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Stretch Your Ambitions

Photo by PENNY CARNATHAN

Espaliered apple trees in a walled garden in Scotland make a Florida gardener dream of the possibilities here.

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By PENNY CARNATHAN | The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 27, 2009

Updated: 02/27/2009 02:56 pm

I've been doing some strange things lately, and I'm not alone.

My sewing sister called me from Lowe's last weekend to tell me she was standing at the vegetable seed displays and ask what would be good to start now?

"I'm not sure I'm going to like doing a vegetable garden," she said. "But for some reason, I'm really excited about this."

It happened to an old high school friend, too.

"I've never really tried starting plants from seeds before," Janna Begole e-mailed. But that's just what she did a couple weeks ago.

She got Red Burst Aster, Mammoth Sunflower, Giant Zinnias and Cosmos seeds (she likes cut flowers for the house). Five days later, she sent an update.

"Guess what? I have sprouts! Lots of them," she wrote. "I'm happy."

Part of this phenomenon is easy to explain: We're all trying to save money. But part of it must also be our deep-seated (seeded?) natural impulses.

Those three freezes zapped lots of our tried-and-trues and made us rethink our planting ruts. This may well be nature's way of ensuring diversity and experimentation in her domesticated patches, given her understanding that some of us (me) will tend to plant mostly what has worked well for us in the past. It's a nice reminder that we're just part of the process - not its engineers.

"Although I mourned the loss of my former garden beauties due to the freeze, in some twisted way, I'm excited about starting a new garden on a fresh palette," Janna wrote.

Me, too.

But now that I've got all my seeds in their moist little hatching beds, there's nothing to do but wait. And wait. I wanted a project. Preferably one that involves putting a plant in the ground and trying something completely foreign.

Espalier. Even the word is foreign!

I'd seen lots of pictures, but saw it firsthand just this past fall in Scotland. In a walled garden, tall green apple trees stood shoulder to shoulder, limb to limb. I found a Web page with the how-tos - geared to Florida - at edis.ifas.ufl.edu/MG273. It lists trees, vines and shrubs that might be up to job, but notes, "Other plants are worth trying, and may prove to be equal to, if not better than, those listed."

Jatropha wasn't on the list, but Kim and I both thought it should be. So off I went to Green Thumb Nursery, where I told owner Pat Rey what I wanted to do, and what I wanted to do it with.

He thought for a few long, pained moments.

"Not happenin' " he said, shaking his head emphatically.

"I haven't seen espalier around here in a long time. It's hard to do, you know. They used to do it with Pyracantha, and you can't even find that anymore. That tells you something!"

But then he thought some more.

"You can do anything you want if you decide you really want to," he said. "If you decide you want to become president, yes, you can become the president."

Thus realigned philosophically and practically, he led me to an almond bush. It already had two natural rows of a tiered, horizontal T cordon. Clip a few wayward branches, tie the arms to supports for straightening, and I'd have a good start.

No, it doesn't look like much now. Kind of scraggly. Zero wow factor. But that's why now is such a good time to try something new. Because it can't hurt, can it?

Penny Carnathan

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