Hi All,
It's cold here in zone 6 -
Gabe's water dish froze over quickly.
I wrapped the hood of my jacket around
my head and face with only my eyes peeking
out as I cut across the windy parking lot.
So why am I in the spring mode? I saw a
chipmonk yesterday scampering around - and
that means he's out of hibernation (or whatever
they call it for chipmonks).
And in today's Sunday paper is a nice article
on the Espalier apple tree - dwarf and pruned
and lovely.
If you have a nice masonary wall on the south
side, it will hold the heat for the tree if
you plant the tree against it and you can
plant the apple and peach side by side.
A few tidbits:
"An espalier needs a strong support to start.
At the botanic garden, Mezo's apple and peach
trees grow against a wall where they are tied to
rustproof wires strung between screw eyes anchored
in the brick; bamboo canes add heft where needed.
....
"You can start and espalier with a single-leader
youngster, called a whip, or a still-small plant
with branches in the right places. A fruit tree
should be dwarf or semidwarf, or grafted onto
a rootstock, so it won't outgrow your space."
I love the wild crabapple I have out front -
I have pruned it to grow upward rather than
letting the branches horizontally (which according
to the colum - would have given me more blooms) and
I like it that way and it blooms profusely anyway.
The wild crabapple produces tiny apples that stay
on the tree and provides food for the returning
birds in the spring. I have thinned it branches
occasionally because sunlight is good for the tree.
June
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One of the most delightful things about a garden
is the anticipation it provides.
~~W.E. Johns
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