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Profile Image Ruth Chin

sushiwaitress

First time homeowner with busy day job. Trying to transition from suburban lawn & tangled trees to edible landscaping. New Jersey USA Zone 7a

Ficus carica 'Chicago Hardy' syn. Ficus carica 'Chicago', Ficus carica 'Hardy Chicago'

  • Season Icon Early SpringEarly Spring 2023
  • Like Count 11
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sushiwaitress

#fig-chicagohardy starting to wake up 9 Apr 2023 #ficuscarica #figtree

2w
  • Season Icon Early SpringEarly Spring 2023
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sushiwaitress

#fig tips waking up in the garage. Time to go outside. 31 Mar 2023 #figtree #ficuscarica #fig-chicagohardy #hellospring

2w
  • Season Icon Late SummerLate Summer 2022
  • Like Count 9
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sushiwaitress

The smaller #figtree lost all its figs but kept most of its leaves. 10 Sep 2022 #fig #ficuscarica #fig-chicagohardy

2w
  • Season Icon Late SummerLate Summer 2022
  • Like Count 7
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sushiwaitress

My biggest #figtree lost all of its leaves and figs 10 Sep 2022 #fig #ficus #fig-chicagohardy

2w
  • Season Icon Late SpringLate Spring 2022
  • Like Count 12
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sushiwaitress

The leaves of my #fig-chicagohardy are #curling -- I suspect spider mites. Gave all the leaves a bunch of sprays of neem oil diluted with water. Hope it'll work. In other news: FIGLETS! #fig #ficus #figtree 14 June 2022 #ficuscarica #ficus-carica

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charlotte

I love figs.

2w
2w
  • Season Icon Early SpringEarly Spring 2022
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sushiwaitress

Last year the true crop of figs started forming around October -- completely a crazy time of year. I just left them on the tree and over the winter in the garage some of the figs plumped back up and some dried out and shriveled. Wonder if they'll eventually ripen. 27 Mar 2022 #fig #figtree #ficuscarica #fig-chicagohardy

3w
  • Season Icon Early AutumnEarly Autumn 2021
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sushiwaitress

Oops. 23 Sep 2021 #fig #figtree #ficuscarica #fig-chicagohardy #thirsty #wiltedplants

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sushiwaitress

Yea @gjones it'll probably grow a few more leaves, but I'll probably lose the figs. I'll put it in the ground in the spring so this will stop happening. The containers just dry out too fast.

3w
  • Season Icon Late SummerLate Summer 2021
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sushiwaitress

How crazy is this? Turns out the first set of figs that ripened last month was the breba crop and now the #figtree is making more figlets! 😱 According to normal fig timelines, the second crop of #figs should be ripening by now, but these are just getting started. (Global warming?) #fig-chicagohardy #edible #ediblelandscaping 10 Sep 2021

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lydiastirling

If your weather has turned or is turning cold the smallist ones will be next years crop. In the UK we only ever get one crop. The larger ones that arnt going to ripen preserve really well in a spiced syrup.

3w
  • Season Icon Mid SummerMid Summer 2021
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sushiwaitress

Tasted my very first #figs from my very own #figtree today! They're pretty small, but they were juicy and faintly sweet. Not bad for the first figs ever. #finally #fig-chicagohardy #gyo #edible #ediblelandscaping #containergrown 14 Aug 2021

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sushiwaitress

Things I've Learned: (1) soil matters. These guys made zero figs for two years because they were in miracle grow potting mix. Last fall I repotted them and added compost and topsoil and BOOM.

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sushiwaitress

(2) They needed more water than they got this year. They lost all of their leaves in a heat wave & dry period. The leaves grew back but that energy should have gone into making figs. I intend to plant them in the ground so they'll have access to more water next year.

3w
  • Season Icon Mid SummerMid Summer 2021
  • Like Count 11
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sushiwaitress

FIRST FIGS ON MY FIGS!!!! 13 Aug 2021 #fig #figtree #ficuscarica #fig-chicagohardy #gyo

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Dragon_Warrior

@sushiwaitress Yay! They look great 😋

3w
  • Season Icon Early SummerEarly Summer 2021
  • Like Count 11
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sushiwaitress

One is starting to ripen! 7 July 2021 #fig #figtree #ficuscarica #fig-chicagohardy

3w
  • Season Icon Early SummerEarly Summer 2021
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sushiwaitress

Came back after vacation (and heat wave) to find no leaves on my fig trees 🍃😱 but at least the #figs are still there 😀 7 July 2021 #fig #figtree #ficuscarica #fig-chicagohardy #edible #ediblelandscaping

3w
  • Season Icon Late SpringLate Spring 2021
  • Like Count 9
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sushiwaitress

WEEEEE HAAAAAAVE FIGLETTTTTTTTS!!! First figs after two years of babying these trees. My hubby helped me repot them last fall and they got a bunch of topsoil and compost and KABOOM #fig #figtree #ficuscarica #fig-chicagohardy #yum #gyo #edible #ediblelandscaping #finally 17 June 2021

3w
  • Season Icon Late SpringLate Spring 2021
  • Like Count 8
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sushiwaitress

I think I might, just MIGHT get figs this fall 😱 #figs #fig #figtree #ficuscarica #fig-chicagohardy 31 May 2021

3w
  • Season Icon Late SpringLate Spring 2021
  • Like Count 13
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sushiwaitress

Leafed out like crazy! #fig #figtree #ficuscarica #fig-chicagohardy #containers #containergrowing-tree #containergrown 25 May 2021

3w
  • Season Icon Mid SpringMid Spring 2021
  • Like Count 14
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sushiwaitress

Look at these interesting bumps... are you going to give me some actual figs this year?? #fig #figtree #ficuscarica #chicago #fig-chicagohardy 30 Apr 2021

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millionmiles

@sushiwaitress Hey, loving your place. I put mine in a couple of months back, been carefully tending it & I think I may see some slight bumps (maybe wishful thinking), how long did yours take to go after you put it in? TIA. 🌱🧡

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sushiwaitress

Well, mine are in pots, for one thing, and I bought them as rooted cuttings from Home Depot or Lowe's about 2 years ago. This is their 3rd summer with me. I also didn't fertilize them well enough the first two years so your results might be vastly different. @millionmiles

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sushiwaitress

I potted them in bagged miracle grow potting mix and never repotted until this past fall. The potting mix had collapsed, so I took them out of the pots, added a bunch of topsoil to the bottom of the pot, and then put them back in the same pots. Then I topped them with compost for mulch. This spring they're putting on more growth than the past 2 years combined.

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millionmiles

Thanks, mine is in the ground. I prepped it well & everything else seems happy...patience, that’s what I need. I’ll keep taking care of it & it’ll come good.

4w
  • Season Icon Mid SpringMid Spring 2021
  • Like Count 13
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sushiwaitress

Figgies leafing out. Topped them with a bunch of compost and they are loving it. So much more growth than last year. #fig #fig-chicagohardy #figtree #ficuscarica #chicago 30 Apr 2021

4w
  • Season Icon Early SpringEarly Spring 2021
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sushiwaitress

Leafing out #fig #figtree #ficuscarica #fig-chicagohardy 16 Apr 2021

4w
  • Season Icon Early SpringEarly Spring 2021
  • Like Count 8
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sushiwaitress

Leafing out #fig #figtree #ficuscarica #fig-chicagohardy 16 Apr 2021

4w
  • Season Icon Late SummerLate Summer 2020
  • Like Count 14
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sushiwaitress

These guys bounced back after a couple weeks of extremely hot weather and have leaves again. No #figs this year though. Hubby helped me take them out of their pots and add a bunch of topsoil in the bottom and repot, and they seem to be liking it. Next spring they're going in the ground. 18 Sep 2020 #fig #figtree #ficuscarica #fig-chicagohardy

4w
  • Season Icon Late SpringLate Spring 2020
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sushiwaitress

#fig #figtree #ficuscarica #fig-chicagohardy loving that sun and heat and leafing out like crazy 6 June 2020

4w
  • Season Icon Late SpringLate Spring 2020
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sushiwaitress

The bigger fig put out a few new leaves too after the ferts. I've given them a couple doses of Epsom salts (high nitrogen to grow out a bunch of leaves early on), but now I'm switching them to the balanced fruit-and-flowers "tomato" miracle gro for the rest of the season in hopes I'll get a fig this year. #figtree #ficuscarica #fig-chicagohardy 29 May 2020

4w
  • Season Icon Late SpringLate Spring 2020
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sushiwaitress

Got some fish ferts, some bone meal and some Epsom salts, and this guy is pretty happy about it. #fig-chicagohardy #figtree #ficuscarica 29 May 2020

4w
  • Season Icon Mid SpringMid Spring 2020
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sushiwaitress

Watering the #fig-chicagohardy at night 16 May 2020 #fig #figtree #ficuscarica

4w
  • Season Icon Mid SpringMid Spring 2020
  • Like Count 16
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sushiwaitress

The smaller of the two #fig trees got its baby leaves nipped by the recent frost. But it's not dead and already pushing out a new green leaf. 25 Apr 2020 #figtree #ficuscarica #fig-chicagohardy

5w
  • Season Icon Early SpringEarly Spring 2020
  • Like Count 23
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sushiwaitress

19 Apr 2020 progress #fig #figtree #ficuscarica #fig-chicagohardy

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columbiariver

It's a cutie. Will you keep it potted? Just curious because I have 3 about this size. They're all different hardy varieties. No idea what I'll do with 3.

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sushiwaitress

@columbiariver I am going to keep it potted, because I don't think it'll survive northeastern winters in the ground. It goes in the garage during the winter.

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ambitiouswolf

I planted mine out side last year. It looked like it was coming back up from the ground. Think the top might of died during the winter. But since we got frost not sure 🤔 if what was coming up from the ground is alive. Yours is doing great.

5w
  • Season Icon Early SpringEarly Spring 2020
  • Like Count 16
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sushiwaitress

19 Apr 2020 #fig #figtree #ficuscarica #fig-chicagohardy #spiderlings #ittybitty #upclose #teenytiny

5w
  • Season Icon Early SpringEarly Spring 2020
  • Like Count 9
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sushiwaitress

A little bit stronger now 8 Apr 2020 #fig #figtree #ficuscarica #fig-chicagohardy

5w
  • Season Icon Early SpringEarly Spring 2020
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sushiwaitress

It's aliiiiiiiiive!!! #fig #figtree #ficuscarica #fig-chicagohardy 29 Mar 2020 #budbreak

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sushiwaitress

@cyndi mua ha ha ha haaaaa

5w
  • Season Icon Early SpringEarly Spring 2020
  • Like Count 14
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sushiwaitress

Yesterday I took the fig trees out of the garage where they overwintered. I forgot to water them. Like, at all. They appear to still be alive though. It rained a lot yesterday and today so hopefully they'll start waking up in the next couple weeks as they absorb reflected warmth from the black driveway. #fig #figtree #ficuscarica #fig-chicagohardy #containergrowing-tree 24 Mar 2020

5w
  • Season Icon Late SpringLate Spring 2019
  • Like Count 11
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sushiwaitress

15 Jun 2019 #fig #figtree #ficuscarica

5w
  • Season Icon Late SpringLate Spring 2019
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sushiwaitress

15 Jun 2019 #fig #figtree #ficuscarica #newgrowth

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  • Season Icon Late SpringLate Spring 2019
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sushiwaitress

15 Jun 2019 #fig #figtree #ficuscarica

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  • Season Icon Late SpringLate Spring 2019
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sushiwaitress

Fig 2, leafing out 9 Jun 2019 #fig #figtree #ficuscarica

5w
  • Season Icon Late SpringLate Spring 2019
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sushiwaitress

Fig 1, leafing out 9 Jun 2019 #fig #figtree #ficuscarica

5w
  • Season Icon Mid SpringMid Spring 2019
  • Like Count 11
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sushiwaitress

#figtree friends, is this a #breba ?? It's coming out of a joint so maybe just a branch? (I'm going to obsess about this now.) 4 May 2019 #fig #ficuscarica #figchicagohardy #advice-fig #fig-advice @Liz3202 @cyndi @plants @driftwood

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driftwood

Sorry don’t know

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sushiwaitress

@cyndi good point

6w
  • Season Icon Mid SpringMid Spring 2019
  • Like Count 7
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sushiwaitress

SOMEBODY ATE the tip of my #figtree where the #newgrowth was coming from. I found some leaves munched up too 😠 I'm guessing it's an animal because the tip of that amputated stem looks like it has teeth marks. 4 May 2019 #fig #ficuscarica #figchicagohardy

6w
  • Season Icon Mid SpringMid Spring 2019
  • Like Count 9
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sushiwaitress

Fig 1 finally figured out how to grow intact leaves. On one of his branches at least. 4 May 2019 #fig #figtree #ficuscarica #figchicagohardy

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terrimclaughlin

😄🤣😅👍🏻😊💕

6w
  • Season Icon Early SpringEarly Spring 2019
  • Like Count 19
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sushiwaitress

Fig 2 10 Apr 2019 #fig #figtree #ficuscarica #newgrowth #grownfromcuttings

6w
  • Season Icon Early SpringEarly Spring 2019
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sushiwaitress

Fig 1 10 Apr 2019 #fig #figtree #ficuscarica #newgrowth #grownfromcuttings

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sushiwaitress

This guy seems to be growing deformed leaves. Nutritional deficiency, perhaps? Got any advice, fellow fig farmers?

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sushiwaitress

@cyndi I haven't fed it yet, but I planted it in a brand new bag of soil enriched with worm castings and kelp. I'll keep an eye on it and if things don't improve in another week I'll fertilize. It's roots are pretty weak still so I'm not sure if fertilizing now is ok. What would you do with a new cutting?

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sushiwaitress

@cyndi oh that's a great idea!

6w
  • Season Icon Early SpringEarly Spring 2019
  • Like Count 10
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sushiwaitress

Fig 1 and Fig 2 have moved outside as of last night, now that the danger of frost is pretty much over. Fig 2's nighttime portrait isn't the greatest, but I wanted to catch his cute little leafies while they were still cute and tiny. 5 Apr 2019 #fig #figtree #ficuscarica #newgrowth

6w
  • Season Icon Early SpringEarly Spring 2019
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sushiwaitress

Fig 1 and Fig 2 have moved outside as of last night, now that the danger of frost is pretty much over. I used @littlelisa 's handy trick of using a plastic fork as a plant marker. Thanks for the great idea. 🍴5 Apr 2019 #fig #figtree #ficuscarica #newgrowth #reuse #repurpose #freebie

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sushiwaitress

And since I live in an apartment, I marked the pot with my name and unit number instead of the plant name. I'm not 100% sure I'm allowed to put a pot here, so I hope someone will call me if they have a problem with it.

6w
  • Season Icon Early SpringEarly Spring 2019
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sushiwaitress

Fig 2 shows signs of #newgrowth too 😄 30 Mar 2019 #fig #figtree #ficuscarica

6w
  • Season Icon Early SpringEarly Spring 2019
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sushiwaitress

Fig 1 30 Mar 2019 #fig #figtree #ficuscarica #newgrowth #grownfromcuttings

6w
  • Season Icon Early SpringEarly Spring 2019
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sushiwaitress

"Now bring us some figgy pudding..." 🎶🎵 29 Mar 2019 #fig #figtree #ficuscarica #newgrowth #grownfromcuttings

6w
  • Season Icon Early SpringEarly Spring 2019
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sushiwaitress

Fig 2 is short, but has a leaf. Day 0 #progressphoto 24 Mar 2019 #fig #figtree #ficuscarica #grownfromcuttings

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Donnie11

Nice ! I hope Adam had a bigger fig leaf

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sushiwaitress

@Donnie11 😂🤣😆😅😄😱

6w
  • Season Icon Early SpringEarly Spring 2019
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sushiwaitress

Day 0 #progressphoto for Fig 1. I thought about burying him deeper so he would build more of a root system, but since he has these buds I couldn't bring myself to bury one. 24 Mar 2019 #fig #figtree #ficuscarica #grownfromcuttings

6w
  • Season Icon Early SpringEarly Spring 2019
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sushiwaitress

Fig 2, buried up to his neck, about 2 inches above the soil. This guy had much more developed roots, but the green shoot is a little translucent which makes me wonder if it experienced a freeze or chill after it was packed for sale. Roots looked really good though, so I'm interested to see how this guy does buried so deeply. 24 Mar 2019 #experiment #learnsomethingneweveryday #fig #figtree #grownfromcuttings #ficuscarica

6w
  • Season Icon Early SpringEarly Spring 2019
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sushiwaitress

Fig 1, about 6 inches tall above the soil. He's basically just a rooted #cutting (roots are about 6 inches below surface in a 5-ish gallon pot). 24 Mar 2019 #fig #figtree #grownfromcuttings #ficuscarica

6w
  • Season Icon Early SpringEarly Spring 2019
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sushiwaitress

Potted on the sidewalk in front of my front door because I have no yard..... YET. #househunting #alreadybuyingtrees #uhoh #betterhurry 24 Mar 2019 #fig #figtree #ficuscarica

6w
  • Season Icon Early SpringEarly Spring 2019
  • Like Count 15
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sushiwaitress

Making sure that Fig 1 and Fig 2 get home safe. 24 Mar 2019 #fig #figtree #buckleup #crazyplantlady #ficuscarica

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natii

😂 Aw aren't they lucky to have such a caring plant mom 😋

6w
  • Season Icon Early SpringEarly Spring 2019
  • Like Count 17
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sushiwaitress

DREAM. COME TRUE. I am in my car in the #homedepot parking lot holding the plant I've wanted for literally 15 years since an acquaintance brought freshly picked figs to a barbecue. I was utterly shocked to learn that fig trees grow in Philadelphia, and I've wanted a tree of my own since that very moment. But you can't plant trees when you live in an apartment or a townhouse. Hubby and I are looking for our first house after 7 years in apartments, and when I saw this I couldn't help myself.

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sushiwaitress

Hopefully we'll have a house before it gets too big. 24 Mar 2019 #fig #figtree #wishlistnomore #ficuscarica

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sushiwaitress

Thanks so much @cyndi 😙💚

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terrimclaughlin

Good luck!! I guess that made your day!!!👍🏻👍🏻🤗🎉🥰😊💕

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sushiwaitress

@terrimclaughlin SO MUCH SO! Now I have these two humongous pots crammed into my apartment because we're still getting some freezing temps here in NJ. The things you do for love.

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natii

So glad you finally have your own trees! Hope you find your dream house very soon 🤞🏽😊

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kylers

Not much we won’t do for our plants, lol, @terrimclaughlin

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Christiani.blooms

What a treat to find! Hope to find some locally soon. I’ve been really wanting them too.

6w

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