Avocado gets big and would shade everything else. If you keep pruning it then I am not sure if can produce any fruits. Do know any Avocado trees near your house? Avocado trees need Type A and Type B flowers to pollinate each other. Fig and peach you can train as espaliers. Blood orange should be fine. Make sure your peach is a low-chill variety otherwise you will never see any fruits. They all need FULL sun most of the day. I suggest "Sunset Western Garden" Book.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sunset Western Garden

Agree with gotsomrice, dmeaser. You're going to get much better yields with an A and B avocado variety, but avocado trees can be the "SUV's" of fruit trees :-) There are more compact varieties, but even those are going to get pretty darned big. And some of the more compact cultivars, like Littlecado (Wurtz) aren't the best tasting. Same with fig trees, they can be very vigorous, but fortunately there are several excellent varieties, like Violette de Bordeaux, that are a little more compact and quite delicious. Any citrus as a semi-dwarf or dwarf (on Flying Dragon rootstock) would be fine. Moro blood orange is the most pigmented, but the Tarrocco is probably the best tasting. And again, gotsomerice is correct about making sure to pick a low chill stone fruit, so you do get fruit. Let us know what peach varieties are available, and we'll let you know what we think of the cultivar.

Patty S.

Also since you are close to the water, you need to pick citrus that doesn't require heat to sweeten up. I haven't grown Moro so I can't say if it will work or not. Check with the citrus forum. Apricots don't need too much heat or chill and pomegranates have very showy flowers.

I assist a gardener here in Santa Monica who has 40 producing fruit trees, including all you mention, right on the bluff close to palisades park. You just need to pick correct variety, and don't over fertilize, the #1 mistake I see people make with backyard orchards.You don't describe the measurement of the space but there are wonderful dwarf and semi dwarf varieties that can thrive in small areas. And, in Venice , possibly the greatest challenge will be protecting your harvest from squirrels and rats, and small trees are much easier to net. Consider this while you design the space. My friend has installed posts that support birdnet while the fruit is on the trees. You can see a nice planting of dwarf avocados at the Ranch at Huntington Gardens, such as "Wurtz" Littlecado. Figs are happy to be heavily pruned, and ALL varieties flourish in our climate. She has the best peach harvest from Saturn peach tree, and a old school Babcock that fruits well also. Blood orange is a real challenge, my friend's only sets fruit well maybe one out of 3-4 years, and even then is not super sweet. For astounding harvest of backyard citrus, I recommend a Meyer lemon, or for "orange juicing", a tight peel tangerine. Tangerines develop full sugars which oranges don't do as well close to the ocean. When you decide on your varieties, I recommend San Gabriel Nursery, I don't know anywhere on the Westside that equals their selection. They carry Dave Wilson peaches, Four Winds citrus, and other good growers.

If you look at the Dave Wilson website, you will find lots of helpful information. Tom Spellman, who is one of the head guys there, spoke to our Master Gardener class, and he had lots of great advice for the backyard grower. Keep the trees small so you can pick the fruit without a ladder and you won't be swamped with more than you can eat. Plant the avocado to the north so it won't shade the other trees.

I live a little too far north for most citrus, but I take pains to protect my Meyer Lemon from frost every year because I just couldn't live without one. I love the convenience of having lemons just outside when I'm cooking, and the blossoms are more fragrant and wonderful than any of my ornamental plants.

I also have a Black Mission Fig, the fruits are delicious and plentiful, the tree is extremely easy to care for (i.e. I don't care for it and it does just fine) but I just want to warn you about the fruit drop. I like going barefoot and stepping on figs doesn't feel good, so I personally wouldn't plant one too close to a path or patio.

I second the advice to check out the Dave Wilson website, I spend a lot of time perusing and researching there. If you have an interest in choosing the best of the best tasting varieties their fruit tasting report is very useful.

Good luck with your new home orchard, and have fun!