I planted a two dimensional apple tree fence and I espaliered two pears against a brick wall. My wife calls it my ten year experiment. It's been 5 years and I'm still too new at this to give proper advice, but I'll note my watchouts. First the squirrels will get every apple, so it's more aesthetics that you are going for. I'm sure someone in your area will point to good nursery in your area, but you should definitely purchase disease resistant apples. In Atlanta, it's fireblight and cedar apple rust. buy trees that have the same growth habit. some apples are more aggressive, some are more 'spur' type, some are 'tip' bearing. How tall do you want the fence? I used a semi dwarfing root stock, M111 because I wanted a screen as well as apples. But most people will recommend dwarfing root stock. Buy 1 year old trees, 'whips'. they are cheaper there is much more selection and you'll be surprised how fast they grow. Plus it gives you some time to learn 'pruning'. The pear trees respond to espalier better, followed by apples. I've learned 'pears are for heirs'. it take more time for them to fruit. The apples, you'll have apples in your 3rd season. The 2 dimensional fence and espalier make it harder to protect from varmits. and if you are in the city you'll be limited on controls. I have to mention that the folks on this forum are brilliant, and you can learn a lot by reading the various Q&A. but I've learned the most by jumping in. I hope this helps. It's fun. .

After thinking about it more I've decided to have two rows of espalier, with heat lovers against the fence and apples, grapes, and currants 4 (or 5?) feet away. That way I can squeeze in more fruit and I can try some things that don't normally ripen well in my climate. Figs grow here but it seems like one year in three we get a really good harvest and the other two it rains before the second crop is ripe, pomegranates usually don't get enough heat to get sweet, and apricots average one good crop every ten years or so because of frost and storms during their bloom time. I'm hoping the reflected heat from the fence will be enough to help the figs and poms ripen, and espaliered apricot trees will be much easier to protect from inclement weather during their bloom time. With luck I'll be able to enjoy fruits that would otherwise be impossible for me to grow, and also the beauty of espalier, which I am quite taken with. I wish I had an area to make a Belgian Fence privacy screen, but I don't. I'm having trouble choosing which fig to grow. My go-to nursery for fruits has a thing kind of like a 'read this' list in a bookstore, cultivars that have been grown by staff and proved to both do well in our area and have tasty fruit. I am quite taken with Tiger (Panache) but the description says it's best for hot climates and it doesn't come with a recommendation, while Violette de Bordeaux does come with the recommendation but is just not as exciting to me as a green striped fig. Should I pick the proven winner, or go out on a limb? This post was edited by peachymomo on Wed, May 1, 13 at 11:31

Check with your state's Department of Agriculture / Extension Agency. Many of them have a web presence. Most states have a number of brochures and thorough articles discussing what will grow well in your area, how to plant, and how to cultivate fruit trees. Those will be better than any sort of generic advice given in a book that's designed to appeal to a nationwide audience. You should also consider buying a gardening book by a local author that specifically discusses your area. The advice and tips are usually dead on and less generic. For example, again, "Extreme Gardening in Arizona" or Brookbank's "Desert Gardening" is more useful to me, in Phoenix, than Sunset's "Guide to Western Gardening" which is very California-centric or Otto's "The Backyard Orchardist: A Complete Guide to Growing Fruit Trees"

I've never thought of doing it with fruit trees.