| My advice comes from a beginner's perspective. This forum is about the best resource you can find to help you choose the "right" variety from the "right" source. It is kind of like buying a "pure-bred" puppy or kitten. For a healthy, good-quality animal, your best source is probably NOT a puppy mill. The same holds true for figs. You stand a better chance of getting a healthy, properly-identified fig from a private grower or a grower that specializes in figs than from source that sells a little of everything. Having said that, there is an infamous on-line vendor that is identified in one of the recommended threads that should be avoided. They have several different websites with different names, but no brick and mortar location. Their MO is to take orders for a number of different varieties, but (eventually) ship several of the same variety on which they have just put different labels. They buyer doesn't find out until a couple of years later when the trees start producing. I have purchased trees from all of the sources mentioned in the previous posts, as well as ebay/figforum members (do your research on the seller before you buy on Ebay) and all are excellent. If you want instant gratification, both Edible Landscaping and figtrees.net sell larger trees than those that you will normally find at many other vendors. I have to say that, for the money, the trees that I got from Joe Morle at figtrees.net (locted in MA) were nice-sized, and in lovely condition after shipping, something that is very encouraging for a first-time fig buyer. 3 of the 4 trees had figs on them even though they were only 24-30". Morle doesn't have any of the exotic varieties frequently discussed on this list, but waiting for a tiny stick of a much-coveted variety to mature into a producing tree is painful. If you are willing to drive a bit, Bills Figs in Flemmington, NJ (not that far from you, I think) has a nice selection of nice quality, reasonably-priced fig trees. Since it is the end of the season, he may not have a lot of varieties left. His stock has come directly from Encanto Farms, Italian Fig Trees, etc., so you know what you are getting. He has mature trees of all the varieties he sells, so you can get a good idea what you are buying. He doesn't ship but is very congenial and helpful. Once you know a little more about the characteristics of particular varieties, you can usually source fig varieties through this forum or figs4fun forum. Advertising on the forum is strictly verboten, but you can ask forum members to contact you through private email. Word of warning: growing figs is like quicksand. Once you start buying figs, you can't stop. I started the year with 6 varieties. I will be ending the year with 30+. Good Luck. C.J. | 
