This project in NW Washington, DC was unique in that not only did we install some very large screening trees around the perimeter of the property but we also installed several of our specialty pruned items. These homeowners had visited Italy numerous times and had seen similar projects there. Espalier and roof top pruned trees are very popular in Europe where horticulture is taken to an elevated level and where space is often at a premium. As was their request they worked with their landscape architect to find a contractor who could make these specialty trees for them. That’s where we come in! The LA came out to our farm and tagged eight 8.0” London Plane trees (Platanus x acerifolia ‘Bloodgood’) that we then limbed up to 9’ and took off all but three feet of foliage from the heads. The trees were then numbered in the order by which they would be installed and we created custom frames upon which the branches could grow. We happened to already have the espaliered trident maples (Acer buergeranium ‘Aeryn’). We only needed to make minor adjustment to these trees to get them ready for their new homes.

Ruppert Nurseries continued to work with these London Plane Trees for the next several months, carefully pruning and tying the new growth to the frames to fill in the top and create a dense “ceiling”. About 8 months after we began training the trees, we moved them to their new home in the city. As mentioned earlier, the trees were numbered so that when planted they would be 8’ wide on the center and 4’ wide on the outer edges. The 8’ sections were meant to touch each other right from the beginning. As the years have gone by, we have been able to remove the frame work as the branches have begun to grow into one another. The homeowners now have a mature canopy atop their outdoor dining area.