I chose apricot mainly because Colorado State extension says "Even if apricots don't produce fruit, they're useful in landscapes for aesthetic purposes. The glossy foliage is unequaled in plants of similar size and shape, and in the fall they add color to the landscape. They also have interesting bark."

This is Colorado near Denver. I would have to plant in my 8 foot wide strip to the south of the garage. This spot gets a lot of wind, but winds are mainly in the winter and relatively warm. We don't get as much hail in my town as other places around here. There are often late spring frosts of course and I know many years there wouldn't be a fruit crop.

These would be my only fruit trees and I would be able to baby them, water, prune as much as needed, maybe try to protect them against spring freezes.

My wishes:
1) A nice tree(s) to look at from a distance, this is a high visibility spot. Bright fall color is very much appreciated, nice flowers less important because there are plenty of crabapples, Prunus etc. around.
2) Delicious fruit when nature allows.

Questions:
1) If you are going to try to grow fruit trees in my part of the country, is this spot to the south of the garage better or worse than most?
2) Would another type of fruit tree be better than apricot for my wishes?
3) If I get apricot, is a dwarf tree or standard better, considering that I will be doing plenty of pruning anyway.

Any other comments appreciated. Thank you.

Here is description from Dave Wilson Nursery, "Proven producer of large, flavorful fruit in Western Washington. Recommended for other western climates where spring rains and frosts limit apricot culture."

I like semi dwarf as easier to keep to size and earlier to bear.

In that spot, I'd definitely go for dwarf trees. I've never had success keeping standards or "semi" dwarf trees cut down to size. And seeing your satellite dish up there, I think you want to keep it clear.

I'd also go for two different varieties for cross pollination. True, apricots are self-fertile, but they bear better with some cross. Also, if one fails, the other may fruit. People here have mentioned good cold-hardy varieties. You might also consider the Har- series. I have Harglow in N IL, and it fruits more often than not. The key isn't so much sub-zero hardiness as latest possible bloom.

You don't need a dwarf but will need regular pruning to stay below TV dish.

My two main worries had been:
1) the planting site was too close to the garage. I wasn't worried about the foundation, just the trees not growing well
2) the sunny spot and warmth near the garage would really accelerate spring blooming and make the trees more vulnerable to spring frosts.

In general my west facing front yard seems to be a little colder than some of my very close neighbors and my lilacs and purple sand cherry don't bloom until a couple weeks after my neighbors'. But probably the spot to the south of the garage is warmer.

The weather is warm this week and I will try to submit a soil test.