LAST week I was looking at the technique of growing fruit trees up against a wall, writes TOM ATTWOOD. This involves the specialist pruning and shaping of a fruit tree's stem to ‘coax’ it into a form that works to achieve the greatest crop of fruits. Typically, this involves either what are termed fans, espaliers or cordons. This week I want to give some examples of specific fruits you can try - working on the assumption that many of you reading this will be living in the north west.

For apples you should decide on whether you want an eating or dessert apple or one best used for cooking. There are dual purpose options to complicate things but in many respects they can give you the best of both worlds. Always bear in mind the pollination of your fruit trees. You’re best to do some research to see if they need another tree to pollinate with. The following varieties were recommended to me years ago by a couple I met through my work at Rydal Hall who live and breathe the world of fruit trees.

Discovery is a superb eating apple, crisp, juicy and sweet. It also has frost resistant flowers, the colour of the skin is an extraordinary red that glows from afar.

As for the Egremont Russet, the flesh is cream to pale yellow coloured, firm and crisp but is quite dry in texture because, for an eating apple, it is relatively high in tannins. Despite this the apple is sweet and has a rich, some say nutty, flavour.

James Grieve is a terrific apple, raised in Scotland in the 1890s. The fruits make excellent apples to use in cooking as they keep their shape but as they mature on the tree they become sweeter and delicious for eating and juicing.

All three are widely trained to grow against walls.

For a north facing wall why not try a cherry? You won’t be able to grow an eating cherry as they need Sussex-like sun and warmth but a cooking variety like Morello does pretty well on a north facing wall even in Cumbria.

Next week: maximising spring bulb displays in pots