A family garden, grown with the village.

The land was bought in and around 2018 with one plan: to build a project that brings the villagers work and helps them grow independently.

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Young fruit saplings in clay pots lining a path beside a row of red-roofed rooms at The Magnolia Garden — The garden in its early days

From banana farm to garden.

When the Chatterjee family bought this land, it was entirely a banana cultivation farm. Bit by bit it has been converted and expanded into a garden of exotic flora and fauna, an organic farm, and a place for people to spend the day.

2018
The land is bought
A banana cultivation farm on Bakultala Road, bought with the plan to create work for the villagers and help them grow independently.
Next
Exotic flora and fauna
The land is gradually converted and expanded. Mango trees and exotic plants are brought in from neighbouring countries and from across West Bengal.
Alongside
Organic farming
Seasonal vegetables are grown organically, worked by the family together with villagers who live nearby.
Today
Open for your day
Apart from farming, the garden welcomes picnics, destination weddings and documentary or YouTube shoots.

The people behind the garden

“We are a group of five to six people. Along with my family members, there are a lot of villagers residing there, who are actively taking part in the farming, maintenance and animal handling.”

Dr. D. B. Chatterjee

Dr. D. B. Chatterjee

Doctor and nature enthusiast

A full-time doctor who takes his breaks from medicine at the garden, and a great lover of nature.
Mrs. Sanchita Chatterjee

Cooking and people

Loves cooking and meeting people, and was thrilled when she saw organic farming take root in the garden.
Debolina Chatterjee

Researcher, animal husbandry

A researcher by profession with an interest in animal husbandry, who loves experiencing the animal world at the garden.
Our villagers

Farming, upkeep and animals

Villagers from the area take an active part in the farming, the maintenance of the grounds and the care of the animals.

What grows here

Most of the plants in the garden are exotic, sourced from countries such as Bangladesh, Nepal and Thailand. The livestock comes from the Sundarbans.

A gardener picking vegetables in the organic beds beside banana plants

Mango plantation

A large collection of mango trees, sourced from neighbouring countries like Bangladesh and Thailand and from different parts of West Bengal.

Organic vegetables

Seasonal vegetables grown organically: broccoli, papaya, cauliflower, beans, carrots and many more.

Exotic fruits

A wide variety, including the world-famous dragon fruit, passion fruit and banana.

Animals

Livestock from the Sundarbans, cared for by the family and villagers. Please don't touch or disturb them during your visit.

A brown calf and a black-and-white cow in the garden's cattle shed

Built to support the village.

The garden began as a way to bring work to the villagers and help them grow independently. That idea still shapes how it runs.

Local hands. Villagers take part in the farming, maintenance and animal handling every day.
Local shops. Decorative items for events are hired from shops in and around the village. As social entrepreneurs, the family never bargains on their rates, so every picnic, wedding or shoot helps them earn too.

Rows of leafy vegetables growing in the kitchen garden beside the brick boundary wall

Your day at the garden

Picnics Family days, office outings, school and college groups.
Destination weddings Ponds, lawns and gazebos as a backdrop for your celebration.
Shoots Documentaries and YouTube videos among the greenery.

“We, you and I, as a team, pledge to protect our nature and keep the environment green.”

That's why disposable plastic and thermocol items are not allowed anywhere in the garden.