Ducking under the branches of a large white sapote to get to the front door, it feels more like an expedition through a subtropical rainforest than a suburban garden visit.
Not your average Melbourne garden by any standard, Louis has created a paradise for his passion, edible trees, most of which are rare and highly unusual.
The property was purchased in 1979, complete with a neglected backyard orchard. Louis reinvigorated the site and added his own unique spin to what a home orchard could be.
Joking that there was no internet back then, Louis remarks that if he wanted to find out how something would grow or perform, he had to grow it himself.
Subsequently, his garden became his ‘Wikipedia’ of fruits, nuts and berries, and formed the basis of his authoritative book The Complete Book of Fruit Growing in Australia (Lothian Books, 1991).
To know is to grow, and a tour of Louis’ garden is like a trip down memory lane, with stories of seeds collected in Peru, cuttings from interstate and plants gifted by friends and family. As he fondly describes the seasonal changes each tree undergoes, you can’t help but get excited about the possibilities just waiting to be planted in your own garden.
There is a strong presence of South American fruiting trees in the garden, and Louis admits that he is incredibly fond of this region, describing it as a horticultural cornucopia of edible plants.
While much of Louis’ experiment has been successful, he also admits that in cooler climates (like Melbourne), the flavours of some subtropical and tropical fruits doesn’t always hit the mark.
To that end, he then tries other varieties, with several grafted plants providing much-needed pollinators or improved flavours in this cooler region.
Lush and abundant, Louis muses that while he is willing to share his harvest with the possums, bats and birds that frequent his garden, they apparently are not so keen to share it with him, rarely leaving him with anything left to ripen. Fortunately, it’s the aesthetics of the fruit that he enjoys.
“Fruiting trees are just so interesting,” says Louis. “I enjoy seeing them bear their harvest in clusters, along stems and in bunches.”
Not overly distressed by the half-eaten quinces and pomegranates left behind by unthankful pests, Louis says the ornamental value of edible plants is worth their inclusion alone, adding that this is especially true of citrus in most areas.
Having been established for so many years, many trees have become very large, overshadowing less vigorous species. A native Davidson plum (Davidsonia pruriens) twists and turns to reach the light, producing what would be considered an unusually-shaped tree, but with a reliable harvest of sour plums which Louis assures me makes the most wonderful jam. (I tried the fruit while visiting. It was pleasingly sour and quite moreish!)
Not just a garden of trees, Louis has many different vines, succulents and perennials, all of which produce fruit or edible shoots and roots.
And while some have grown enormous, others have been kept in check with regular pruning, like the pollarded ‘Bacon’ avocado with a trunk 30-40cm in diameter, that somehow manages to fit snuggly between Louis’ driveway and the fence of his neighbouring property.