The espalier pears are growing, thankfully. I was worried I had taken off too much, and that they would die. But they are hardy little things, and are putting out growth on their remaining, uncut limbs. The photos above and below are the line of espalier from the neighbors’ driveway (above) and from my front walk (below)
Here is how one little pear looks with its soft little limbs tied down to stakes with kitchen string. The books said to try a 45 degree angle to start, and then to lower the stakes to horizontal in the fall.
The cicadas are coming (don’t you just hear Paul Revere?) and I worry about my little trees. I have been frantically trying to find out how high cicadas need to climb before they’ll lay their eggs. I am hoping that my little trees are too short still to count as “trees” to those buggers. I guess we’ll find out.
A Gardener's Lot 