Green Options

Do you love fresh, organic, local fruit, but lack the yard space, or even live in an urban environment with little room for growing?  You might want to consider growing an espalier fruit tree.  No, this isn’t some new exotic type of fruit, rather it is a method for growing trees in a hedge-like manner that enables people with even the smallest yards to be able to grow fruit trees.

The definition of espalier is “a trellis or framework on which the trunk and branches of fruit trees or shrubs are trained to grow in one plane”.

Essentially what it means is progressively pruning your tree to grow in a flat plane along a fence, side of a building, or existing hedge. This approach will take several years of continuous pruning as the tree grows, as well as yearly maintenance when you perform your winter pruning and late summer thinning, but will leave you with a space efficient tree that should produce an abundance of fresh fruit.

Imagine the possibilities!

We are thinking about our skin now more than ever, with sleeveless tops, shorts and (shudder) bathing suits on the horizon.  There are many things you can do to get the bod summer-ready.  Starting with, of course, a healthier diet and picking up where we left that exercise program last fall.  As for the skin, a little self tanner goes a long way, evening out skin tone and giving you a nice glow.

To have truly healthy skin from the inside out you absolutely have to think about what you are feeding it.   Be sure you are using skin care and cosmetic products that are safe (free from harmful ingredients) and right for your skin type.  But don’t stop there, your diet definitely shows up in your complexion.

ARGH!