During the year four new unique themes were added to the garden with a wider representation of `Medicinal Garcinias', `Medicinal Palms', `Edible medicinal flowers' and `Sacred plants'.
At the end of the year EMG's live collections planted grew to 871 species brought from different parts of India. Educational signages were erected for more than 200 species. Such interpretation tools strengthened the scope of EMG for nature education.
During the year, the intensive inputs by the outreach and garden teams of FRLHT resulted in more than 4300 students from 35 schools from different parts of Bangalore district visiting the EMG for awareness education activities about medicinal plants. Besides, there was a regular flow of visitors from different walks of life. They included students, researchers, Ayurvedic and other medical student’s religious groups, traders, foresters, scientists and other professionals. The addition of two hundred signages has helped in this regard.
A very useful CD-ROM was prepared that would help in designing and landscaping of gardens using medicinal plants.
Particular mention may be made of the architects and the nursery men at FRLHT. This team took up the task of creating “the garden of life” for ICICI Knowledge Park, Hyderabad and “Malabar Garden” for the Hortus Malabaricus Exhibition at NCBS, Bangalore, which received great acclaim.
Production of seeds and propagation materials from the garden plants was begun for distribution. Special mention may be made of the Critically endangerd plants like Janakiya arayalpatra and others like Decalepis hamiltonii for which seedlings could be raised through the seeds produced in the garden, this has been a significant step in conservation.
The garden also acted as an authentic source material for research to the other division and clinic attached to FRLHT and for Ph.D students of University and Institutes like IWST, Bangalore who are able to micro propagate and macro propagate plants like Embelia ribes.
The nursery attached to the garden remained well stocked during the year and had in its stock over 40000 plants of over 120 species. As the plants were exclusively produced through organic way this infrastructure also served as a training facility in the field. Over 10 trainings were conducted to target groups like students, nurserymen, entrepreneurs, horticulture staff etc.
- Ethnomedicinal garden activities supported by MoEF has achieved development of thematics gardens in the FRLHT campus.
- It has also developed and implemented ,Promotion of Home and Institution herbal gardens
- Established a medicinal plant Community Nursery.
- Carried out Germination trials of Medicinal Plants.
- Conducted seven medicinal plants exhibitions.
Conserving natural resources
