Do you have an indelible memory of a fruit you once ate — maybe on vacation or as a child? I recently met a couple who fly to Hawai'i just for star-apple season, to taste once again a sweet flavor they can't get out of their minds.

The couple were at fruit-tree-packed Frankie's Nursery, deep in the back of Waimanalo. They know something many people don't: Owners Frank Sekiya and Lynn Tsuruda allow customers to pick whatever fruits are in season. So if you don't have room in your backyard for a durian tree, don't worry — you can head to Frankie's. Customers often call to see what is in season, while others put their names on a list and patiently wait for their favorite fruits to come into season. New pickers are educated on fruit-harvesting techniques to minimize harvesting of not-yet-ripe fruits and unintentional damage to trees. There is just one basic rule: No eating while you pick, as fruits are weighed by the pound.

Well known for its wide selection of tropical fruit trees, Frankie's Nursery has more than 400 species growing. If you are looking for something common like citrus, avocados or mangoes, Frankie's has many varieties to choose from.

If you are a little bolder, the nursery also sells exotic jackfruit, sapodilla, wax jambu, cainito, custard apple, mafai, egg fruit, santol, langsat, dragon fruit, cacao, longan, Surinam cherry, tamarind, wi apple, pomegranate and others that you won't find in your local garden shop. Some of my new favorites include the yellow jaboticaba, abiu, black sapote, and the cha-om, a garlic-chive-like vegetable grown on a very thorny tree.

Sekiya has the greenest of thumbs when it comes to fruit trees. Many of his trees have more than one variety grafted on to make best use of limited space. For example, you could get fruit all year long just from one tree. Frank and Lynn travel to tropical regions worldwide to find the best fruit varieties adaptable to Hawai'i's diverse conditions. Fruit trees are tested for compatibility, and only the best varieties are propagated for release and sale.

If you're looking to plant something edible and nutritious in your yard, take a drive to the Windward side.

Jari Sugano is an extension agent with the University of Hawai'i-Manoa College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources. Reach her at suganoj@ctahr.hawaii.edu.