Fruit trees don’t have to take up a lot of space. By planting trained trees, in shapes such as espaliers, cordons and fans, you can fit apples, pears and more into the smallest of gardens. Either growing against a wall or fence, or as a garden divider, they make an attractive feature. Even when deciduous, they look good all year round, with blossom in spring, ripening fruits and foliage colour from summer to autumn, and bold structural shapes over winter. They’ll also give you a surprisingly large crop in a small space, if pruned correctly.
You can buy ready-trained trees from fruit nurseries or train them yourself from scratch.
PROJECT ONE
Train an espalier
Espaliers need to be trained along horizontal wires fitted to a fence or sturdy posts. These…