Our Gardens
Our Story
Our Team
Volunteer with Us
Thematic Gardens
Our story
The work at the Gardens started in 2000. The first work was the plantation of the conservation area (TDEF), which is found at the eastern end of the Gardens. Then over the next months, we erected the windmill, got our water system working, established our plant nursery and built the first storeroom.
Our education programs started in the first few years and by 2007 we had built our environment education centre. At the same time, we initiated our first consultancy project to spread our knowledge and create an income stream to help us sustain and develop the gardens.
Today, the work continues, the number of people involved has grown, and the work at the garden develops and more ideas keep coming to keep us motivated and engaged. Thank you!
March-August 2000
Land cleared for speculation, acquired by the Auroville Botanical Gardens
March-August 2000
Remnants of burned cashew thope, with a single Naaval tree standing
April 2001
Installation of the windmill, pump and water system to sustain the new plantation
Early cultivation of carefully-managed nurse trees, and planting of TDEF species that would become the future forest
Planting together, the beginnings of gardens and the nursery are in sight
2001
The first house is built in the newly emerging landscape
Native trees fill the same landscape over a decade later
The TDEF comes to life, slowly and surely, and its wildlife as well
We see the early structures of storerooms and the developing nursery
The education pavilion is built to facilitate one of the Gardens’ core programmes of education
New buildings are funded and inaugurated, such as the office, kitchen and Herbarium
Development of the Gardens continues, with memorable moments such as the transplantation of this 100-year old Plumeria
The Gardens grows from its people, sharing the joys and coming together over innumerable tea-times
2010
The team in 2010 - among so many who did, and would, contribute over the years
Our gardens in numbers
- We cover an area of 50 acres of well-defined, planted land developed over the last 24 years
- We have around 310 species of trees, with around 1300 species and varieties of plants all together
- We produce around 100,000 native trees and shrubs per year through our nursery
- We plant 7,000-10,000 trees every year outside of Auroville through active tree plantation and aftercare programmes, setting them up for long-term survival
- We have 15,130 accessions from 3928 species in our physical Herbarium collection
- We have 309 species photographically documented and publicly available online for free through our Virtual Herbarium
- We welcome an average of 3,000 school children and about 1000 other visitors per year
- We have a hybrid solar power supply, with 9.7 KW installed capacity of solar panels
- We drink around 1,500 litres of tea per year
Our team
We are diverse in age, origin, ability, and energy. We come from over 15 different countries, speak a huge number of different languages, and have radically different opinions about most things, but the one thing we have in common is a joy in the institution of tea breaks. Whether hot and sweaty from working in the full sun, meditative and calm from weeding in the shade or bug eyed and jittery from manipulating data on the computer – the tea break is welcomed by all.
Of course we are always on the lookout for more people to join the merry band, and are happy to find a place for everyone who would like to join in whatever is their previous experience or future aspiration.
Volunteer with us
We are so grateful to all of the volunteers who have spent time with us over the years. There are so many memories ingrained at the gardens, whether it is a particular tree that someone planted, a roof that was built or repaired, or some educational pack that we are still using. The contributions of the volunteers have been so varied, each one has brought their own particular skill and joy to the work. We are open to any type of volunteer – skilled or unskilled. All we ask for is a smile at least once a day and a commitment to the work of creating the gardens.
Thematic gardens
Plumeria Garden
Indian Garden and Pond
Ornamental Garden
Orchid House
Nursery
Maze
Labyrinth
