I plan on trying espaliered fruit trees this next year.
Raspberries spread underground and black raspberries (which I have) get pretty big during the growing season.
What about a grape vine - grown in a espalier-like way?
Or gooseberries, currants, ect.?

Here is a link that might be useful: Dust Bath

I am planning fruit trees also, but not sure if I can put them in the potager. I was thinking of how I can put them in the yard. Potager could be an idea that I might try.

I am thinking about dwarf fruit trees. The fruit trees that I will like to try are the fruits that are harder to transport. Like Peach. I have not eaten any peach from a food store that taste like peach. Fig is also a good one but in zone 6b it is hard, although there are some hybrids that are hardy. So, I am thinking about it.

I am also thinking of adding a step-over pear espalier. I saw an example in Rosemary Verey's Making of a Garden. It looked so intriguing. But it does take a while to train. I'm going to be adding some fruit trees elsewhere, but thought it would be fun to play with 2 dwarf pears as a step-over.

Alpine strawberries are supposed to be good as a border plant. I don't think they run.

senko, I think I saw you on the fruit forum. Do you know what variety of fig is hardy. I have an Italian Everbearing fig that I mistakenly overwintered in the house. It broke dormancy a few weeks ago and is putting leaves on already. Hopefully, it doesn't wind up a scraggly mess.

If you're thinking about figs, you might check out Miller's Nursery. They're in upstate NY, so their climate is more similar to our zone than some others. They have some cold hearty (relatively) figs - one variety for zones 6-9 and one for zones 5-9. I've been happy with their stuff. I haven't tried the figs, but I've been thinking about it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Miller's Nursery Figs and Nuts

Some really interesting ideas! I will say that the blackberries and raspberries I inherited with my house are kind of a hassle, and I find that they take a great deal of time to train and prune properly--most years honestly I don't even bother, so they look like the devil and spread like mad (and mine are thorny buggers too!). The only reason I don't get rid of them is that they're in a part of the property that we really don't use anyway, plus they taste amazing and fruit no matter how neglected they are.

That being said...I'm planting blueberries as an informal hedge along the east side of my potager this year. They should be arriving in the next few weeks and I plan to plant them right out. I bought 3 year old plants, 2 each of an early, mid and late variety, so I should be able to keep my kids in fresh blueberries for a few months. I figured it had to be cheaper than spending five bucks for a pint at the store every other day! Heh.

I have also been toying with the idea of a fruiting cherry tree near the potager, if not actually inside it, but I have yet to fully decide. I am going to check out Miller's as well, thanks for the link, susan!

I would love to espalier something, maybe an apple, on the west side of the potager on my brick chimney, but realistically speaking I know I won't have the time or patience to try it for a few years. My mom espaliered pears at my childhood home and she was constantly out there fiddling with the darn things, but they sure did look amazing. Can't comment on their flavor since I hate pears. She also espaliered ivy in a diagonal cross-hatch pattern in another part of the garden, and it was stunning and if I recall correctly, much less work for her once the framework was strung (I think she used eye hooks and heavy gauge wire for that).

I have an espalier of berries on fencing planned, however, the swath for these is about 30 feet long by 6' wide (plus pathway on either side, so they will have some extra space. I will be only growing upright varieties. Berries take up a goodly amount of space.

Espalier takes a lot of time and patience to create, and is not an inexpensive venture. Tools need to be purchased and the "fencing" or whatever structure you erect has to be able to hold a tree, basically leaning on it. You will not want to plant these on the "shade" side of your garden either, the best location will be the north side so they do not cast shadow on your garden when you want sun.

If you would like fruit with less pruning and have space for shrubs you could be creative - service berries, the above mentioned blueberries, fruiting viburnums, elderberries (these sucker too, but are easy to control I find). Raintree will have lots of interesting fruit, give a good description of mature heights and sizes, and also the hardiness zones to help you make great choices.

susan2010 - Thanks for the info on the figs. My Italian everbearing may be getting some figgy friends.

nycynthias- Your mom's garden must have been beautiful. If you're purchasing your blueberries from a catalog, may I ask from whom? I bought a lonely blueberry on clearance last season and need to find a friend for it or I won't have any blueberries.

So many great ideas. After my dh saw my seed order, he asked if I was expanding the garden....again.

ali-b, yes, my Mom was an incredible gardener! I grew up rather oblivious to the amount of love she poured into it, but now I sure appreciate it in hindsight. She never grew veggies, funnily enough, and that seems to be my favorite thing to grow!
As for my blueberries, I bought them from Waters Blueberry Farm, figuring that since blueberries are pretty much their whole thing, they'd know what they were selling! I haven't received the plants yet, of course, so I can't comment on that, but I will say that very shortly after placing my order I received a very detailed email explaining planting, care and culture of blueberries. Very helpful. Their site is watersblueberryfarm.com. I found them through Dave's Garden, where they have gotten very favorable reviews. Hope this helps!

Susan: Thanks for the link. I'll check with the Dave's Garden Watch too. We had some problems at Clematis Forum last year. So, be aware of where you buy from.

Fig tree is the one thing that I am hoping most. Along the Mediterranian sea they grow like weeds and the little boys pick them and sell them around the village streets. When you get them, they are still warm from the sun and so sweet. That is something you can never find in a supermarket. For me that is the sole purpose of Potager garden.

nycynthias - thanks for the blueberry info. I had found waters last year but couldn't find the link. The little boy on their site is so cute.

I planted two semi-dwarf apple trees last year on the west end of my potager. Since the trees don't get big, they won't cast alot of shade, and in my hot climate most veggies appreciate a bit of shade in the afternoon. Stark Bros. said these trees will bear in three years. They were nice trees and probably put on more than a foot of growth last year. I was pleased. Be sure to do your homework if you plant fruit. Apples, in particular, require two varieties for cross pollination and not every kind pollinates every kind. Blueberries also require more than one variety.

I also put in a Celeste fig last year in a shrub border since I didn't have room in the potager. I bought it as a rooted cutting on E-Bay and potted it up for the summer. It made figs, and were they ever yummy! I set it in the ground in the fall with a heavy mulch and it is beginning to break dormancy now.

I put this is another post, but "The New Kitchen Garden" by Anna Pavord is a very good reference on potagers. She has an entire chapter on fruit and gives pretty detailed info on espaliers (how-tos also). She's English and it shows in her designs. It's a beautiful book.

One fruit I hope to place in my potager is hardy kiwi vines. I will do it if I can make it to Sam's club before they are all sold. I hope to do the berries such as blackberries and raspberries outside of the potager. Blueberries may be too much trouble for me as they like an acid soil and mine is very, very alkaline. Strawberries will have their own dedicated boxes. I do hope for a fig tree but if I get one, I will grow it in a pot and place in the garage for the winter or esplier on the garage wall and then insulate for the winter.

Can I mix different berries in the border? Say a couple of grapes, couple of blueberries, raspberries, or will this be too hodge podge?

So it appears, do not mix berries on the sides of the potager and not to use blackberries or raspberries because of suckering issues?

ResaleSally: You got it!

If deer are around they really go for the fruit foilage. They don't bother with cherry trees here, but nibble away at apple, raspberry, and strawberry. I have evergreen blueberry now & they were untouched. I've not planted the other blueberry because of the deer certain to ruin a good bush! Just last year started the raspberries because I got them free and finally just said yes to them (after years of saying I can't plant them because of the deer as well as permanence in the garden & my soil wasn't built up enough yet!)

Of course, if you have proper fencing your fruit would be safe.

My problem is that my sunshine is mostly along the driveway and there isn't a way to fence that nicely or safely with the driveway right there. We planted fruit trees first, then decided to garden in & around them. Dwarf apple, semi-dwarf pear, and the cherry. Production isn't what I had hoped because of the lack of sun & the deer. However, the trees were all free (bareroot fundraiser leftovers) except for the new pear we planted last year. The area is beautiful now instead of scrub forest underbrush, so can't really say it's a waste, though I lament that we don't have more sunshine!

Forest + deer = shade & less harvest!
plant anyway = structure to garden + spring blooms + partial harvest + great home fruit!

If I didn't plant = zero

Purple raspberries (Royalty) don't get as out of control as other raspberries and the flavor is the absolute best! Very easy to see in the fall which brambles are done with fruiting and can be pruned. Leave everything else for next year's harvest. You might also consider elderberries for bordering the potager. Just give them room to spread a bit. Alpine strawberries have done very well for us under roses. Musk strawberries were incredibly fruitful this year. That might be an option as well.