Over 50 fruit trees in an eclectic edible garden | Urban farming | Gardening Australia
Over 50 fruit trees in an eclectic edible garden | Urban farming | Gardening Australia
Inspirational urban food forest in the beating heart of Melbourne’s western suburbs.
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Owner: David Elliot
Location: Footscray, Victoria. Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung & Boon Wurrung Country
Climate Zone: Cool temperate
Garden established: 2010
Style: Space-saving productive garden
Key Features:
There are more than 50 different species of fruiting trees, shrubs and vines in this small garden, many of them unusual or tropical. David attributes a large part of their success to the near-perfect position of his garden. “It’s north-facing, it’s sheltered and protected, and with the fencing and the house we have a fair retention of heat and thermal mass, which has created a lovely microclimate.”
A sentimental favourite is the Saskatoon Berry (Amelanchier alnifolia). “I’m very excited about these as they are indigenous to the area of Canada I grew up in and I have fond memories of being in the bush and gorging on these delicious berries.” These haven’t fruited yet, but David is hopeful.
Another favourite is the Wampi (Clausenium wampi), which he describes as having fruit “that is a smaller, more citrusy version of a lychee, but without the seed”.
One group of plants that have benefitted from this warmer microclimate are his collection of Caricas – the small family of soft-stemmed sub-tropical fruits from the pawpaw family. David has a Babaco that he describes as “a striking plant, quite cold hardy and very productive. The fruit are a bit on the sour side but still pretty good.” and a Mountain Papaya (Carica pubescens).
A family favourite is the Cherimoya custard apple, which David propagated from seed in 2014.
Grafted Lemon Gold and Ortega White Sapotes (Casimoroa edulis) sit in the back-left hand corner of the garden. David says they are “very sweet and creamy. The first time my Lemon Gold tree fruited I estimated it had over 500 apple sized fruits.”
There are also plums, nectarines, a multi-grafted apples, grapes, figs and a raft of citrus (limes, lemons, oranges, mandarins and tangelos), many of them grown in space-saving ways, such as miniatures, in pots to limit size, or espaliered.
David also grows many Australian native food plants, such as lilly pillies and Eucalypts.
Vertical space is used to great effect, with 10 differing grape varieties growing along fence-lines. He has used Cherry Guava as a hedge at the front of the house, alternating the red and yellow varieties. This is a fantastic way to increase productive plants at a property – get rid of the traditional ornamental hedge and replace it with something delicious!
David is also a potter, and many of his works can be found throughout the garden, particularly in the greenhouse where is rapidly expanding collection of orchids are displayed artfully in his quirky pots. “I’ve begun to relax my ‘edibles only’ policy, and am starting to embrace collections of ornamental plants as well”.
David, a mental-health nurse, spends about eight hours a week pottering and perfecting his pocket of suburbia. “For me gardening is my time, and a nice diversion from my work, which can be stressful,” David says. “I just love it, and I love the learnings and joy it brings”.
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👍☺
He is a genius gardener.
What a very clever man, I am amazed at what he did with the Apple tree/vine. 🍎 🍏 🍎
Inspiring effort. I’m guessing there are over 150 fruit trees in my Melbourne garden, but I stopped counting a long time ago. I hope to see more videos like this from urban growers.
You don’t need mask wake up
Lovely! Would love to Hear more about the Apple tree process
With all the colorful flowers there maybe he should have bee hives as well.
Think this is my favourite backyard garden ❤️❤️ absolutely wonderful.
i want to have a house like this, where i can eat fruit that i’ve grown.
This is great 👍🏼 🍎 🍏
Footscray no masks.. how old is this item?
Awwww it’s cool very welcoming love the diversity he has created a niche for all his plants!
Is that a Canadian accent? I love his poodles, they are adorbs.
Absolutely magnificent I’d love to know where you get some of your fruit trees?
Very inspiring, such a beautiful garden. I might try this babaco papaya as well.
Beautiful garden – indeed
Can you do me a favour and subscribe to my channel please
Gardening
Best therapy
I was fortunate enough to visit this garden today and it is even more amazing in real life and was so inspirational. Plants have also grown a lot since this was filmed.
"small" is very relative. Please indicate the square meters to have a frame of reference.
Fruits plants, plants fruits, the best sources of food in the world 🗺
Awesome 👏 I would be very interested to know what the name of the grape that is mentioned that tastes like passion fruit?
Boon Wurung Country
Its good view my. Stay conected
Very inspiring ! I also have 4 apple varieties that give me fruit till September . I have the Lady Williams apple that ripens in winter and I have fruit till September !!
Awesome stuff, good use of space and knowledge
Hi David
From where did you buy the wampee fruit tree?
Love these feature videos of the awesome growers in Australia.
Great job. So amazing 🤩
Pots are beautiful and great idea.
Keep up the good work mate!
Youth work is very hard but very worth it!
I use the garden to unwind too✊🏽
Funny the mention of someone with an orchard in their front yard.
This winter I just tore up all the grass in the front yard and we will have 7 fruit trees, with a total of 15 different fruits, as well as blackberries/raspberries. Hopefully the blueberries will be here in Oct.
So much better use of the space.
Wampi, my childhood memories…can’t believe we can grow it in Melbourne, I need to grow it.
Great 👍 👌
Saludos desde Argentina. Muy buenos videos. 🤗👍👍👍
Omg! So beautiful ! Love your garden!
Awesome garden
hi guys, the greatest success that I have had was with the Keiths Ponics Site (just google it) definately the most incredible course that I’ve tried.
Awesome
I complained about my 1/2a but, up to 2/3s of it floods. Middle 1/3 is buildings, 1/3 is driveway & fruit trees
Thank you so much 🌻
I love these videos featuring different peoples backyard gardens. I have over 30 fruit trees in my garden.
Doesn’t d roots of trees get tangled ?
Gorgeous!!! A garden is very therapeutic and this garden definitely shows it! Plus it has so many wonderful edibles!!! Love it!
No Australian native fruit ..he is like all America
I can imagine he studies in the garden.. all that doesn’t take care of itself.. I believe he’s In the field..