You know the saying but what if you could have your own supply of home-grown Fresh organic apples?

Two years ago we planted two apples trees in our garden. Since we regularly eat apples in all forms (lunch box fruit, crumbles, apple sauce, tarts,…) it made sense to give it a go (did I mention cider?). And it’s not too late to plant a tree now; in fact the dormant period is probably the best time to do so.

This country used to be a major grower of apples of all sorts but due to many reasons (cheaper exports, supermarkets demands…) we now mainly ship in standard varieties from abroad.

And yet there are so many delicious different varieties to choose from. Personally I would recommend that you make sure that you plant a local variety of apple tree. Not only because it has more chances of growing well in its local environment but also it’s part of our heritage and the chances are that your local varieties will include anything but the standard bland tasting supermarket apples.

I can hear some of you saying that you don’t have any space for a tree. But did you know that you can grow dwarf apple varieties called minarettes even in pots?
You can also order bare root trees which get delivered directly to your house so you don’t have to worry about transporting a tree.

If you are looking for a good fruit nursery I recommend Ken Muir which is located on the Essex coast but as mentioned above you can order trees easily by post. Our apple trees came with a one year guarantee, a free instruction book on how to look after your fruit trees as well as a customer telephone number to call for support. The staff at the Ken Muir nursery was very helpful and I felt assured that I was buying quality apple trees. We had our first few fruits last year and I am really looking forward to the blossoms this spring. We chose the following apple varieties for their taste and provenance: Chivers Delight and Fiesta apple tree.

So come on, bring back the good old British apple in your garden!

My top tip: if you are unsure about which apple variety to grow I recommend going to Apple days events which happen in autumn most years. The Cambridge apple day event, for example, usually includes tasting a wide range of apple varieties which you do not normally find in the supermarkets. This should help you decide which apple tree to plant in your garden.