The Charming Art of Espalier

The Horticulturati

When American gardeners hear the word espalier, we tend to imagine installations in the formal French style: hoity-toity, high-maintenance, and baroquely decorative. Yet the ancient technique of training trees flat on a wall or frame has its roots in space-saving, yield-boosting practicality. In this episode, Colleen argues that this charming art of vertical gardening is uniquely suited to our urban landscapes.

First up, we talk about "pruning" our workloads. Finally, we share some listener mail about anachronistic virtual plants and the controversial transgenic American chestnut.

Mentioned in this episode:

Colleen’s Pinterest board for espalier; How to Grow Vegetables and Fruits by the Organic Method by JI Rodale; Orchard People Fruit Tree Education; The 20-30 Something Garden Guide by Dee Nash; “Scientists hope genetic engineering can revive the American Chestnut tree” (Reuters, 4/22/21); “Mann seeks EBCI’s help in American Chestnut tree preservation” (The Cherokee One Feather, 10/12/20); American Chestnut Foundation’s press release on EBCI partnership.