Buying an apple tree

Hi everyone,I was very excited today because today was the day we decided to buy a replacement apple tree for the one we had to take down last year to make way for the carport.Buying an apple tree is serious stuff for me because this is the ONE apple tree we can have in the garden, so we took some time to chose the one we wanted.First, we went to our closest garden center Frosts Farm, and we had a cup of tea and a brownie and sat for a while with our apple book and I explained a little about malling rootstocks to Robbie so he understood the choices and could be in on the decision.After looking at the selection of apple trees, we decided that Frosts didn't have a tree which would grow tall enough for us, but did have a great deal on 2 for 1 dahlias! I also needed a new pair of my favourite leather gauntlet gardening gloves, so I got those too.So we drove off to my favourite garden center Burford.We went straight to the apple trees and found our tree.We decided on a Braeburn apple on an M106 rootstock which will grow the height we want it to.Whew, when you only can buy the one tree! That's a big decision.Then I tried to pass up the other great deals on offer!But I did need to look around, (and garden twine, I definitely needed garden twine), so we parked up our tree and had a lovely walk inside the store.(you can just see our apple tree peeping up above the jasmine hoops)In our hood, there is a lot of spare turf off-cuts from the lawn which is being put into the new housing development and I was wondering if it might work to grab the off-cuts, turn them upside down, pile them into a mound, or into a barrel, and plant potatoes in that somehow.Has anyone done that? I've heard of it before.I think I might try.Oh swoon!Look at these amazing secateurs and gardening tools.And, for anyone needing some pest extermination work, there's a Dalek for that.I fell in love with this beautiful heart shaped trowel.I also fell in love with the potting bench the tools are on!There's my twine.Grabbed one.Now let's look around the store some more.This place is more than a garden center. It's a home, gift, beauty, antique, restaurant, deli, wine, toy, garden center.And they tend to have unusual things which I haven't seen other places.Look at those beautiful, multicoloured lights. They seem to be made from hand-blown bottles all bound up together. And those shiny velvet ribbon spools!I'd buy them just to have them around to admire and touch.These guys!This might be silly, but I'd love three of them just sitting like sculptures in the front hall.Some of the fabrics and cushions here are amazing.Handwoven and embroidered throws, kilim rugs, hand-dipped candles...And the colours!I love them.The throw, hung here on the wall like a tapestry, was a printed throw but really beautiful too. I love that whole feel of old botanical illustrations come to life.Also love the fox doormat.Here in the outdoor section is my dream apple storage cabinet for when my apple tree starts producing enough apples that we can store them up for winter, and my dream, hand-forged firepit for those late autumn evenings under the apple tree.Sigh.But too soon it was time to pay for the tree and twine and take our new baby tree home.I think I might have to make some time to visit again.