हर्बल गार्डनिंग
हर्बल गार्डनिंग
Medicinal Herb Gardening - Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine
Juliet Blankespoor's essential guide to growing and harvesting herbs, making herbal medicine, and practicing sustainable hands-on herbalism. This book will help ...
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Enter the enchantment at Mountain Gardens—the home of Joe Hollis, who is an extraordinary gardener and expert on native North American and cultivated Chinese herbs. Joe has created his “paradise gardens” seed by seed over the past 40 years, and now has over a thousand species of useful plants from around the world—likely the <anchor>largest collection</anchor> of medicinal herbs anywhere on the planet!
Joe Hollis and Mountain Gardens
Chestnut Herbal School

# Joe Hollis & Mountain Gardens

## Written and Photographed by Juliet Blankespoor

Joe Hollis.

Joe Hollis.

Joe Hollis and Mountain Gardens just celebrated forty years of partnership. Mountain Gardens is a botanical sanctuary in a small sheltered cove bordered by National Forest and nestled under the massive Black Mountains, including the largest mountain in the East, Mount Mitchell. The sanctuary boasts four acres of medicinal herbs and edible plants from around the world flourishing in countless niches created by terrain, aspect, water, sun, and shade. Joe has been acquiring useful plants for the past four decades by trading with other botanical gardens, gardeners, and seed-saving/sharing organizations. In his estimation, he grows over one thousand species of plants, including the populations of native medicinals and edibles he has encouraged in the adjoining forests. Mountain Gardens is the kind of place where one cannot step off the path without trampling on an incredibly rare plant, such as the only Himalayan ginseng growing in North America.

Joe specializes in Asian and western herbs, perennial vegetables, and native woodland medicinals, such as goldenseal, ginseng, false unicorn root, unicorn root, black and blue cohosh, and angelico.  He brought jiaogulan ( Gynostemma pentaphyllum) into the country from Japan and has helped to educate other growers about its use and cultivation. The gardens are imbued with Joe’s grace and the loving devotion of those who have tended the plants over the decades.

Joe has taught hundreds of students about herbs at Mountain Gardens and thousands through our Online Herbal Immersion—he’s one of our primary guest instructors. If you’d like to gather up Joe’s rare and essential wisdom, visit his gardens or join us in class.

The National Forest adjoining Mountain Gardens, enriched by plantings of native edible and medicinal herbs.

The National Forest adjoining Mountain Gardens, enriched by Joe Hollis’ plantings of native edible and medicinal herbs.

The Mountain Gardens community building and deck.<

The Mountain Gardens community building and deck.

Personally, I have been deeply moved by Joe Hollis’ gardens over the years and inspired by the abundance possible with a little land, lots of help, and a healthy dose of insight. Joe continues to incorporate new plants into the gardens and develop new sustainable techniques of forest gardening, mushroom culture, and medicinal plant propagation. Every year he takes apprentices in exchange for room and board, creating a legacy of individuals touched by Joe’s experience and wisdom. All of the buildings are off the grid and simply built, which fits in with Joe’s worldview of simple living and integration into existing natural systems.

One of the fanciest outhouses I have had the pleasure of seeing - the composted human manure is used to fertilize fruit trees and vines.

One of the fanciest outhouses I have had the pleasure of seeing – the composted humanure is used to fertilize fruit trees and vines.

Joe’s garden, nursery, philosophy, and buildings are eclectic and vibrant. His herbal livelihood is just as creative and diverse: Joe has a nursery, selling potted plants, seeds, and bare root plants. He also sells tinctures and dried herbs directly to folks in an honor-system apothecary open to the public, specialty perennial greens to restaurants, and teaches at the local acupuncture school. His simple living allows him to shape his days as he wishes, instead of focusing on earning money for entertainment and unnecessary goods. One of Joe’s major expenses is his library, which he freely shares with the public.

The log cabin built with logs cleared from the land in the creation of the gardens.

Joe Hollis built this log cabin with logs cleared from the land in the creation of the gardens.

The nursery growing in hand-dug terraces, with a wide variety of useful plants.

Joe’s nursery growing in hand-dug terraces, with a wide variety of useful plants.

Shelves of tinctures.

Shelves of tinctures.

The nursery nestled in hand-dug terraces under the community building.

The nursery nestled in hand-dug terraces under the community building.

The library of herbal books.

The library of herbal books.

Goldenseal seedlings.

Goldenseal seedlings.

I feel forever touched by Joe’s quiet wisdom and peaceful gardens, and cannot truly express in words the magnitude of this incredible project. I could easily write two whole books on the gardens and Joe Hollis, but will let my pictures tell a small part of the story. Please make an appointment to see the gardens or visit during one of their workshops or open house events. Mountain Gardens is a rare place on this Earth, a treasure and inspirational resource for all people interested in the future of the planet and humankind.

Tiger lily (Lilium sp., Liliaceae).

Tiger lily (Lilium sp., Liliaceae).

Baikal skullcap (Scutellaria baicalensis, Lamiaceae) a beautiful Chinese medicinal; the root is antibacterial.

Baikal skullcap (Scutellaria baicalensis, Lamiaceae) a beautiful Chinese medicinal; the root is antibacterial.

Balloon flower in bud (Platycodon grandiflorus, Campanulaceae), an edible and medicinal garden ornamental.

Balloon flower in bud (Platycodon grandiflorus, Campanulaceae), an edible and medicinal garden ornamental.

Dong quai (Angelica sinensis, Apiaceae) an important Asian medicinal which has widely naturalized in Joe's garden.

Dong quai (Angelica sinensis, Apiaceae) is an important Asian medicinal which has widely naturalized in Joe’s garden.

Dang shen or poor man's ginseng (Codonopsis pilosula, Campanulaceae) Chinese medicinal tonic.

Dang shen or poor man’s ginseng (Codonopsis pilosula, Campanulaceae); Chinese medicinal tonic.

Bog myrtle or sweet gale (Myrica gale, Myricaeae), this plant had its humble beginnings as root cuttings smuggled into the country in Joe's dirty socks.

Bog myrtle or sweet gale (Myrica gale, Myricaeae). This plant had its humble beginnings as root cuttings smuggled into the country in Joe’s dirty socks.

False Unicorn root (Chamaelirium luteum, Melanthiaceae), one of the rare plants Joe cultivates in his nursery, gardens, and surrounding common land.

False Unicorn root (Chamaelirium luteum, Melanthiaceae), one of the rare plants Joe cultivates in his nursery, gardens, and surrounding common land.

Elecampane (Inula sp., Asteraceae).

Elecampane (Inula sp., Asteraceae).

Joe sharing the story of Mountain Gardens with the students of the Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine.

Joe sharing the story of Mountain Gardens with students of the Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine.

Relaxing with a book in the apothecary/ library/ common space.

Relaxing with a book in the apothecary/ library/ common space.

Herbal meads (honey wine) fermenting.

Herbal meads (honey wine) fermenting.

Pipevine swallowtail pollinating Crocosomia sp., Iridaceae.

Pipevine swallowtail pollinating Crocosmia sp., Iridaceae.

Joe Hollis.

Joe Hollis.

Ginkgo biloba growing in Joe's nursery.

Ginkgo biloba growing in Joe’s nursery.

## Meet The Green Mastermind Behind Blog Castanea:

Juliet Blankespoor

JULIET BLANKESPOOR is the founder, primary instructor, and Creative Director of the Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine, an online school serving thousands of students from around the globe. She's a professional plant-human matchmaker and bonafide plant geek, with a degree in botany and over 30 years of experience teaching and writing about herbalism, medicine making, and organic herb cultivation. Juliet’s lifelong captivation with medicinal weeds and herb gardening has birthed many botanical enterprises over the decades, including an herbal nursery and a farm-to-apothecary herbal products business.

These days, she channels her botanical obsession through her writing and photography in her online programs, on her personal blog Castanea, and in her new book, The Healing Garden: Cultivating and Handcrafting Herbal Remedies. Juliet and her family reside in a home overrun with houseplants and books in Asheville, North Carolina.

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## 11 thoughts on “Joe Hollis & Mountain Gardens”

1. 

##### Kallie Hartsays:

How can I apply to be an apprentice with Joe Hollis?

##### Billysays:

Mountain Gardens is truly a wonderful place. I hope to return one day to maybe finish what I began a couple yrs ago.

5. 

##### Maisie loosays:

Is there an opportunity to meet Joe Hollis and see his gardens? I am so impressed with his world view.

- 

  ##### Juliet Blankespoorsays:

  May 11, 2013 at 8:05 am

  Follow the link to the Mountain Gardens website – they are hosting many one day classes and workshops, which would be a wonderful way to meet Joe and see his gardens.

  Reply

6. 

##### Jacquelyn Howardsays:

Thank you so very much for sharing Joe and his beautiful commitment to the world of plants!

7. 

##### Josh Kellysays:

Fantastic story and photo-journalism! Thanks!

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