Ceanothus are California's wild lilac. A native evergreen shrub which is drought tolerant and spring time showy with lavender-blue 6" spikes. Belonging to the Rhamnaceae (Buckhorns) family, Ceanothus shrubs, in general are drought tolerant once established and are found frequently growing in California's native chaparral. There are many different varieties of Ceanothus in form and blooming lavender-blue colors. Ceanothus bloom winter to spring and are simply stunning. Three of my favorite Ceanothus are Ceanothus concha, Ceanothus dark star, and Ceanothus Ray Hartman.

Officially a shrub, Ceanothus Ray Harman variety has an upright tendency. It is one of the Ceanothus varieties that can be trained into a mature small tree, sometimes reaching up to 15' high and 10'-15" across. It does best in Zones 8-9.

In the above photo, my Ceanothus Ray Hartman is planted close to my soft-hued brown stucco wall for a pleasing backdrop. I planted four Ceanothus Ray Hartman in my garden a few years ago, and they grow quickly.

A few tips to share with you in creating a Ceanothus Ray Hartman tree in your garden. I purchased one-gallon size plants from the extraordinary California native nursery, Tree of Life Nursery. Tree of Life Nursery is located about 7 miles east of San Juan Capistrano on Ortega Highway. If you are serious about introducing more California natives in your yard and garden, Tree of Life Nursery is the place to go. Tree of Life Nursery offers over 20 varieties of ceanothus, as well as many other popular natives, and lesser known natives.

If your intention is to shape your Ceanothus Ray Hartman upright into a small tree, purchase Ceanothus Ray Hartman plants that have a nice single stem. Plant in a sunny spot with ample room. Water regularly to give it a good start, and then taper off once established. Prepare to support your Ceanothus Ray Hartman with stakes as it begins to grow and fill out.

Let your Ceanothus Ray Hartman grow and establish itself for a few years.  After the second year, begin to trim bottom branches off of its main trunk slowly, at three month intervals. Nip or prune 6' off of the tips of some of your top branches and start shaping your tree. Trim as necessary to shape your tree into a nice upright tree form. This type of pruning encourages your Ceanothus Ray Hartman to grow upward and fill out into a beautiful wild lilac tree.

Please share if you are familar with the beauty of the Ceanothus varieties. Please comment if you have started introducing native plants into your garden.

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There is a lot of interest in espaliered trees right now. It is an art form, visually attractive, and espaliered trees lend themselves easily to small spaces with high fruit yield. For espalier basics, including how to plant your tree initially and espalier patterns, see related post, The Art of Espalier Fruit Trees.

I have this wonderful shed in my middle garden that faces west, which I thought would be great to espalier a tree on. I chose a fig tree because they can cover a large area, and architecturally their branches, leaves, and fruit are so appealing.

Winter time, in Southern California, offers the best selection of dormant fruit trees, and is the best time to plant them. I started with a bare root Black Jack fig tree, which was about the size of a standard broom handle. It did have buds forming on its trunk, and that is what you look for. The buds on a dormant fruit tree trunk are the potential cordons or arms that grow out horizontally, and become your pattern.

With an espaliered fruit tree, you are going to need the support of a building or a wall of some kind. Mature fruit trees laden with fruit have some weight to them. See photo below.

How To Create A Fan Espalier Pattern For A Fruit Tree 1) Find your location. It should be a sunny west or south facing spot, year round.

2) Research your ideal fruit tree for your particular spot. The fan espalier pattern is an easy pattern to follow, and can cover a large surface. Some fruit trees lend themselves better to certain patterns than others. Popular fruit trees which are well suited for a fan espalier and informal fan espalier pattern are currant, gooseberry, fig, loquat, peach, nectarine, oriental persimmon, pineapple guava, and pomegranate.

3) Materials Needed: 12 to 14 gauge wire, 9/16″ double-pointed staples for wood fencing, wall mounts for masonry and corresponding equipment for stucco/concrete walls, bare root fruit tree preferably with ample buds on its trunk, compost, shovel, sharp clippers, green garden tape, chalk or marker, wire clippers, pliers and tape measure.

4) Chalk on your building or fence where your bare root fruit tree is going to be located. Measure in 18" increments, starting from the soil level, where each horizontal gauge wiring will go. Implement the gauge wiring horizontally across the width of your building or fence area in the 18" spacing increments. The gauge wiring is secured with 9/16" staples, if it is a wood structure. Now you have your support wiring in place. Plant your fruit tree at your chalked spot.

5) A fan espalier pattern is a basic pattern. On both sides the cordons grow from the fruit tree trunk, and angle upward and outward in a fan shape. Fruit tree buds emerge as shoots which are green, pliable, and delicate. As the fig tree buds begin to grow into shoots and eventually cordons, gently secure them with a bamboo stake and green tape against your building. Using green tape, make sure your bamboo stakes are also secured to the gauge wiring for support. This will train your cordons to stay in place.

6) In the photo above, you can see I persuaded my fig tree to grow above the shed door, too. Eventually, your fruit tree will mature, and become its own support. You can remove the bamboo training stakes and green tape, but keep the wire gauge in place.

7) The photo immediately above, captures the same mature fig tree in full growth in the fall, and laden with ripening figs. I prefer to let my fig tree "go wild", and not prune it back till it is dormant, and leaves have fallen off in the winter. If you wish to see more of your espalier pattern, then you must prune your fruit tree in the summer, and as necessary.

A fig tree has wonderful large leaves that cover quickly your whole espalier pattern in the course of the year. If you planted another type of fruit tree, chances are the leaves would not be as large, and your pattern would be more visible without a lot of pruning. With espalier patterns in general, pruning is a necessary part of keeping the pattern. If you have a smaller building or fence to espalier on, and a different type of fruit tree, you could space your gauge wiring at 12" increments.

To get started, start with a fruit tree that you like, grows well in a fan espalier pattern, and is ideal for your location. Follow the basic espalier fan pattern above. Have patience as your fruit tree begins to grow. It can take a few years to create your mature pattern.

Do you have an espaliered fruit tree in your garden? What kind of fruit tree is it? What pattern is it? Did you espalier it, or did you buy it espaliered? Where did you see your first espaliered fruit tree?

I wanted to write about the Grey Honey Myrtle tree, because it is one of my stellar nursery choices, of the last two years. You know the ones. They catch your eye in their generic container. You have an inkling they could look nice in your garden or yard. You take them home, plant them, and you all settle in. Presto, you wonder how you ever lived without them. They do something incredible and unknown to you, such as a totally unanticipated explosion of color. Yes, it is a big deal, because there are many more lackluster nursery choices that seem to fizzle, and all with good intentions. Has this happened to you?

One of my favorite trees, and stellar nursery choice, is the petite but ever so charming, Grey Honey Mrytle tree, Melaleuca incana. This little darling can actually be grown as a shrub up to 9' tall and wide, or shaped into a small graceful tree. It has a very appealing weeping and lacy branch structure with blue-slate needlelike foliage. In early spring, it blooms profusely in a plethora of tiny "cream puff" flowers that beckon birds and bees.

The Grey Honey Myrtle Tree is a native of Australia, and part of the mammoth melaleucas family which has over 140 species. Optimum climate zones vary by species. It is safe to say that this melaleuca does well in zones 8,9, and 12-24. It will thrive in full sun to partial shade, and is drought tolerant when established. It is an easy tree to care for, and can endure poor soil, wind, heat, and low moisture conditions. In my opinion, the Grey Honey Myrtle tree is a moderate to slow grower, although melaleucas are generally thought of as fast growers. Lace pruning is a good idea to enhance its weeping style, and keep it off of the ground.

My Grey Honey Myrtle tree was planted as a screen, close to my fawn-colored brown stucco fence. Its contrasting grey foliage against this backdrop, and backlit with southern sunlight is stunning. This is a beautiful, very striking ornamental tree for your yard or garden. It too, could be a stellar nursery choice for you.

If you live in a Mediterranean climate, these trees (shrubs) should be available at your local nurseries. In the San Diego area, I have seen them for sale at a few places, but most recently at Buena Creek Gardens. They are also available online through various websites.

Espalier is the art of training a tree, shrub, or vine to grow on a flat plane. It is a European technique that has been used for hundreds of years, especially for fruit trees. This technique creates a beautiful plant structure, and is efficient in saving space in a small area. Trees trained in this method are generally trained flat against a wall, space, building or in some cases as a free-standing screen or hedge. It is an easy way for a backyard gardener to have room in a small yard to care for and maintain attractive fruit trees.

There are a few basics for successful espalier fruit trees. Most fruit trees require sun, and good soil drainage. Ideally you want a south-facing or west-facing wall in your yard for sun. Make sure you are purchasing fruit trees that are compatible with your climate zone. Be aware if they are self-fertilizing, or require another specific tree nearby for pollination. Mature espaliered fruit trees require a strong support, especially when laden with their mature fruit. Know your general guidelines for fertilizing, watering, pruning, and pest control for your trees. An espaliered fruit tree requires pruning at least two or three times a year to maintain its shape.

If you have a good location, know what kind of fruit tree you want, and what kind of shape you would like to train it, you are ready to get started. For an overview of "Espalier Patterns" and "Basic Pruning Steps for Espaliers" click on, espalier.

Most varieties of standard, semi-dwarf, and dwarf fruit trees can be espaliered. When you have a choice, go with dwarf or semi-dwarf. With espalier styles, you often hear the term, cordon. It means a single stem-like arm. In espalier patterns, you may have multiple cordons or arms. Remember espaliered fruit trees are an art form. If you have a small space to plant your tree, use 12" between your cordons, if you are trying to cover a large area, use 18" between your cordons. Start with a simple double or triple-tiered cordon, and move on to more advanced styles as you gain experience.

In some cases, certain espalier styles naturally do better with specific fruit trees. Here are some examples of styles most commonly used for popular espaliered fruit trees:

Apple--Lend themselves well to many espalier forms such as hedges, double cordon, vertical cordon, palmetto, and Belgian Fence.

Apricot--Can be pruned to hedges and fan shapes. Needs fairly heavy pruning.

Peach and Nectarine--They fruit on new wood only, requires vigorous pruning to produce new fruiting branches and to maintain espalier form. Best styles are hedge or fan.

Fig--Usually large espaliers, as you can see in the above photo. Either fan shape or natural form for tall espaliers, or low horizontal-armed shapes.

Persimmon--The Oriental persimmon is one of the best for a large, informal espalier.

Pomegranate--They do best with informal shapes, or in four, six, or eight-armed cordons.

"How To" Step by Step Planting a Three-Tiered Cordon Espalier Apple Tree:

Materials Needed: 12 to 14 gauge wire, 9/16" double-pointed staples for wood fencing, wall mounts for masonry and corresponding equipment for stucco/concrete walls, bare root  apple tree preferably with ample buds on its trunk, compost, shovel, sharp clippers, green garden tape, chalk or marker, wire clippers, pliers and tape measure.

You will need 7' of wall space to accommodate the size of a mature espaliered apple tree. Measure out a pattern with a single main trunk, and three horizontal tiers (cordons). Measure from the top of your soil up to 48" with your tape measure and mark it. This is the height of your tree; mark a horizontal line at this height which will become your top or third tier (cordon). Draw a vertical line to represent the trunk of the tree in the middle of your 7' space or at approximately 3' 5" (three feet, five inches), allowing a few inches for your tree trunk growth.

Your pattern on your wall or fence should have a vertical line 48" high, with three horizontal lines through it starting at 16" from your soil level, the second at 32" from your soil level, and the third at 48" from your soil level.

When your pattern is finished, begin to attach your wire horizontally along each tier. Each wire must be very secure to eventually support the mature tree and its fruit, whether you are using double pointed staples or masonry wall mounts. Make sure the wire is taunt and secure curling your wire tight at the end with pliers.

With your wire secure and in place, the next step is to plant your apple tree. Make a 14" wide by 14" deep hole. Add compost and mix with soil for drainage. Plant your apple tree 4" away from your fence to allow growing room, and plant so the apple tree base is at soil level. It is very important that you look for a bud on your apple tree trunk which is positioned just above the first tier wire. Potential buds are the little bumps on your tree trunk, which have the potential to grow into a cordon.

Once your tree is planted, cut with sharp clippers your tree at 1-2" above the first tier wire, and right above a bud at a 45 degree angle. This will redirect your apple tree's energy into making the side shoots at the first tier wire. Once side growth has grown 5-6", select the strongest stem on each side, and tie down to your wire with your green garden tape gingerly. Trim off any others, and trim off any new growth that might be emerging below your first tier line on your apple trunk.

At this point you will have new growth starting a cordon on each side at your first tier level, and you have small growth growing vertical, which will eventually reach the second tier level. Be careful at this stage not to allow the vertical new growth to grow more than 6". Keep nipping it back to 6" height, to allow your new side shoots along the first tier to keep growing longer horizontally.

When your first tier cordons have reached about 3/4 of the way toward the end of their wire support, you can allow the vertical trunk shoot now to grow up and reach the second tier wire level, and start the whole process over again. Continue to train your apple tree until all of the tier branching is the the 7' completed width.

As you are training your apple tree into your three-tiered shape, keep the small shoots along the cordon trimmed back to 4" to 5" long. Your tree will continue to grow and mature, and every flower will become a fruit spur, which will bear fruit. Eventually, your fruit tree will become its own support structure.

It takes about three to four years to create a mature three-tiered apple tree, but you will start to reap fruit before then. Generally with espaliered trees, fruit will be larger and sweeter, because their fruit is exposed to more sunlight and the trees have been pruned regularly to keep their shape.

A great source, in San Diego North County, for a tremendous selection of bareroot fruit trees and knowledgeable friendly customer service is www. weidners.com, (760) 436-2194.

Bonnie Jo Manion writes the garden lifestyle blog, www.VintageGardenGal.com, (tel) (760) 402-7600, cultivating the best of gardening, vintage container design, home-grown food, and backyard vineyard.