Margaret Cheasebro

When I approach the door to the San Juan College fitness center in Farmington, NM, where I walk the indoor track, beautiful vegetation lines both sides of the wide cement sidewalk. There is an array of colorful flowers as well as several young trees.

They are desert olives a small tree native to the Southwestern United States. It takes maybe five or six years for the trees to produce fruit, clusters of purple-black drupes that are edible for humans but taste kind of bitter. Because the wood is light, tough and flexible, some people like to use it to build furniture and make crafts.

When I walk by the desert olive trees on my way to the fitness center, I enjoy noticing their small light green leaves. They reflect the sunlight and create almost a lacy view of the buildings and landscape behind them. These young trees don't have berries yet. They'll need to grow a few more years first.

I've been told that if you decide to taste a berry, be prepared to pucker up. They can be pretty bitter. Some people say if you eat several berries at the same time, their bitter taste isn't so overpowering. I'm not sure I'd want to be that adventurous. What's a little bitter to some might make me take huge gulps of water to drown out the taste.

If you decide to plant a desert olive tree in your yard, choose a sunny spot. They like at least half a day of direct sunlight. Though they can handle shade, desert olive trees really do like the sun.

For me, I'm just happy to enjoy walking by the young desert olive trees on my way to the college fitness center. I enjoy them again after I've walked a mile or two on the indoor track and head back to my car, tired, sweaty and thankful for the shade the trees provide.

The ancient Romans invented a way to grow fruit trees flat against a supportive structure.

During the Renaissance in Europe it evolved into an art form. It allowed the production of large quantities of fruit in smaller spaces. Eventually, the technique became an art form. Trees grown with the espalier method became living sculptures. Many ornamental trees and plants were also grown using the espalier method to create works of art.

Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States of America, used the technique at his Monticello estate to grow fruit trees. He was an innovator in agriculture. His use of the method helped introduce espalier to the United States.

Now it is being used at San Juan College in Farmington, New Mexico. When I attended the Four Corners Harmony barbershop show May 17 on the San Juan College campus at the Connie Gotsch Theatre, I noticed a distinctive looking small apple tree growing against a wall by the parking lot. It looked like it had wooden trellises supporting the branches that made them grow in a straight line. I thought the tree might have been injured and needed extra support, but that wasn't the case.

San Juan College Grounds Supervisor Aiessa W. Thomas told me more about the method. "We are using an Espalier system to grow trees along the wall," she said. "This is a decorative and functional system that allows us to save space, ease of harvest and easier maintenance. We would normally grow these along trellis wires, but we have yet to get our little project finished so we are just using small wood trellises for now."

Some of the benefits of the espalier method are space efficiency, increased sunlight and airflow, ease of harvesting and maintenance, aesthetic appeal, and enhanced productivity.

Among the most popular tree choices for using the method are apple, pear, fig, and citrus. Climbing vines or roses also respond well to the method.

If you use the technique, it's important to install a support system such as wires or trellises and to make the structure strong enough to hold the weight of the tree or ornamental plant once it is fully grown. Add soft ties to the branches as it grows so they will create the pattern you want. Check them often to be sure they are growing in the right direction. Regularly prune them to maintain the shape and structure you want.

To learn more about this method, one helpful book is Espalier Fruit Trees for Wall, Hedge, and Pergola: Installation, Shaping, Care by Karl Pieber.

For more information on how to use the espalier method, go to https://deepgreenpermaculture.com/2009/09/29/espalier-supporttrellis/