I would like to create a pretty boundary between my new garden and the neighbour's, so we have some privacy. Rather than a solid fence, I really like the idea of creating the "belgian fence" style of espalier fruit trees.
We're in Edinburgh, the garden is quite sheltered and unfortunately faces NEE.
I was thinking to basically follow these instructions:
http://gardenclub.homedepot.com/how-to-train-an-espalier-fence/The fence would be about 20ft long, so I think I'd need about 8 or 9 trees. I'd want to restrict the height to 5-6ft. This would obviously be for just one side of the garden (I'm thinking maybe currants/gooseberries/elder and others for the other side, but that's for another day's thinking!
)
Possibilities for varieties (I'd have to narrow it down) would be:
Apple "blooming ploughman", M26 rootstock - flowering group 4
Apple "Chivers Delight" - group 4
Apple "Egremont Russet" - group 2
Apple "Ashmead's Kernel" - group 4
Apple "Yellow Ingestrie" - group 3
Apple "Kidd's Orange Red" M26 rootstock - group 3
Apple "McIntosh Red" M26 rootstock - group 2
Apple "Devonshire Quarrenden" M26 rootstock - group 2
Apple "Rosette" M26 rootstock - group 2
Apple "Pitmason Pine Apple" - group 4
Apple "Tickled Pink" - group 4
Apple "Rubinette" - group 3
Apple "Kidds Orange Red" - group 3
Plum "Mirabelle de Nancy" VVA-1 Rootstock - self-fertile
Cherry "Sweetheart" Gisela 5 rootstock
Pear "Red Williams" - Quince A rootstock - group 3
Pear "Moonglow" - Quince A rootstock - group 3
Quince "Leskovac" Quince A rootstock, self-fertile
I'm not interested in cooking apples as parents and in-laws both have trees that they give me lots of produce from
I do want to try and grow something a bit unusual that will look and taste good, though! So any suggestions would be great.
I have a few questions:
1) Is this far too ambitious for a novice pruner?
2) Has anyone else done this?
3) I think I'm right in thinking that because of the shape of a "Belgian fence" you can train trees that prefer fan-training to espalier?
4) Does anyone have any comments on the varieties/rootstocks I've mentioned?
All thoughts/advice gratefully received!!
Thanks.