This strange arrangement is me, at my tiny strip of an allotment, trying to train a Japanese Wineberry into a variety of forms, so that it can fit into smaller spaces.
Left to its own devices, it can be a monstrous spidery thing. Charming if interplanted with annuals, but a bit too space grabbing for a more petite front garden.
So here I was aiming for a Jean-Paul Gaultier-esque curvy cone shape,
And here I was experimenting with a sort of fan or star shape (and also wanted to illustrate the beauty of my urban plot!).
And this pic is of a lovely neighbour, David, training a Japanese Wineberry into a figure of 8. Lots of these ideas I’ve ‘borrowed’ from Blackmoor Nurseries from their small but inspirational stand at Hampton Court Flower Show this year, and I’m eager to see which permutation will give me the most fruit.
Ever since I tasted these delicious berries, I’ve been pondering how to squeeze them (and Blackberries for that matter), into a tight spot and looking forward to tasting the fruits of my labours come July. If you fancy a go, then it’s a good time now to order bare-rooted fruit canes. I think the figure of eight would even fit well into a large pot. Plants available from Blackmoor Nurseries.
