Espalier Designs

Excerpts from "An Espalier for Every Garden" from Taunton's Fine Gardening. Dec. 1999
by Peter Thevenot

Espalier designs

Peter Thevenot, Espalier Master

Peter Thevenot's garden

The cordon, the candelabra, and the Belgian fence are three designs that the author has used effectively in his garden. The cordon and the candelabra are the easiest to master.

Candelabra

The candelabra is a more dramatic espalier. Its height and design command attention (photo, above). One adorns the entryway to our house, and serves as the focal point in our side garden. It is 80 inches wide and stands 81/2 feet tall, which is typical for this design. The space between each branch is 16 inches. This spacing may look too wide when the plant is young, but it fills in quickly as the tree matures.

Fruiting Candelabra Design

Fig. 1
Candelabra design

Fig.2

Two tier candelabra spring

Fig. 3

Fruiting three tier candelabra

Belgian Fence

Belgian Fence Technique

To divide our driveway from our side garden, we planted a Belgian fence. This living wall functions as a see-through screen. Its real interest occurs in winter when its bare branches display its unique shape. Light and air pass through the diamond shaped gaps in all seasons, and this design blends into our landscape well without seeming as big and bulky as a stone wall or a wooden fence would.


Fig. 4 Belgian fence in spring	Fig. 5 Belgian fence in spring	Fig. 6 Belgian fence

Horizontal Cordon

The cordon, with its horizontal tiers, is the most common espalier design because it is so versatile. When used as a focal point, cordons typically measure 6 feet tall by 6 feet wide, but their design can be modified to fit into any space.


Fig. 7 Three tier cordon	Fig. 8 Fruiting three tier cordon	Fig. 9 Four tier cordon

Fan


Fig. 10 Fan design	Fig. 11 Fan design

Tunnel


Fig. 12 Tunnel design	Fig. 13 Tunnel design	Fig. 14 Tunnel/arbor

Illustrations by Beth Thevenot


Fig. 15 Candelabra 2 tier	Fig. 16 Candelabra 3 tier	Fig. 17 Candelabra oblique


Fig. 18 Horizontal cordon 3 tier	Fig. 19 Horizontal cordon 4 tier	Fig. 20 Horizontal cordon 5 tier


Fig. 21 Parisian goblet	Fig. 22 Arch cordon	Fig. 23 Circle and arch cordon


Fig. 24 Fan	Fig. 25 Belgian fence

Other Images


Fig. 26 Espaliered horizontal fruit tree	Fig. 27 Espaliered S-shape fruit tree	Fig. 29 Special cordon fruit tree


Fig. 30 Espalier fruit tree at Standen, West Sussex, England	Fig. 31 Belgian fence UBC Botanical Garden	Fig. 32 Espalier UBC Botanical Garden

Further Reading
The art of Espalier Video with Peter Thevenot^{ext. link}
River Road Farms an Espaliered Tree Nursery Tour Video
Espalier Systems for Fruit Trees by Flemming's Nursery^pdf

Back to
Espalier Page

Bibliography

Thevenot, Peter A. "An Espalier for Every Garden." espaliertrees.com. From Taunton's Fine Gardening. Dec. 1999. Web. 21 May 2014.

Photographs

Fig. ^{1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,11,12,13,14} Thevenot, Peter A . N.d. espaliertrees.com. Web. 24 May 2014.
Fig. ^16,23,24,25 Thevenot, Beth. Espalier Illustration Series. 2003. espaliertrees.com. Web. 24 May 2014.
Fig. ¹⁵ Thevenot, Beth. Espalier Illustration Series. 2004. espaliertrees.com. Web. 24 May 2014.
Fig. ^17,18,19,20 Thevenot, Beth. Espalier Illustration Series. 2005. espaliertrees.com. Web. 24 May 2014.
Fig. ^22,23 Thevenot, Beth. Espalier Illustration Series. 2008. espaliertrees.com. Web. 24 May 2014.
Fig. ^26,27,28,29 KVDP. Espalier fruit tree forms. 2008. At a fruit treeform-test site near the castle of Gaasbeek. wikipedia.org. Web. 22 May 2014.
Fig. ³⁰ Bould, Graham. Espalier fruit tree at Standen, West Sussex, England. 2006. wikipedia.org. Web. 22 May 2014.
Fig. ^31,32 Robitaille, Liette. Belgian Fence. 2013. growables.org. UBC Botanical Garden. JPEG.file

Published 21 May 2014 LR. Last update 24 May 2014 LR