More Space Saving Ideas

Here on the hill, gardening is challenging for many reasons.  A short growing season, water restrictions and poor soil, micro climates and shade are just some of the issues we contend with.  As gardeners, we are forced to come up with clever ways to overcome these challenges.  Each gardener is different and has different wants and needs for his or her garden, so each person must customize solutions to fit their particular gardening needs.

One challenge many gardeners everywhere face, is space.  Or lack thereof.  This is why container gardening and raised bed gardens are so wonderful.  They allow us to garden without acres of land to till or to fit a garden into a spot that would be unsuitable for a traditional garden.   Everything from flowers to fruits and veggies to herbs, can be grown in containers or raised beds.

But now you want to branch out, literally, and grow some fruit trees.  A typical 1/4 acre lot can only hold so many trees and if your property is like mine, putting in a bunch of fruit trees would eliminate most of the usable space in my yard.  However, if the thought of walking outside and picking the perfect apples for a pie or a big, juicy peach is something you covet, then why not think about espalier?

Beautiful!  So neat and tidy.

Espalier is the art of pruning and training trees and their  branches to be on one plane.  It is usually done against a fence or  a wall, however, by installing posts and wires, you can espalier a fruit tree just about anywhere in your yard or garden.  It is an excellent way to add fruit trees to your garden or homestead without taking up valuable real estate.

Posts and wires for espalier trees.

Plus the fruit is extremely easy to pick as compared to normal fruit trees.  If you have ever attempted to pick the apples from the top of a tall apple tree, you will know what I mean and will appreciate being able to pick fruit easily and without a ladder, from an espaliered tree.

Much easier to pick apples from trees that are espaliered.  Give it a try.  I will be doing this in my garden!