We cultivate more than 1500 species of plants from all over the world and have a botanical garden.
Attica
A. Describe your project, your place, and its inhabitants (including animals):
We are a fully operational ornamental plant nursery, growing more than 1800 plant species from all over the world. We produce plants for demanding landscape architects and projects. A big percentage of our plants are of Mediterranean origin, for use in ecological restorations, supporting biodiversity.
With the support of the nursery, we are creating a botanical garden whose purpose is the education of students and the public in general, showing the wonders of the plant kingdom. Furthermore, we provide a strong educational focus on the correct application of landscaping and horticulture in making low-maintenance sustainable gardens formed as ecosystems and supporting wildlife.
We support and experiment with new green technologies such as vertical gardens, green roofs, biological water purification, natural swimming ponds, etc.
We also grow our own vegetables as organically as possible to cover our needs such as lettuce, cabbage, and other seasonal vegetables which we use in some meals.
The range of plant production is unique in itself, but the botanical theme gardens where we present our plants, also impress all our visitors. Water lilies and Koi fish ponds are the highlights but besides Koi, gold, and mosquito fish, we also have a donkey, cats, ducks, peacocks, and pheasants.
2. List the activities that WWOOFers will participate in and what you want to teach them:
Wwoofers will help and learn about all the stages of plant production such as propagation, repotting, weeding, watering, and much more. Plant morphology, biology, and technical issues will be subjects that will be understood through this process. They will also help in the efficient organization of the nursery to easily handle the large variety of plants. As part of the nursery operation, they will learn how the plants are selected and how to prepare orders.
As part of the creation of the botanical garden, wwoofers will have the experience of landscaping, helping with plantings in the theme gardens, weeding, installation of the irrigation system, and maintenance. We will discuss the principles of landscaping architecture, thematic gardens, materials, and selection of plants.
Making a botanical garden is a great experience. Many projects are currently in progress such as a Jurassic garden inside a 6 meters tall greenhouse, a Mexican garden with big cactuses aimed to be completed in the spring months of 24, an Australian garden for the autumn of 2024, a Japanese garden scheduled for the winter of 24, as well as development of many vertical gardens and many more!
In conclusion, through these activities, I will teach the participants the essential skills in plant production and landscaping. I will place a focus on showing how to do the tasks in a way that respects the plant and the environment but also our own bodies so that our work enhances our sense of well-being. And finally, I will share the dynamic process of creating a botanical garden and hopefully provide some inspiration on how one can transform one’s vision into reality!
3. What could a WWOOFer's day look like at your site (time slot for participation in activities, expectations...)?
A typical day would include participation in real-time tasks of a nursery-botanical garden, providing all related assistance as detailed above,
The time schedule would include 6 hours per day, for 5 days per week. Weekends are free to explore the area or make small excursions.
Depending on the season we will begin at 7am or 8am. Punctuality is a priority for us. Work will be completed at 1 or 2pm depending on start time (6 hours duration with short breaks). We decided to keep all activities in the morning so as to allow you free time for the rest of the day. This means that after lunch you can spend the day exploring, going for a swim (during summer months), or engaging in your own hobbies.
We are looking for volunteers willing to make the world greener and gain unique experiences through the volunteering process. Τo preserve biodiversity we need to give our best selves and focus our efforts on simple vital tasks always doing our best to create the best results.
4. Play the guide! Talk about your own hobbies (music, cooking, etc.) and those possible around (hiking, swimming, etc.):
Gardening is both my job but also my hobby too. Having this self-funded lifetime project shows where your passion can take you. Also, I love travelling to see the culture and of course nature in different parts of the world!
Being here you can learn many things about gardening but also there are so many interesting things to do around here. Swimming at Schinias, visiting museums of Marathon Battle and Marathon race, visiting the lake of Marathon and the preserved area of the wildlife of Schinias, hiking in the nearby hills and mountain, visiting monasteries nearby and so many sights!!! The city of Athens is less than 50 kilometers away and is easy to reach by bus and metro in about 1,5 hours. We have created a guidebook where we propose nearby sites to visit and weekend excursions to islands.
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Learning opportunities
Vegetable farming
Fruit or nut farming
Raising of other farm animals
Aquaculture
Flower farming
Aromatic or medicinal plants, teas
Seed saving or production
Traditional crafts
Green Building
Methods or systems
Aquaponics
Biological pest control
Holistic management
Permaculture
Regenerative agriculture
Host type
Production farm
2.7
Hectares
|
6.7
Acres
IOANNIS
Member since 2023
Languages spoken:
English, Greek, Italian
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Response rate: 100%
Response time: typically within 3 days
Attica
From International Airport of Athens 45 minutes by car or 2+hours by public transportation (metro +bus). Usually we pick you up from the airport. From the center of Athens 1.5 hours by metro and Public bus and then we pick you up from the bus station.
Reviews
Elena
Austria
•
November 2025
I worked at Ioannis farm in October/Novemeber. I had a great stay there. It was still pretty warm.
Ioannis and Litsa were very welcoming. Litsa picked me up from the bus station. Ioannis gave me and the other WWOOFers a very informative farm tour, it was really interesting to hear him talk about his plants. You could definitley see his passion.
During my stay, there was a Greek holiday. We had the day off and were invited for lunch. The food was really delicious. The mother of Ioannis and Litsa cooked it. On some days she also cooked for us during the week. It was always really yummy.
On the other days we cooked for ourselves in the kitchen that all the WWOOFers share.
The work was mostly weeding and repotting, sometimes a bit exhausting, but definitley doable. Work hours are 8 till 11 and 11:30 till 14:30.
After work you can go to the beach or into town, there are bicycles, but on most days I simply enjoyed the beauty of the farm.
On the weekend, a trip to Athens is recommendable. It doesen't take you long to go there by bus. I would recommend this place to everyone, who is looking for a relaxing stay on the Greek countryside.
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Paulina
Austria
•
November 2025
My friend and I spent three weeks helping out at Ioannis Farm and had a wonderful experience.
Ioannis and Liza gave us a warm welcome, and the other workers were also very open and helpful. If we had any questions or concerns, one of them was always available, and they made it easy to feel right at home.
During our stay, we slept in a container complex and shared a kitchen with the other Woofers. We could cook for ourselves, and Litsa always made sure we had plenty of food. Ioannis and Litsa's mother often cooked delicious meals for us as well. During our stay, a Greek holiday took place, and we enjoyed a typical Greek lunch prepared by Ioannis and Litsa's mother together with our hosts.
The work mainly consisted of weeding and repotting, and we learned a lot about the plants. The physical work could be tiring, but it was easily manageable and enjoyable. Even at the end of Oktober, it was still very hot on some days - I would definitely recommend keeping that in mind when planning your stay.
After work, you can spend your free time on the beautiful grounds, cycle to the beach (25 min.), or visit the nearby towns (Marathon – 30 min., Nea Makri – 40 min.). Weekend trips to Athens or the surrounding islands are also highly recommended.
I would definitely recommend the farm to anyone who wants to learn more about (landscape) gardening and Greek country life. It also offers a great opportunity to relax and meet people from different cultures.
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Fanny
France
•
August 2025
J’ai passé un mois et demi en Grèce chez Gryllis Water Lilies, et c’était une expérience vraiment enrichissante que je ne suis pas près d’oublier !
Ce volontariat m’a permis de rencontrer plein de personnes formidables venues du monde entier, de découvrir une autre culture, et de vivre dans un cadre naturel vraiment chouette. La plage était à 20 minutes à vélo, et on avait aussi la possibilité d’être emmenés en voiture pour faire des visites ou pour aller à l’aéroport, ce qui était super pratique.
On logeait dans des conteneurs aménagés, simples mais plutôt confortables. Il y a eu quelques petits soucis comme une douche bouchée de temps en temps, mais rien de bien méchant.
Le travail était assez physique : 6h par jour avec une pause de 30 minutes. On faisait surtout du rempotage et du désherbage. Ce n’est pas toujours facile, surtout sous le soleil, mais ça fait partie de l’expérience, et on s’y habitue vite, surtout quand on est bien entouré.
Quelques petits bémols à noter : on avait peu de contact avec la famille qui gère la pépinière, ce qui est un peu dommage, et quand on était nombreux, il pouvait arriver qu’il manque un peu de nourriture ou d’eau. Mais dans l’ensemble, ça restait une belle aventure.
Je garde surtout en tête les rencontres, les moments de partage, et l’ambiance internationale. Si tu as envie de sortir de ta routine, de vivre une expérience différente et proche de la nature, je te recommande cette mission sans hésiter !
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Emma
France
•
July 2025
Je suis venue ici pour deux semaines de woofing en juin.
La cadre est plutôt chouette, la plage à 20min en vélo, les soirées plus fraîches dans les parcs, les discussions et repas partagés autour de la table. Il y a même un centre équestre à 5min en vélo pour les amateurs de chevaux :)
J’ai passé de merveilleux moments et je repars avec pleins de souvenirs et de belles images en tête (rencontres etc..).
Je suis néanmoins un peu déçu sur l’accueil et la reconnaissance dont on nous a fais part. En dehors de notre approvisionnement en nourriture et en eau nous avions très peu d’interactions avec les « hôtes ». Nous n’étions jamais prévenu de l’arrivée de nouveaux woofers. Et nous étions jamais remercié de notre travail (par Ioannis), nous nous sentions un peu exploité..
Je peux comprendre le manque de temps, le stress qu’engendre la gestion d’un aussi gros lieu, mais juste quelques repas ensembles par ci par là ou quelques conversations anodines avec Ioannis et Litsa aurait peut être amélioré le séjour.
Un grand merci à kleo, misbha et Jessy pour leur bonne humeur, et leur chaleureuse patience à notre égard durant le travail.
Merci à Oma pour ses délicieux petits plats quand elle avait le temps de cuisiner.
Et aussi merci à Litsa de se démener et de sourire tous les jours pour nous faire nous sentir à la maison :)
Big up à Garry (petit âne capricieux)
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Ann Marie
United States
•
June 2025
Ioannis was the fastest affirmative response to my WWOOFing inquiries, and he did pick me up from the airport with some friendliness. Upon arriving at the plant nursery, however, his effort and connection ended. WWOOFers live together in a (rather neat) construction of shipping-container rooms around a greenhouse, and we make meals and share them together as a laboring force. He is the owner, and extremely hierarchical over all the workers, who were uncomfortable in his presence and their words about working there. He did not share details nor information about the plants, or work, or environments (or anything), except in scolding us about splattering water carrying fungus that could kill young plants and lose him money. We ran out of food, and bottled water, multiple times in two weeks, and when told, Ioannis revealed that his sister goes twice a week to the store, so we should communicate on that schedule. She made an effort to buffer his temper with us and with other workers, as he was regularly aggressive and quickly angry and argumentative in any interactions. There was much in need of maintenance, and she attended the clogged drains and broken bicycles, etc, while he insisted that "Wwoofers broke them and should be responsible for them," even if it was others before us, and typical use that caused the problems. Finally, we did not feel protected: we handled dusty perlite in soil mixes and unloaded dozens of leaking bags only to later discover it's carcinogenic. Not good
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Mackenzie
United States
•
June 2025
I cannot recommend volunteering at this host site based on my experience and the firsthand accounts I heard from other WWOOFers. I arrived hoping to contribute and learn in a welcoming, community-oriented environment, but what I encountered was quite different.
I never received a tour of the land and only exchanged a few words with Ioannis. Volunteers who had been there longer told me that food and clean drinking water were not consistently available—some even had to buy their own food and share it with others.
The provided bicycles were broken, and we were told to fix them ourselves with barely any tools.
Ioannis was largely uncommunicative and dismissive of concerns. There was no expression of gratitude, and no effort to build any sense of community. I often felt unwelcome and disregarded, with labor treated as an entitlement rather than a contribution.
Though advertised as a family-run, organic, educational farm, there was no meaningful learning or cultural exchange. It felt misleading and exploitative.
Unless you're prepared to work six hours a day in the sun—mostly potting or weeding, with only a 30-minute break—on top of all I described above. I would strongly advise against choosing this host.
I hope this honest account helps other WWOOFers make the best decision for themselves.
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