Trained Trees

The "espalier" system, by which trees are trained along wires or wooden railings, is not very well known in New Zealand.

Being particularly suited to apples and pears, the system is applicable to small gardens in that the space occupied does not interfere with the garden. The properly trained tree will take up, no more room than the average row of peas.

These two examples of "espalier" are on a tiny section in Valley Road, where some 25 fruit trees are flourishing.

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The older tree (above) is a quincy pear (pear tree grafted to a quince root) and the younger tree (left) is a golden mine nectarine.