An Englishman's Garden Adventures
Espaliers and fan-trained shrubs and trees can create striking features in the garden, while making good use of vertical space. Here are nine beautiful examples of fruit trees and ornamental shrubs I have trained in this way, along with further suggestions. Includes a brief guide to selecting, training and pruning.
Over the years I have ended up with a lot of topiary in my garden. A majority of this is … read more
Virgin’s bowerClematis alpina AlbaSyn. C. Sibirica 8 ft (2.4 m) 3.5 ft (1 m) white Apr/May (Aug/Sep) part shade free-drained … read more
Nothing is easier to train into an espalier form than the Fire Thorn (Pyracantha). If you want to get in … read more
How hard should you prune lavender after it has finished flowering? Lavenders benefit from annual pruning immediately after flowering to … read more
Here is a sped-up video of me pruning my 4-tier espalier apple tree. Not sure how helpful it is, but it was fun to make!
▲ The box balls in front have just been clipped, but the large one at the rear waits its turn. … read more
Pallant House Restaurant Courtyard, Chichester I spotted these weird sculptures through a gate of Pallant House courtyard in Chichester. It seems … read more
(Updated July 2016) One of the trained Japanese hollies, with new shade planting at its feet I came across four rather … read more
Out and About in Sussex, England: musings on creative pruning Most of the hedging in my garden is in the … read more
