It sounds like a complicated dance step ("Do you espalier?"), but it's actually a method of training tree limbs to grow in a desired direction. Branches of a young tree or shrub, usually a fruiting kind, are attached to a framework of wires that guide their growth. This framework is often set against a wall or fence. Branches that don't fit within the framework are pruned away. Espalier has been called an art form, and when it's done successfully, the mature plant achieves a symmetry of line that's pleasing to the eye. Espalier is French; however, the root word is Italian and means "shoulder," and shoulder height was where early practitioners of the technique wanted the trees to grow. This is because the fruits of espaliered trees receive more sunlight and are easier to reach for picking, and, as author George Glenny noted in 1858, "Espalier trees may be much more easily cleaned of vermin." Espalier an organic technique? Who knew?
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