Brett got a new camera recently and one of the lenses is a wide angle.  These pictures were taken from the second floor porch and you can really get a full view of the garden...



...and its scope.



This year, we plan to complete the hardscape and add additional plantings to help define the garden “areas.”  We began working on the rose garden area last year and recently planted a small hedge of boxwoods to set off the space.  It will also provide some green interest during the winter months.



A project that we’re really excited about, is an espalier of apple trees.  Espalier (pronounced ess-PAL-yay or ess-PAL-yer) is a training technique used to grow plants flat against a wall or fence.  According to Wikipedia, the word espalier initially referred to the actual trellis on which the tree was trained to grow, but over time has come to be used to describe the technique.  During the Middle Ages, entire villages lived behind protective walls, and to save on precious space, orchards were planted and trained right up against the inner face of the walls. Due to the extra warmth of the sun radiating off the walls, the growing season was extended, and the fruit more abundant. Because necessary sunlight reaches every piece of fruit that these trees bear, espalier pruning remains standard procedure at commercial orchards in France.  Also, espaliered trees have less mass making them ideal for decorative purposes and gardens with limited space.

To build ours, we chose 4 by 4 cedar posts.  Two 24 foot sections, one on each side of the future rose garden, will be used.



First, the holes were dug, then gravel was used for leveling and the posts were anchored with Quikrete Concrete Mix.



Next, an apple tree was planted in the middle of each 8 foot section and plastic covered cabling was evenly spaced on the posts.  The cabling will provide support to the branches as they grow.  An under planting of peonies will be a nice addition here as well.



The difficult part was pruning each down to a 2 foot twig (OUCH!).



This is necessary to force the trees to send out horizontal branches and one vertical one to reach the next cable, where the process begins again.



But with lots of water (they each have their own water supply via drip irrigation), fertilizer, and lots of patience, we’ll have a living fence that also serve as a work of art. 

Stay tuned!

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