a.lateral cordon b.candelabra c.Belgian fence d.fan Espalier, pronounced: es-PAL-yay, is an old method of growing ornamental, or fruit trees and shrubs against a wall, or as a living fence to divide outdoor spaces. As you can probably guess by the name, it is French, but it really comes to us from the Italian word spalliera, meaning: "stake works, shoulder high." In areas of France and England, where the climate isn't all that conducive to fruit production, because they are cold and damp, this method of fruit growing was used because when the trees are planted against a brick, or stone wall, the warmth collected by the wall from the sun, helps the tree produce fruit. However, I live in So.Cal. and that means I don't have a problem with too little sun! Well, there are spots in my garden that only get 5 hours of sun or less so this method would be perfect. Espalier trees and shrubs can be trained in formal geometric designs, fanciful shapes, or informal espalier that follows the natural growth of the tree or shrub.
What in the world got me on this espalier kick anyway? Well, I have really been bitten by the gardening bug lately - as it is nearly spring. We just planted a Santa Rosa plum tree in our orchard, as I call it with tongue in cheek, because it was only going to hold two fruit trees. Then, as I was wishing we had more room for more fruit trees, I was staring at the west wall which has some sort of unidentified succulent growing as a screen. That is when it suddenly hit me - espalier! Now, we can fit more fruit trees into our "orchard" using this method - what joy!
What in the world got me on this espalier kick anyway? Well, I have really been bitten by the gardening bug lately - as it is nearly spring. We just planted a Santa Rosa plum tree in our orchard, as I call it with tongue in cheek, because it was only going to hold two fruit trees. Then, as I was wishing we had more room for more fruit trees, I was staring at the west wall which has some sort of unidentified succulent growing as a screen. That is when it suddenly hit me - espalier! Now, we can fit more fruit trees into our "orchard" using this method - what joy!
Our back yard is going to be semi-formal, not formal formal, so I will be using an informal espalier as seen in these photos. Informal espalier follows the natural shape of the tree but in 2D. Isn't this just lovely? And as far as I can tell, it doesn't require any artificial support using posts and wires. Even though our west wall isn't that tall, only about 4 feet, this method is still desirable for a screen as well as providing a way for us to fit in more fruit trees. We will be planting three Dorset apple trees - I'm so excited! I will keep you informed and provide some pictures of the process. Please stay tuned!
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