Design trends

How & When to Espalier Plants

This local star jasmine has been trained in the formal
Belgian Fence style

Over the years I’ve visited many gardens and been asked for advice on how to deal with a narrow space. We all have ‘em. Sometimes it’s that area between the garage and the fence. Or maybe the neighbor’s deck overlooks your patio but there’s not room to plant a hedge. Or maybe you want to break up your garden with a graceful screen that doesn’t take up too much space. Whether you have an edible in mind that would look great in that space or want an ornamental plant to bring some color, flowers, birds & butterflies, there are lots of choices for shrubs to train as an espalier no matter what your growing conditions are.

I’ve read that the practice of espalier originated in Medieval times when residents of warring cities planted trees inside their walled cities. The Roman and Egyptians are also said to have trained fruit bearing plants like fig, apple, pear and citrus in their gardens but it was the Europeans, specifically the French who perfected the designs we see today.

A nicely trained apple.

Dwarf pear and apple trees are pretty easy to train. Both these trees produce thickened spurs which is where the fruit develops so don’t lop them off when you prune. They are easy to see. You’ll need cat least 6 hours of sun a day for them to produce fruit.

Camellia thrive in shade and because they have flexible branches they lend themselves to training. Pyracantha is also forgiving of mistakes for this reason.

Narrow spaces can be challenging. One of my favorite plants that naturally grows flat is grewia occidentals or Lavender Starflower. it grows fast in sun and attracts hummingbirds and other birds. Beautiful lavender flowers cover the plant from spring to fall.

Another plant, azara microphylla, also grows flat without much coaxing on your part. This small dainty tree is fast growing and reaches 15-25 ft tall. The yellow flower clusters will fill your garden with the scent of white chocolate in late winter. They are ideal between structures. I’ve used the variegated version to screen a shower and it’s working great. The chocolate fragrance of this plant is really what makes it a show stopper.

Flowering quince is an old garden staple providing early color. They are easy to care for and nearly indestructible in almost any soil that is well drained and not overly fertile. Once established quince is a very drought tolerant plant and their spiny branches make them an excellent choice for hedges, screening or as a security barrier. There are red, pink, orange and white flowering varieties. The Toyo Nishiki cultivar even has pink, white and solid red flowers all on the same branch.

Another small tree, the Compact Carolina cherry laurel can be espaliered also in a narrow space if needed. It grows 10 ft tall but that may be all you need to screen the neighbor. They are drought tolerant once established, deer resistant and the perfect host for birds, bees and butterflies. The leaves smell like cherries when crushed which gives this plant it’s common name.

Other ornamental shrubs that make great espaliered plants are abutilon, bougainvillea in frost free areas, callistemon, dodonaea, feijoa, gingko, sarcococca, viburnum, ribes, rhaphiolepis, pittosporum tobira and osmanthus fragrans. Trees that can be trained include cercis, agonis flexuosa, eriobotrya, and podocarps.

California native plants that can be espaliered are garrya, fremontodendron. Carolina cherry, flowering currant and ceanothus while the branches are young and supple.

A young fruit tree in training

Don’t be overwhelmed if an espalier gets out of hand during the season. Just nip the branches back to a leaf node. Use heavy jute to attach the branch to the support wire or stake. After a season the jute will rot away which keeps the branch from being girdled by the restraint.

Design trends

Marigolds & Fruit Trees in the August Garden

Marigold are valuable in the garden but not for aphids.

I’m more into drinking ice tea and reading a good book on my Kindle than I am motivated to remove errant blackberry vines or control the hypericum creep. And certainly it’s more fun to plant a new addition in my garden than deal with the spider mites. Guess the Dog Days of summer are upon me and there’s still a lot of August left to go. You know the old adage: Do as I say, not as I do. Well, listen up.

Here’s some advice for those of you growing fruit trees. August is the best time to do summer pruning. If you haven’t already done so, thin out shoots and crossing branches. This allows more air and light into the tree, reduces disease and promotes earlier ripening of the fruit. Remove most water sprouts. These are the soft, fast growing shoots usually growing straight up. Cut them back to a main branch. If you need to fill in a spot in the tree and there’s a water sprout growing there, cut that one back to about 2 inches to promote a fruiting spur.

This Red Delicious tree could use some thinning and a little trimming.

Pruning fruit trees this month controls the size of the tree and can also prevent rampant sprout growth next spring. That’s because pruning removes many of the little food factories (leaves) that supply energy to the plant and store it, to be used for growth in the spring.

Prune to maintain a vase shape. By promoting upright limbs high in the tree and pruning hardest in upper and outer portions, fruiting wood is maintained throughout the tree. Also eliminate limbs growing inward. Remember never to prune more that 1/4 of the total mass of your tree at any one time and no more than 1/3 per year. Better to space out corrective pruning over 4 years if your tree has gone too long since the last pruning.

One last thing, fertilize your trees one more time. Most established fruit trees need their first application when the tree begins to emerge from dormancy in the spring, another after fruit set and the third immediately after harvest. For young trees in the first, second or third growing season, apply at half the rate. Feed your trees and they’ll feed you.

The other day at a garden center I was admiring the huge selection of marigolds. So many kinds and colors are available these days. All marigold are native to subtropical America and have been cultivated in Mexico for over 2000 years. But do they really help with pest control?

Like other members of the daisy family, marigolds provide nectar to beneficial insects, such as syrphid flies, who prey on aphids and other insects that attack garden plants. Parsley and dill flowers are even better but daisy family flowers keep the nectar flowing longer.

The USDA lists a total of 15 pests that attack marigolds. Included on their list are aphids, Japanese beetles, snails and spider mites. So they are effective in luring these pests away from your other ornamental plants.

Marigold have been shown to have some slight effect in repelling cabbage worms and bean beetle larvae. A variety called Stinking Roger repels flies that bother cows and other domestic animals but I’ve never seen this marigold available around here.

The common French marigold that has been shown to control nematodes. You need to plant them thickly as a cover crop and allow them to grow for many weeks to be truly effective.

So now you have the rest of the story. The bottom line, plant marigolds as they do have some beneficial effects but mostly because they’re pretty.

Design trends

Poisonous Plants in the Garden

Hydrangeas contain cyanide

When you look at the list of plants that are toxic in one way or another to humans or pets, it’s a wonder any of us has survived. Maybe it goes under the same category as drinking out of a garden hose when you were young but poisonous plants are a more serious threat. Take a look at your garden and evaluate the risks of these common plants if you have pets or small children.

Not that long ago I was suggesting vines for a design I was working on. The client had a dog that nibbled plants so I wanted to make sure none were toxic. Of the common vines I suggested that do well in our area Bower Vine, Royal Trumpet Vine, Goldflame Honeysuckle and Lavender Trumpet Vine were eliminated from our consideration.

Many of us are including native plants in our landscapes to attract wildlife and save water and resources. Here are some common native plants that you should be aware of if you have small children. This list comes from
Borstein, Foss and O’Brian- California Native plants for the Garden.

Coffeeberry- leaves, berries and bark
California buckeye- all parts (poisonous to bees also)
Western azalea- all parts
Elderberry- all parts except ripe berries and fruit
Solanum-all parts
Snowberry-berries
California buttercup- juice of the plant
Berberis- roots and leaves
Prunus ( cherry )- seeds
California poppy- all parts
Lupine (annual)- seeds, fresh leaves and stems.

Beware the lovely rhododendron

Rhododendrons are just one or our beautiful plants that are poisonous. Children are more susceptible to the effects of plant toxins and should be taught not to eat seeds, berries or leaves from any plant. Do not assume a plant is nontoxic because birds or wildlife can consume it without harmful effects. Be prepared for an emergency by keeping syrup of ipecac on hand and the number of the Poison Control Center. ( 1-800-222-1222 )

Small pets can also be at risk if they ingest parts of poisonous plants out in the yard. Know what plants you have and keep a list. Oleander and foxglove are notorious deadly plants. Here are just some others you might not know.

Hydrangea leaves, flowers and branches contain cyanide. Lantana foliage and especially unripe berries also contain dangerous toxins while delphinium leaves and seeds contain toxic alkaloids which decrease as the plant ages. Sweet peas, lobelia, impatiens, carnations, calla lily, mums and bleeding hearts also have plant parts with come degree of negative effect if ingested.

Surprisingly, even some vegetables contain natural toxins. Diseased celery and green potatoes as well as potato leaves and sprouts produce a very strong toxin. Raw, green, young asparagus shoots can cause dermatitis and the red berries that form on their feathery branches are poisonous. Large quantities of tomato leaves and stems contain alkaloid poisons. Livestock have died from eating the foliage. I guess the deer that browse your tomato vines aren’t ingesting enough to cause them harm as they seem to know just when you have another set of buds for them to nibble.

Trees are not the most common cause of accidental poisonings around the home but a few species may present a hazard.

The black seed inside apples contain cyanide although you have to eat large quantities for them to be deadly. Peach kernals, bark and twigs contain cyanide also as do apricot, cherry and plum pits.

You don’t have to eliminate plants around the home that have natural toxins. Humans have lived for centuries around gardens and orchards. Just be prepared by knowing what plants grow on your property.

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