4-23 Celeste GM is one of the 3-4 best Celeste variants among the 2 dozen+ that I have. (Now numbered as #2423, though not all references are updated yet.) one of the larger variants, actually.

Back in 2007, I got a bug up my....never mind...I decided that I was going to try to grow a fig tree.  I had absolutely no clue how this is done, but I figured how much different can growing a fig be?  I grow houseplants, and basil in pots, so a fig is no different.   Did some calling around and found a place called: ZAINO'S GARDEN CENTER" and I took the drive out to see fig trees.  I came upon a variety called
"Atreano" and each branch was loaded with green, hard figs, and I bought a nice 5ft. tree, jammed it into the car, and drove back to Throgg's Neck, Bronx, NYC.

I watered, and sat in a lawn chair watching the fig tree.  What did I think I was going to see?  But I just enjoyed watching the tree.  By mid-August, the figs changed from small green, to larger green, then to soft, golden-yellow, then they went into my mouth.  Nirvana!

I stepped in it when I chose "Atreano" as my first fig tree.  It gave me delicious fruit with very little effort, and continues to share its bounty every year since. 

When I step back and look at her beautiful, straight trunk, and lovely shaped branches,  and especially those luscious hanging, golden fruits, the old Carla Thomas tune, "Gee Whiz"  plays in my head..."She's everything a guy could want"....

Frank

Mine was a Kalamata Black Fig tree from a nursery close to me

elegant violette black (sounds much better than VdB/negronne)

paradiso gene

kathleen's black

east coast figs also had some rare type at very inexpensive price. if i have known, i would have grabbed them too. i'm beating myself over it now.

pete

I am so new to this (2 weeks) that I have never tasted a fresh fig and can't wait until I do.  My first 4 trees are Marsailles, BT, Genoa and Kadota all bought from a local grower 10 minutes from my house. 

My first fig tree grew wild in the hills above the Napa Valley.   Back in the 50's, my dad used to take me fishing to  Lake Marie  in the hills on the state hospital grounds, which is now Skyline Park. It was a three or four mile hike up to the lake.  We used to have to sneak in, as it wasn't open to the public back then.  About 2/3 of the way up the old dirt road, there was a huge fig tree.  We would usually take a small break at that tree and eat figs if any were ripe.   

I was up there about 15 years ago on my mountain bike.   Alas...the tree was gone.

Mine was a mail order, sold as some kind of honey, but turned out to be Violette du Bordeaux.  She has given many children to my friends and children.  Produces well, taste to die for!

Suzi

What else in Calif but a Mission fig? Of all the trees out there, I picked up a Mission from Jon...At that time I knew figs were either purple or green. I wanted the purple fig. Ignorance is not always bliss!

Bump.
[http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post/what-was-your-first-ever-fig-6579003]

Mine was Vincenzo, acquired as a single cutting from Rafed. I didn't know him and he didn't know me, but he sent me a great one to try out as my introduction to figs, not even accepting postage in return.

After multiple moves and difficulties, that little tree was one of only two survivors from my first attempts at figs (the other has since died). I recently rebuilt my collection, thanks to multiple people. And Vincenzo gave me its first fruits this season; and they were great. It would have been a keeper, regardless of quality or production, as it introduced me to the first of many figs and fig friends here.

I bought a brown turkey from our grocery store, stop n shop.  I remember thinking, "Holy Cow!  Figs grow on trees, and I can grow them here in CT?"  I never did get any figs off of that tree and then lost it last winter.  :)

I bought a brown turkey same as some of you.  I then thought it would be nice to have one more-a light colored fig for "variety".  I soon met Bass at an event and got a Brooklyn White from him.  I told him I just wanted to have one dark and one light variety.  He smiled at that like he knew something I didn't.  Sure enough, now I have over a hundred trees and 50 varieties. Now I know what's so funny about "just one more"---I think I may have a problem. The first step to recovery is to admit that you have a problem, though.

bigbadbill -- what do you mean, "problem"??  Nothing to recover from here...

Mike

I hate to say my first tree last year in Houston was a Celeste, although I'm proud to say I'm a Celeste lover and think it is much under rated.  I did much better on my second tree....Smith.

My first three trees were
Lebanese red
Sumacki
A mystery fig
All from bass earlier this year. I've since tripled my collection, hopefully this bug will slow a bit.

The first fig tree I bought was a Petite Negra from the Mercer Arboretum March Mart sale.  Followed later that year by a Texas Everbearing.  I've added a few fig tree's every year for the last 3 years and then my collection exploded after joining this forum... 

I have been on the forum since 2010 but never did put up an "Introduction" post so I guess this will have to suffice.  When we purchased a house in Rockville in 2009 with an empty backyard with pretty good sun I did some research on what fruit trees could be grown in the area organically and with low maintenance.  Figs were one of options that kept coming up.  Growing up in the upper midwest, I had never tasted a fresh fig.  I met someone a 30 min drive away through one of the gardenweb forums who was willing to give me cuttings from her fig tree and jumped at the offer.  She brought her tree over about 10 years before from England.  It turned out to be a Brunswick variant that gave very tasty figs under the right conditions but there was a lot of rain-induced splitting later in the season and a lot of insect damage. After learning about other varieties on this forum (and having limited space to grow figs) I ended up getting rid of this original tree and a Kathleen's Black now grows in its place.  I still miss the figs from that original tree though.

Ronde de Bordeaux was my first

My first fig tree was purchased from eBay. It is a Brown Turkey. Because it was small and I didn't know that else to do with it in the winter and didn't know about how to care for it , I put it in a one gallon pot and kept it near the kitchen window like a house plant-then sort of forgot about it for a few years and the sad pent up little fig lived to keep me from throwing it out. The first fig that I truly loved and fell deeply for was a Hardy Chicago. I tasted it at a park. Ever since my first bite and reeling from it's sweet-tart notes, I yearly obsessed over trying to be st that part at harvest time -all year long. This spring, I pinched a few twigs from the HC from the park and it actually fruited this year! Had a milder flavor because its so young but I forgive it because of whose it is.
The old ebay BT never fruited-no wonder its been in the same one gallon pot for like four years-ahem I JUST repotted it this month October and it looks really good-poor dear. Anyway, back in January of this year (when had all of my fig trees inside the garage), I snapped off two branches from the neglected BT that were growing out at inconvienent angles and then shoved them into two other planters and would you believe it, one of the two cutting put out some tiny fruit this month! What little darlings they are. This was not a highly productive fig year for me so, those two tiny round green cuties were like a small consolation prize from nature for being a good sport ;)
Brown Turkey's may not be everyone's favorite fig - (personally, I've grown to appreciate them) but I can say that mine is definately an old faithful.

I got my first two figs just this spring, a Sweet George and a Hardy Chicago.  They were graciously donated to my collection of anything I can eat by aphahn (Andy).  Thanks to all of Andy’s help, I went from two very healthy and happy rooted and potted fig cuttings to two very healthy and happy fig trees.

To my surprise, both of them produced nearly 20 figs each this year.  Andy had me remove them so the trees could focus on growing as well as preparing for winter.  Which is fine, I’m sure I will be rewarded with figs next year.

Here are a few pics, the first two are a couple weeks after I got them home and repotted them.  Then the Sweet George with some tiny figs on it followed by pics from a couple weeks ago.

Thank s for the great trees and all of the help Andy!!!

Scott

[URL=http://s1230.photobucket.com/user/aquaman10000/media/fig1.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1230.photobucket.com/albums/ee488/aquaman10000/fig1.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

[URL=http://s1230.photobucket.com/user/aquaman10000/media/Fig2.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1230.photobucket.com/albums/ee488/aquaman10000/Fig2.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

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[URL=http://s1230.photobucket.com/user/aquaman10000/media/fig3.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1230.photobucket.com/albums/ee488/aquaman10000/fig3.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

[URL=http://s1230.photobucket.com/user/aquaman10000/media/fig4.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1230.photobucket.com/albums/ee488/aquaman10000/fig4.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

My first trees were Hardy Chicago.

A cutting from a neighbor's tree but I don't know the variety. I think it's Brown Turkey.