There’s not much that can compare with plucking a juicy peach from your own fruit tree. From spring’s sweet cherries to autumn’s crisp apples, fresh fruit is one of nature’s most delicious products – plus it’s super-versatile, adding a refreshing sweetness to everything from glazes and chutneys for winter roasts to spring salads, smoothies, and dessert. Whether you want to add a fruit tree to your at-home garden for an annual harvest of peaches, cherries, apples, pears, or citrus – or you just like the look of these flowery, budding plants, here are some tips on how to get started.

• How much space do you have? Your available space If you have a large property, you can go with classic orchard trees like apples, peaches, and pears (plan to plant these at least 2.5m apart). If you don’t have a big property, then think about dwarf trees which take up less space and can thrive in pots.
• Let the sun shine in. Fruit trees need a lot of sun in order for the fruit to ripen. Choose a sunny open position and where possible protect the trees from strong winds and drafts.
• Plant in Containers. Fruit trees like lemons, oranges, blueberries, limes, apples, cherries and even bananas can be successfully grown in pots, making them perfect for those with limited space. Best of all, trees grown in small containers usually begin fruiting about a year earlier than they would when planted in the ground.
• How about espaliers? Do you have a small garden? Ever wanted to grow fruit trees but don’t have enough room?  You should give espalier trees a try! What is that?  Espalier is a process of training fruit trees to grow in flat, two-dimensional forms.  Usually they are grown against fences and walls. This method can be very productive sometimes producing 70 apples on just one tree.
• Make fruit trees part of you design. If you want a functional and beautiful centrepiece to your patio, a fruit tree is an amazing option. This fruit tree stands tall on this patio, providing shade and nutrition to the people who want to relax there.
• Use the sidewalk. Plant Community Fruit Trees in locations where the public can access them including residential front gardens and businesses with access from a public sidewalk, in the medians between streets and sidewalk, at schools, in public parks, in churchyards and along bike trails. These trees are planted where people walk every day and where they are highly accessible.
• Use Fruit trees as security barriers. Long before the advent of electronic security systems, plants were used as ‘biological razor wire’ to protect homesteads from marauding outsiders, or as livestock enclosures. By strategically planting thorny, spiky, dense bushes or hedging, you can create an effective barrier to deter intruders without compromising the look of your landscape. Some fruit trees have vicious thorns or spiny foliage, and with careful placement, they can add a layer of security to your home.

Growing your own fruits provides you and your family with a new hobby, supplies you with nutritious food throughout the year, and keeps you fit.