I have ALWAYS wanted an apple tree. I know it’s not necessarily the most exciting of items to hanker after, but since a was a little girl I have dreamed of having a garden where an apple tree grows.

When I moved into my first grown-up home (a tiny cottage in Coxtie Green – that’s a little village in Brentwood, Essex) with my then boyfriend (now husband) I planted a cherry tree. The garden was titchy and the tree, when I planted it, was nothing more than a rather average-looking twig. Eight years later when we moved out, it was about 12 foot tall and its pink blossoms lifted my heart every springtime.

I hated the thought of not having those carefree petals prettifying my days at our new seaside home, so a few weeks back I planted another average-looking (though slightly longer) twig in a little bit of earth at the front of our house. It hasn’t bloomed yet, but my daily inspections of its little buds, suggest it won’t be long.

Meanwhile, our back garden (a little larger than the cottage’s patch) I felt could finally accommodate my yearning for an apple tree. So this week (before the planting season passes) I bought one. And planted it.

I cannot explain quite why this makes me so happy, but my head is full of crumble-making, pie-baking plans and my mind’s eye can already see its leaves gently casting shadows on balmy summer evenings.

There are a (somewhat surprising) number of varieties of apple trees today. But my decision was pretty simple to make. I went for one with the same name as me – Katy.

It’s an (apparently) popular variety that produces extremely juicy, sweet, bright pinky-red apples, which can be eaten straight from the tree, from August (which just happens to be when my birthday is).

And with the arrival of our Apple Katy tree, this house (and garden) is really starting to feel like home.

Apple Katy – Apple Tree, £16.95, Marshalls: 0844 5576700, marshalls-seeds.co.uk