Gold Kist - Has done very well and is in full bloom right now. I would place the flowers on this fruit tree at the top of my list for favorites. They have a dark red sepal that opens up to white flowers. The combinations is outstanding.
If I can remember I'll try and get a pic tonight. The fruit is also very good. Another side benifit to this tree is its form. Again, of all my fruit trees I like the form on this tree the best.

Royal (Blenheim) - I have been told and have read this is a very good tree for Tucson/Phoenix. I have tried growing one and it died. Thoguht maybe it had a disease or maybe I mistreated it so I tried another and had the same result.

Apricots right off the tree are the best! I think they don't hold real well and the ones in the store are usually mushy or not ripe. Looking forward to your pic's!

Apricots.
Do you both know that the north end of Silicon Valley was once covered in apricot trees. We used to drive down there with my grandparents to visit their friends who had a huge orchard. Beautiful. Orchard after orchard... and now we have silicon chips and research scientists. No orchards. I love apricots. Dried apricots in turkey stuffing! Yum. Ray, eagerly awaiting pics of REAL apricots. Can you show a pic of one you may have JUST sliced in half?... with the stone? Please?

I really thought I had posted pics.
Remember when I said I get distracted easily?

As soon as I get fruit I can do that for you Susie.

Gold Kist Apricot

Gold Kist Flower.

Gold Kist Flower #2.

When I was a kid I planted some pits from apricots we got at the base commissary here, and one grew into a big tree and had hundreds of fabulous-tasting apricots on it until that day it split down the middle during a storm, a day that will live in infamy because I've never been able to grow a d*mn apricot since.

I have a Royal Blenheim. It's been in for a couple of years. The fruit is tasty and sweet and the birds love it as much as I do. The tree is a semi-dwarf so it's pretty big to try to net. Maybe I'll try the hangy-thingies on it. Anyone have luck with that?

Gold Kist does pretty well for me too, though it wasnt a strong producer this year. I think my chill hours were just terribly low this winter. Very tasty fruit though not the best Ive ever had....maybe a few more years until the tree gets its fully mature flavor.
DD

This has been the best year for mine DD.
One tree is about ready to snap in the middle of the trunk. I need to prop it up toniight because the top is so heavy from all the fruit.
Also have a larger tree and its loaded with fruit too.

Wow, you must be fertilizing with the right stuff....lighter year for me on this variety. I think my chill hours were just a little light this year for this tree. I planted it too close to the house, which limits the chill that this gets. Given my yard size, theres limited places where it could have gone anyway, but I think this keeps this one a light bearer for me. However, the taste is worth all the work. Tree ripened apricots are amazing.
DD

I fertilize mine about once a.....
Hmmmmm. My fertilizing schedule is not what it should be.
Like as in almost nonexistant.

"Given my yard size".
You've seen all my fruit trees right?
My yard size hasnt stopped me from planting my trees like you would a field of corn. ;-)

Lol, sounds like were in the same boat!
DD

I didnt think it was possible but I'm getting tired of eating apricots. LOL
I've taken them to work, the wife has taken them to her work, I encourage people to grab a bag full when the stop by the house, I've seen the neighborhood kids picking them off the tree when they walk by the yard and I still have maybe a 2 or 3 dozen still on the tree.
And all this off a tree thats maybe 5 years old and only around 7' tall.

Ok I am buying an apricot tree this fall/winter. Is that the best time to plant? I think I will go with Goldkist since it seemt to survive. Ia lso need to replace a peach tree that does not perform well. It is later blooming and sets fruit later and then it gets too darn hot for it to ripen. Any suggestions?

Meow.
I bought some very delicious apricots at Whole Foods over the last couple of weeks. Love 'em! Nothing beats having your own tree ripened 'cots, however. Growing up we had a huge tree. Made apricot ice cream as a kid. Oh my. So delicious.

Meow? LOL
I think I have enough for some ice cream. I know what I'm doing tonight.

I got mine bareroot from Lowes or HD I think and planted it in the spring.
I'm guessing right now is a bad time to plant one due to the heat and the fact that my youngest tree (2 years old?) wilts when the weather forcast even suggests it might get to 100.

LOL I would not try and plant one now that is for sure. I somehow got my self traspped into growing pots of stuff that now cover my porcha nd sidewalk. I want nothing else to baby