A few years ago, I had a crazy dream of moving from sunny Southern California and buying a hobby farm in Australia. It took a couple of tries, but now, we have almost 4 acres of paradise, complete with apple, pear, almond, hazelnut, quince, and hawthorn trees. We have 6 types of grapevines, and more rose bushes than we can count. There are two ponds on property, and a resident koala. Kookaburras, cockatoos, and lorikeets sing me awake every morning. Our neighbors on one side have alpacas and the other side has two friendly horses. We are living the dream and learning, sometimes the hard way on how to balance our lives. Despite what you may have heard about the challenges of growing productive apple trees, they are remarkably simple, once you know what you are doing. In this book, I'll walk you through how to start, maintain, and develop your apple tree orchard whether you have a postage stamp backyard or a few acres. There are many compelling reasons why you might want to grow an apple tree or trees in your front or back yard. Ideally, it is because you want to taste apple fresh from the tree. There is nothing like the experience of biting into a freshly picked apple. You cannot beat a backyard apple tree for freshness, availability and quality. If you plant your own apple tree, you have control over such things as variety. You can choose an unusual variety of apple not usually found in the store. Stores tend to stick to the more popular or obvious choices. They may not stock heritage varieties. The store is also not responsible for the conditions in which the tree grows. You are. As a result, you can ensure the apple trees are free from heavy use of pesticides, herbicides and other chemical products.Another reason to grow your own apple tree is the beauty and distinctiveness it can add to your garden. Trees are graceful and elegant or short and stocky. They are a natural force unto themselves. An apple tree adds grace, beauty and shade. If you plant it in the right location, the tree will be a focal point, a specimen tree, a conversation topic.Basically therefore, there are 3 very good reasons for planting an apple tree in your garden. An apple tree is a source of fresh and tasty food. It is a focal point. It also provides shade during the hot summer days. In other words, an apple tree is a multi-purpose plant. In the following chapters, we will describe how you can grow apple trees to achieve maximum benefit.If you follow my advice, even a single apple tree will produce more than enough apples to provide you with more produce than you can eat fresh, so I'm providing recipes that will allow you to enjoy your bounty year-round without getting tired of it. This amazingly versatile fruit can be used in condiments, salads, breads, drinks, spirits, and even with savory meats.