The Beginning of the Espalier...

The trees are here! The trees are here!

So one of our summer projects was cleaning out the defunct strip garden between the pool and fence across the back of our yard. That garden is a mere 24" - 36" wide and presents a difficult puzzle as far as planting goes. Were I to plant any of my regular choices in there, it would either be overcrowded or short. I would spend the rest of my days looking at a shadow-box fence which lacks character and beauty. If I plant anything tall, it will quickly shrub out over the pool.

The previous owner had gone for tall and skinny with Rocket Junipers, but they require trimming maintenance - something I recall from my childhood days as being not much fun, and involving picking up prickles in burlap bags. I also recall my sister's severed finger when the hedge trimmer got away from her one time. The hospital people reattached it.

We cut the junipers off at the base and dug out the stumps this summer.

My design solution is to plant a row of espalier apple trees along the fence. Now I know, I just got finished saying I didn't want the maintenance headache that comes with trimming trees, but an espalier you only prune 3 times per summer, and it grows apples. That way beats trimming junipers twice a month and getting nothing back.

I ordered 13 apple tree starts back in the fall from a nearby grower of heritage Apple trees. Siloam Orchards ships trees all over the place and has some pretty cool trees. Being a local independant orchard, they are able to take custom orders small or large, and can offer real-live people to help over the phone.

This week they called to tell me the trees were ready for pickup, and on Wednesday, I went to get my trees. The folks at Siloam had wrapped the trees in a nice bundle so I wouldn't get the car dirty (I went in my new "monster truck") and the bundle is now sitting behind the house, ready for planting.

This weekend we need to finish some site prep, set up trellis lines on the fence, and plant the trees. I am facing a challenge with locating bamboo poles at this time of year.

We'll figure it out. Watch for updates soon.

Forward to Espalier Site Prep Part 1