Training fruit trees and bushes against a sunny fence, wall or other wired support can be a great way of saving space and can also provide your garden with an attractive ornamental feature.

Whilst trained fruit trees may be bought from specialist nurseries, it's always worth bearing in mind that the older a tree is (and therefore the more trained), the harder it will be to transplant and establish in your garden.

In this section, we take a look at training fruit trees and bushes into three different shapes: a cordon, an espalier and a fan. Whilst all these forms are excellent for growing apples and pears, fans may also be used to grow other fruits such as cherries, plums and peaches.