In our society’s quest for all things bigger and brighter and newer, innovation rules. The traditional, the tried and tested, the old stuff, tends to get thrown mercilessly on the scrap heap of history.

This is not my world. Not my personal world. As a Landscape Designer, I work in all types of settings and    create gardens of all types. I would hardly consider myself “old fashioned”  – even Old World – but I will admit having a thing for old stuff. My dream is to live in 100-year-old farmers cottage, grow mostly heirloom vegetables, and having a growing collection of antique apple trees. For whatever reason, old stuff appeals to my sensitivities. I’m not into junk though – most of the items I welcome into my home or garden have to be either a classic in their field, useful or beautiful. That’s what works for me.

Gardening isn’t immune from this quest for the latest and greatest. Sometimes a new way of doing things is warranted, particularly if research shows that a traditional way doing something was simply an old wives’ tale. There are occasions though when innovation is glorified for its own sake. I think we need remind that in our pursuit of a healthy, productive garden, the old ways remain just as relevant to us as they were to our ancestors.

Let us start with a definition. Espalier, pronounced either “es-pah-lee-er” or “es-pah-lee-ay,” depending on how French you want to sound, is the art of training plants to grow against a wall in desired shapes. Espalier comes from the Italian word spalliera, which means “wainscot to learn the shoulder against” and literally refers to the trellis on which a plant is trained to grow.

The technique is thought to have originated with the Egyptians, but was perfected during the Middle Ages of France, where fruit trees were espaliered within walled gardens to save space, utilize radiant heat from the walls, and as with so many things French, create something that is both useful and beautiful.

Hundreds of different espalier forms have been created, but around a dozen or less are in common use. The craft has been applied mostly to fruiting trees, particularly apples and pears, but it is applicable to any tree, shrub, or vine that has flexible branches and a relatively compact growth habit. Some popular ornamentals suited to espalier include magnolias, camellias, and roses.

In a formal setting, climbing plants are often made to follow geometric pathways. In an informal backyard, vines may be attached at somewhat more random locations and allowed to follow their natural inclinations in between.

The process can take years, depending on how quickly the plant grows. (Espaliered trees are often managed for decades.) Typically, you will need to spend an hour or so two or three times a year trimming wayward stems and shoots and encouraging your plant in the directions that please you.

The benefits of espalier are many. Certainly the most obvious is the space that espalier saves. When grafted on to a dwarfing rootstock, an apple tree can be easily be trained along a fence or driveway, taking up about as much room as a garden bench. If a bit more space is available, you could include a number of trees. A colleague of mine has an espalier that includes 15 different apple varieties with the potential to supply fruit for cooking and fresh eating December through July.

One of these trees, a ‘Lord ‘Lambourne’ is producing fruit in less than two years, which is testament to the fact that espaliered trees tend to bear a good dear earlier than standard trees. They also bear more heavily, and have a longer productive lifespan. The reason for these traits is related to sap flow. Just as a bend in a pipe slows down the flow of water, a bend in a branch slows down the flow of sap. The more horizontal the angle of a branch, the less sap flows through it, reducing the formation of vegetative buds and increasing the production of fruiting buds. As a consequence, espaliered trees produce much higher yields than standard grown fields.

Espalier contradicts the modernist adage, form follows function With an espaliered fruit tree, form and function are inseparable. By creating an espalier, you are creating not just a highly productive plant, but a living sculpture, a testimony to the interaction between gardener and tree. You might choose to grow a series of espaliers as a Belgian fence, creating a productive barrier to keep the kids either in or out, depending on your needs. And if the fence fails to perform, you could try bribing them with a piece of fruit from the tree instead.

What I like most about espalier is that it’s a gentle art, not unlike bonsai in that it takes dedication, perseverance, knowledge and patience. Espalier bucks the trend. The process of training a tree to look beautiful, and become fruitful, is the best antidote to our society’s pathological addiction to speed.