Deer don't bother mine, they just destroy my garden.

"How big do these things get?" Depends on a lot of things. Soil, weather,ETC. Mine is 20'+ tall and 20'+ in diameter! But it is over 32 years old.

Annette,
I would not worry to much about the deer at this point. They probably won't mess with the figs too much.

If you can put them against a southern wall with lots of sun they will do the best in your climate. This will give them more warmth year round which they will appreciate. If you are starting with a young plant you may want them to grow in pots for a year or two. They are more sensitive to cold when they are young. This way you can bring them into an unheated garage or something similar for Dec-Feb or so.

Depending on the variety, you may be fine with just sticking them in the front yard. Depends on the severity of the winter and other factors. I bet this winter would have been no problem.

A variety like Hardy Chicago might be a good choice since they tolerate cold well.

I live in Northern Virginia and I have several fig trees, planted in the ground in the open that are not given any protection in the winter. They may take some 3-4" of die back, but once pruned in the Spring, grow like crazy. I fertilze mine with Milorganite, get good growth and loads of fig fruit in the summer. Deer don't even try to mess with my fig trees although the birds and squirrels get their share if I don't harvest them quickly.

Annette....

Growing fig trees is probably one of the easiest, and most delicious things you could do.

Decide whether in ground, or containerized.
Decide on location. (Full-sun, and heat, is good)
Figs grow/develop on new wood, so prune if you must to control growth. Read postings on this forum about when/where to prune, and pinch new growth.
The winter will be your problem. If containerized, and heavy...buy a dolly @ Home Depot and roll the plant(s) around. Read postings on winter storage/dormancy.
Buying a twig/small, rooted-cuttings is a waste of time. Get a bearing-age tree, and you'll have fruit this year. Check your local garden centers for good trees. Twigs die out if not grown perfectly, and in the long run, you'll get more bang for the buck by starting off with a larger plant. I grow my 6 foot tall, single-stem trees in large storage tubs (with drainage holes), and all branches are grown at the top of the long bare trunks. I roll the trees around on dollies. This saves the back, and I'm hernia free.

If you can store the trees (containerized) in an unheated garage or dark, cool, storage shed you'll probably solve your winter problems.
Buy a short-season fig variety. If at a bearing age, and growing vigorously, pinch back new growth to 6 leaves on each branch for earlier ripening of main-crop figs. You'll be chowin' down on figs by September, or earlier!

Seriously, this forum is the only place to get good, solid, up-to-date, fig-growing information. If you are going to buy figs through the mail, stay away, no...run away! from Ty-Ty, and Willis Orchards. Why?...search this forum. Also, west-coast nurseries are known for selling fig trees with mosaic virus. I learned the hard way.
I personally have grown only one short-season variety called "Atreano"...which makes a very large, golden-yellow fig that's really sweet... if, ripened correctly. Do a search for this excellent, smaller-growing fig variety. It's a good start. Deer might not be a problem, but birds could be!

Hope this helps you decide what to do. Read everything about growing figs on this forum, then decide how you will want to grow the tree(s)...then, go shopping. It's fun, and you'll be hooked.
We were all normal once. : ) : )

BronxFigs

LOL BronxFigs--I've never been normal since I tasted my first fig as a wee little one. Was it the figs, or did I just come by it naturally? We'll never know.....

Annette, good luck in starting your fig tree collection. If you can find a nursery with an already started tree, you will probably get figs more quickly than from a cutting. Make sure the nursery is a reputable one so you'll know the tree is what the labels say it is.

noss

Annette, don't buy a Brown Turkey. It's seems that most nurseries carry them as there first choice. They are very winter hardy but leave a lot to be desired in taste. Research past post in this forum for a lot of info on taste and hardiness.
"gene"

I've had a lot of fun with my figs! You just can't buy them in the store. I planted a brown turkey fig in 2010, which I purchased at the Blandy Farm Mothers Day plant show & sale. I planted it on the south side of the house, which is the sunniest spot in my yard. The plant I bought was in a 1-gallon pot, and had 3 stems about 10" to 12" long. It grew nicely the first year, and the 2nd year it was about 4 ft. tall and began to set fruit. However, in the 2nd and 3rd seasons, I cut off all the little figs I could find, so all the growing strength would go to the roots instead of stressing it to make fruit. Last year I missed a few (they kept on coming and I got sick of cutting them off) and they ripened in October. This is the 4th season, it's over 5 ft tall, and so far this year I have gotten at least 3 pounds of figs off of 1 tree. They began to ripen in late July, and the birds and deer have not discovered them! Contrary to another post about poor flavor, I find them to be nice and sweet, and beautiful inside. I get about 10 at a time, every week.
I protect it in the winter by mulching very heavily with leaves and compost, and pounding tall stakes in 4 corners, and stapling burlap cloth around and over it. We've had mild winters since it went in, but according to the almanac this coming winter is going to be cold and snowy, so we'll see how it goes!
I pruned it before wrapping last fall, which is wrong as I've read since then.
The figs do grow on the new wood, so I'm wondering if it's good to prune fairly aggressively, to get more new branches for fruit? Any suggestions on this?