FRUIT TREES FOR THE HOME GARDENER, by Allan A. Swenson, Lyons & Burford, 164 pages, $12.95.

A Chinese philosopher once advised people to do three things to ensure their own immortality: Have a child, write a book, and plant a tree.

Circumstance bars some of us from the pleasures of parenthood and authorship, but anyone can grow a tree. Allan A. Swenson of Kennebunk shares the secrets of successful silviculture in his new book, “Fruit Trees for the Home Gardener.”

The book has almost everything a would-be Johnny Appleseed needs to plant a few fruit or nut trees. The text is firmly rooted in the practical aspects of planting and pruning, fertilizing and fighting pests. But Swenson doesn’t ignore the aesthetic, even spiritual, benefits of growing trees.

“The trees you grow are lovely to look at: food for the soul,” he writes. “The fruits you harvest provide those tasty rewards for the body: fresh fruit, pies, jams, jellies, preserves.”

The author’s love of trees blossomed on the farm, where he tended acres of trees as a youngster. Throughout his adult life, he nurtured smaller plantings around his homes.

Swenson is an advocate of “edible landscaping.” By choosing varieties carefully, even city residents with postage-stamp lots can enjoy home-grown fruit.

“Once upon a time, just about every home had an apple tree or two,” he reminds us. “… When apple blossom time arrives, they perfume the spring air. Their delicate, pastel pink blooms are harbingers of spring as much as the daffodils blooming beneath them.”

Some of Swenson’s advice is open to debate — particularly in Maine’s harsh climate. For instance, he favors tiny full-dwarf trees for smaller lots. Other experts argue that dwarf trees don’t have enough vigor to thrive in the extreme north.

A few of the fruits and nuts that are discussed in the book — notably peaches, sweet cherries and pecans — are difficult to grow in much of Maine. Just ask anyone who has spent years coddling a Reliance peach (the most cold-hardy variety — reportedly surviving 25 degrees below zero) only to have it killed during a particularly bitter winter.

But experimentation is part of the fun of growing trees, and Swenson provides more than enough information to get started. The book even has a chapter on fruit-tree sculpture (espalier) — the techniques used to create the unusually shaped trees that are focal points in many European gardens.

The only important thing you won’t find in the book is a list of Maine nurseries. His compilation of mail-order sources includes many Southern nurseries that can’t provide the extra-hardy trees needed by cold-climate gardeners. Check with University of Maine Cooperative Extension before you order from an out-of-state grower.

If you like the idea of sweetly scented blossoms and delicious fruit — and don’t need instant gratification — consider planting a tree. You may leave behind a legacy of beauty and nourishment that is the next-best thing to immortality.