Has anyone grown their figs espalier style? It really goes with the concept we are doing in our yard/house, and I thought about doing it with the figs I'm about to order. I want to order VdB and Black Mission, which are hardy to zone 7. I'm zone 6B. One side of my house faces southeast. If I trained my figs espalier style ON my house (which is a brown stucco - maybe the color of hot chocolate, attracting the heat), do you think that would offer them more warmth and protection from the cold? They would also get minimal wind there. It's the same area I was going to plant in because it's the warmest side and it's so protected from the wind, but I didn't know if doing it ON the house would be even better/warmer. That is the garage, so not as much residual heat from inside. 

I'm interested in doing this too so thanks for posting this.  We have a south-facing brick wall on our house with a 5 foot strip of land running along the driveway and the foundation.  So one question that would apply to you as well is how many inches from the wall of the house should the wires/cables for the espalier be?  I have heard 8 inches but I was thinking more like 10 or 12 because we can get very hot summer days.  I would think with the darker color that you have it would absorb and radiate quite a bit of heat so you wouldn't want the plant tissue to be very close to the wall.  It would definitely be protective in the winter so it would allow one (in theory) to grow a variety that isn't particularly cold hardy.

Steve

Here is a thread from 2011 showing member vaplantman developing his espaler close to his house.
http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post/Espalier-sort-of-5407398

   Last July I started a "Belgian Fence"(google belgian fence) which is a type of espalier system that I built in my backyard orchard.  It is made up entirely of 1yr. old fig trees.  There are 5 different varieties of light figs and 5 different varieties of dark figs...this high density planting of 10 fig trees is confined to an area 9' long by 2' wide...it was based on a design that I saw displayed on a video by the Dave Wilson Nursery In California(there belgian fence was at least twice as big as mine)
   Many Forum members have already seen my video which displays this espalier system.  If you have not seen it, and would like to view it, then go to YouTube and type in:  "A Tour Of My Backyard Fig Orchard"    the Belgian Fence is displayed toward the end of the video, about 8:53 into the video.