polkadotjen you need to look out for different root stocks when buying an apple tree. Apples are grafted onto different roots so you end up with different sized trees. M27 and M9 are the smallest - and you can keep them compact by pruning and cordoning. If you are only having one apple tree make sure it is self pollinating - Cox's Orange Pippin needs another variety to pollinate properly though new self fertile forms have been developed. Good luck with your move.

I have a large fig tree on my patio and lots of veg I plant in fish boxes picked up from the beach. I had a large vegetable garden but this gets smaller every year because I can't resist planting fruit trees - so far I have a 3 apple trees, pear, plum, cherry and apricot trees. Currently cropping onions, leeks, artichokes, rhubarb, potatoes, salad leaves and watercress from the garden - the strawberries will soon be ready to eat. Lots of herbs outside the kitchen door as well.

I begun to write this suggestion out when I released i had a drawing for a similar garden. So tweak it to suit Hide new steps behind new raised bed of rose carpet (or lavender) which are very easy to maintain which can also be used as seating Water feature with the spout can be hidden in the hedge, Use a galvanised mesh (heavy) an inch or so below water, you don't want children falling in. Skim walls to match in with new beds, the brick is a bit dull. Second level plant hydrangea From top of steps enter landing area to raised lawn, use angle iron for perfect straight lines. Low hedges: Use Rosemary rather than Buxus as it can have an unpleasant odour if planted on mass especially near patio areas. I would replace the fence with something sturdier and would allow for trellis which will give privacy but not annoy the neighbors by blocking too much light You could also use the trellis at low hedging to stop children falling off or use http://www.tecni-cable.co.uk/ systems for a safe but see through fence, it wont stop the determined child to climb over but will definitely prevent accidents Rather than having a 'veg patch' you could make sure that everything has to earn its keep. So plant fruit trees, berry bushes, vegetables, herbs and so on. If you need any help contact me. Regards Cian

Gooseberries are a useful fruit. They don't mind some shade, have pretty leaves and the fruit freezes beautifully - nothing better than a lovely gooseberry crumble in winter. You can get them as standards too, so can be quite decorative. They need to be staked well and pruned so the heads don't get too weighty but if you had a pair you'd get a pretty good crop the second year and some the first. Invicta is a good variety and you can get it as standards. Just google! If you want to cover a fence with fruit you could plant a blackberry. Oregon thornless is an excellent cultivated variety with very pretty deeply cut leaves, far more so than the standard bramble, and of course it is thornless. Occasionally it throws up a thorny shoot which needs cutting off. Again, you would need to prune, cutting off the fruited shoots each year and tying in the new shoots. Rhubarb also doesn't mind shade, and you can get terracotta rhubarb forceps to go over it to bring on an earlier crop - look decorative when not much is growing.