Principles of Topiary and Espalier

Look in any high-end home design magazines, or visit lavish gardens and properties and you will no doubt, see skillfully manicured topiaries flanking each side or a stately entrance. As well as shapes like animals and geometric patterns that give any garden a formal look and feel. It's something that doesn't require a tremendous amount of skill to do but with the proper tools and plants, you too, can make your home entry look stately also.

In addition to artistic topiaries, many home owners are lacking space in their yards to grow things like fruit trees. So an equally artistic form for fruit trees, is espalier. Shaping and training a tree to grow flat against a building or taking advantage of a small, norrow space in your yard. It's a practice that has been done for centuries and not only produces dramatic, sculpted trees, but also bears some incredible fruit.

Joining me on this episode is Denise Schreiber, experienced and studied horticulturist and arborist who is a successful author and professional speaker. She shares a bit about both techniques, identify some ideal plants for each format, and what you'll need to know to be successful. She also references an excellent book on both forms from Longwood Gardens, available on Amazon. There is also a quick video from Monrovia showing topiary being done to inspire you on your next topiary project!

Denise Schreiber aka "Mrs. Know It All" of The Organic Gardeners on KDKA radio in Pittsburgh, shares some insights on this fascinating topic. She has been featured in the Ask the Expert column and is a contributing editor, in the Pennsylvania Gardener Magazine. Denise is also a national speaker, ISA certified arborist and has literally written the book about edible flowers called "Eat Your Roses, Pansies and Lavender and 49 Other Delicious Flowers" available on Amazon.

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