Think also about fruit trees like apple and pears, that can be gently manipulated to grow in a variety of shapes, including espaliers, fans and cordons
Think also about fruit trees like apple and pears that can be gently manipulated to grow in a variety of shapes, including espaliers, fans and cordonshas prompted me to sing the praises of wall shrubs, that group of plants that usefully straddle the common ground between true climbers and traditional woody ornamental shrubs.
Planted as a normal freestanding specimen, it will eventually become a sizeable tree and needs plenty of horizontal space to flex its muscles, slowly reaching a height and spread of up to 15m. But a wall-trained specimen can be kept much more compact, and is a magnificent sight when grown neatly against a high sunny wall where the latter acts as a simple but effective storage heater, as well as the perfect backdrop to its statuesque beauty.
This outstanding species of magnolia is just one of many kinds of large ornamental evergreen shrubs that are eminently suitable for training vertically against a sunny wall or sturdy fence, and which will thrive in the additional warmth and shelter that it offers.
Of course sunny garden walls also provide the perfect growing conditions for training many kinds of fruit trees vertically against it, that can be gently manipulated to grow in a variety of shapes that includes espaliers, fans and cordons. Apples, pears, peaches, and apricots can all be treated in this way, a truly space-efficient and decorative method of incorporating fruit trees into small gardens so that they are as productive as they are pretty.
That said, a thoughtful, carefully-timed annual pruning regime is required to produce and maintain a wall shrub or tree with a well-balanced framework of branches that performs at its floriferous and/or productive best. Get it badly wrong and although it will eventually recover you might remove some of next year’s flowering branches or end up with a slightly misshapen plant. Neglect to do it at all and you’ll end up with a plant that eventually becomes too big for its boots.
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