of my more special and rare trees though. Just scared to lose them I guess.
You have a wonderful thing going there, congrats!

Martin,
the green fruits are Atreano, the dark ones are H. Chicago, the green on the right lower edge of the plate is Naples white, and the small things are Celeste. There are many others ripening at this time like LSU Gold, Brooklyn White, Marseille's Black, Dark Portuguese, LSU purple, but they just were not on the plate at the right time.

Tami,
Sure you can root cuttings under that live oak, but do not leave them in there for a permanent location. Fig trees are tuff, though I would not let them compete with oaks.

Best regards

Boris,
I absolutely dig them up after a couple of months.

 That was a nice read.  It looks like fig paradise to me !  Oh lala that gorgeous platter of figs.  ^5 !

Boris, Nice looking property and plants. Do you winterize your trees?

very pretty pics boris. thanks for sharing with your less lucky friends.

"Where is that fig paradise " you asked, Boris.
It is in your backyard when the plants are full of ripe fig fruits.

I also have dreams (nightmares) when dreaming my fig plants are still outside in January/February when it is -30C outside. Waking up makes me feel so good then.

Art,
I do not winterize my plants and I am in a permanent trial process of selecting varieties that are cold hardy. For example, the LSU Purple froze to the ground, and although it regrew and produces figs on new growth, I might consider digging it out and planting another variety in its place. I have on my nursery plot and in pots other 20 varieties that are waiting to occupy the honorable spot beside the house. Who knows, maybe the Ciappetta from you will replace something I do not like. I am thinking to replace my Celeste as well with something as hardy but superior in flavor.   

If I will find a cultivar that freezes but is so delicious that it deserves protection, I will plant it in the backyard, prune it to a few buds in the fall and cover it with mulch or leaves for the winter in order to have fruits on normal new growth. By normal new growth I mean the new growth that comes from a bud of a last year's branch, not from the older trunk or underground buds. It would be something similar to the espalier method, but actually without the espalier wires and much esthetics. Just bend young  limbs to the ground by hanging on them concrete blocks, used brake rotors or whatever to give your plant a low to the ground spreading shape, prune it to the desired number of buds in the fall, and throw on it a pile of mulch in December. Why in the backyard? Just to not worry about giving an artistic form to that mulch mound and to have a decent front yard.

Art, in our trade you have sent me Ciappetta and other two  cultivars - white and yellow. My Ciappetta is planted in the ground and has fruits that I hope to taste. On the other hand, the other two cultivars are in pots, less vigorous, and without fruits. Can you please tell me if you have named them somewhat so I could search the information about them on the forum. You probably have updates about them, and knowing the names would make my search easier.
Best wishes,
Boris

http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post/eed-another-fig-6456052

http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post/ardy-hicago-and-nknownsotherload-6491278

http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post/ig-please-6366327

Boris,

The first two links are of the dark fig. I call it Ialongo Dark. This plant is in ground here in Pa. and if it dies to the ground it always comes back and produces. (Similar in taste to HC, but is more red)
The original owner would wrap with a tarp only and it would never die back.

The third link is the white fig. The leaf pattern looks almost identical to a Mt. Etna fig. Looks just like my HC. It also grows unprotected and sometimes dies back in severe winters. I call it LC White.
Vasile thinks it is called Sicilian White.

Both figs are keepers in my yard.

By the way the figs you sent are all doing well. I can't say enough about the JH Adriatic.

Boris you will get many figs from that trees.what variety are grow?

Nice story, Boris, glad the problems are only in your dreams.  I don't think I've had a fig dream for about a week.  I dream about another hike last night but still was rested well when I woke up. ;)