Pebble Garden- Pondicherri trip- 4

One good thing about Srikanth is that he has so many contacts /networking all over India thanks to his career in Bank, social works, and now in development sector with varied people across the section of society. When i commend him about this he unfailing says 'and you are one anti-social'  being

When I said we will go to Pondicherry come what may, he immediately called his Bank colleague who had contacts in Pondicherry and had two rooms booked at the hotel, which otherwise would have been difficult since it was a weekend.

So here I am writing about Pebble Garden. I loved this visit next to the visit to the Ashram which I will post at a later date. Three days of our tour was jam packed with interesting things to see, listen, observe and experience 

About 25 years ago Srikanth and his farmers club members from Koppa had a learning visit to Auroville to observe first hand organic agriculture, and has since established his own network. Sri Bharama Gowadar of Yalavatti, a well known organic farmer and writer is one of them. He suggested Srikanth to visit Bernard and Deepika of ‘Pebble Garden’ in Pondi.  We have also read a book written by Bernard, translated to Kannada. Srikanth called Deepika and fixed an appointment with them

Pebble garden is outskirts of Pondicherri. While visiting farm one should keep in mind that we should trouble them only around 3.00 pm when they take some time off from their busy farm work.  Pondicherri has sultry coastal climate. So the farmers work early in the morning or late in the evening after sundown.

We reached Pebble garden around 3.45pm. No sign boards. It is very un-obtrusive. Deepika was fully enthusiastic in showing us around but Bernard had his inhibitions, due to some earlier bitter experience by other visitors who had no concern for their privacy. Later on seeing our genuine interest in farming he warmed up to us and then there was no holding back. Here, let me walk you through their home, meeting place, garden and many experiments through pictures.

Explaining how the name pebble garden came about. 

To start with how and why the name ‘Pebble Garden ‘? Both of them were from Auroville community. It is an international community. Bernard is a Belgian. Deepika is from our own Bangalore. And bonding was instant not only because of our shared interests in farming, nature, but also ‘ cause she spoke both Konkani and Kannada! (this we came to know only at the end of the meeting :-)

When they settled in the 18 acre farm, it was totally denuded, highly eroded barren land with deep gullies criss crossing with not a blade of grass growing with only pebbles left. Hence, the name Pebble Garden. It is a long story how they made it to current verdant green oasis, They both were totally opposed to the idea of adding external input and hiring  external labour,  you can listen to it in detail in the Auroville community radio in their own words (link at the bottom of this post). To quickly summarise, they ensured that soil erosion is reduced, allowed the bio mass to grow, keenly observing the great help in building soil organic matter by the gregarious species of Australian Acacia. With careful observation and catalyzing the natural process, we have many things to learn from them – seemingly miraculous transformation which cannot be appreciated unless we listen to them

Deepika attends many organic exhibitions and hence she has made such charts as ready reckoner to visitors like us. :-)

we were seated at their thatched roof open room.  Deepika and Bernard

a before -after picture of their farm

Australian shrub-acasia

a natural thatched roof  structure supported by pillars made of tree trunks, and roofing comprises of bamboo, woven coconut palm leaf and rope. the outer roofing is made up a local variety of grass. The art of such a construction is slowly diminishing

the outermost look of the roof. it is a feet in thickness. these grass roof need an annual maintenance

An awning type window which allows for sunlight and cross ventilation

another angle

Srikanth and Bernard

How the pebble garden got its name

We had some interesting info on termites on how they are a help to agricultural land

Termites feed on dead leaves, twigs, logs, either cut down manually or fallen from the tree. Termites bring out soil matter deep inside the earth and build mounds on dead and decaying matter. In the rainy season, the soil built by the termites is washed out to little ponds on their property.

Pebble Garden has grown out of 15 years of regeneration work on 7 acres of severely 

degraded lateritic wasteland. Today it is home to over 80 hardy varieties of vegetables, herbs, flowers, cover crops, root crops, medicinal plants that flourish on regenerated soil. 

1/2 an acre stretch of land has been exclusively devoted for vegetables and they have a mind boggling varities of ladysfinger/Okra, brinjal, gourds. leafy vegetables, brinjal, maize, pepper, Sapota, guavas some marigold flowers to ward off insects, to name a few. Deepika is mainly concerned with preservation /conservation of seeds. she has made some charts which are self explanatory which she puts up in exhibitions. She has preserved some 90 varieities of seeds. some of the pictures i have posted below

bitter gourd

Runner beans. i used to grow them in Koppa. ah miss those days terribly

Srilankan variety of runner beans

brinjal

tomatoes

multi coloured different sized/shaped tomatoes

my favorite vegetable

then we went around their vegetable patch

Niha cliks the vegetable garden.

turmeric and dwarf variety of ladies finger/Bhindi/Okra

me checking the softness of mulch

just formed black maize. the picture you can see below

Deepika has preserved all these seeds. She is also all for exchange of indigenous seeds

This creeper is believed to mend broken bones according to the tribes in the area. this plant is ground to a paste and paste applied to the broken bones. also chutney of the leaves is consumed ensuring a faster recovery

Bernard gives us a demo on effective method of making compost/mulching

This is how Bernard explains the process

First a layer of acacia leaves which is in abundance in their farm (any leaves will do) which has been soaked in water for 8-12 hours. they use plastic drums to soak the leaves

this is followed by a thin layer of pond silt

repeat the above two process thrice

followed by a thin layer of powdered charcoal

the whole of the above process is done three times so that u get 12 layer of leaves 12 of silt and 3 of charcoal

once this bed is ready srinkle seeds and cover with a layer of silt

we also got to see their wood vinegar making plant. could not get many pictures because the batteries of both the camera's went down. :-)

Wood vinegar kiln. could not understand how the contraption works. but u will find many you tube video links on the process. Malavika says wood vinegar is used in chinese cooking which imparts a smoky aroma to the food

ha ha your guess is right all the above three pictures shot by me. while most of the photographs are by Niharika and Srikanth

At the end we were treated to a really needed cup of hot herbal tea made from concoction of tea leaves, ginger, lemon grass and jaggery. 

Once during our conversation Srikanth asked me what is Patrode leaf in English. we were conversing in Konkani. I said Colocasia leaves and Deepika asked her 'you are speaking Konkani' and after a few seconds of silence she said she too belonged to a konkani household. and then like true blue konkanis we got talking about patrode, kook etc etc :-)

this last picture (before our camera battery  discharged)is by Perumal ji maharaj

don't we present a happy picture here?? picture perfect is the verdict. TOUCHWOOD
this post in English is for my sis O Jyothi in US, and Manu Heggodu

for further details / details i have missed  please listen to the radio link given below


all about pebble garden

:-)