Getting Fruity

By Pippa Greenwood

You can grow fruit in your garden even when short 45cm (18ins) above ground level (hence the name); on space, by making the fruit work in more ways than you can buy these ready-trained. one and making the best use of their good looks. At Vines can produce a good crop in the UK in a this time of year the widest selection of fruit plants sheltered, sunny spot. They can be trained up walls or is available from specialist fruit nurseries as ‘bare over a pergola to create shade. Many have fabulous root’ plants, and this is also the perfect time to plant autumnal colours. fruit. There are peach varieties nowadays that grow A simple metal arch can be used to train tree fruit well and produce a worthwhile crop. Avalon is such as apples or pears up the sides and over the recommended for its ability to crop if you have top. For perfect pollination (and maximum crops), space, but there are several varieties available on plant two different apples in the same pollination sufficiently dwarfing root stocks that do well in group on each side of the arch. You can use cordon good-sized containers. Peach Bonanza grafted on to apples or simple ‘whips’ (straight stems). A good a St Julien rootstock is compact, has attractive pink fruit tree nursery will be able to advise on the best blossom and, despite its dwarf size, produces fullcombinations. sized fruit. Cherries can do surprisingly well in a large pots, Hybrid berries can also be trained over arches to planters or a wooden half-barrel. The combination of form shade and a delicious crop – I recommend their lovely white spring blossom and tasty summer loosely tying them to a chunky wooden arch. You fruit makes then an attractive plant for a sunny, can then enjoy the flowers followed by the rich good sheltered patio or back yard. Choose a cherry on a looks of the fruit. ‘dwarfing rootstock’ such as Gisela 5 to ensure it does Strawberries in pots can crop heavily if kept well not get too big. fed and watered. Either plant them into a large pot There are many types of fruit that take up extremely or container full of good quality compost, or use a little space, such as Ballerina apples; alternatively, strawberry planter with individual planting holes into train cordon apples or pears vertically and spaced 60- each of which a strawberry plant is placed. It looks 90cm (2-3ft) apart to form columnar trees. Prune the good and makes it harder for slugs and snails to get fruiting laterals in summer and restrict the tree height to the fruit! to 1.8-2.4m (6-8ft). Ideal for the front of a vegetable plot or a flower Visit Pippa’s website (www.pippagreenwood.com) to border, a stepover is trained to form one ‘arm’ of book Pippa for a gardening talk at your gardening fruit to the left and one to the right, generally about club or as an after-dinner speaker. 26 Please mention The Villager and Town Life when responding to adverts

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