Cultivating plants for hands-on learning.

A place of quiet and communion with the plants, Tai Sophia Institute's herb garden is a haven for students of the Institute. The herb garden offers both a casual teaching space for classes as well as living examples of many of the herbal medicines used in the clinic.  Students gain hands-on experience gathering and tending the many medicinal plants in the garden.  The herb garden is located behind the Institute, at the edge of neighboring woodlands that hosts native medicinal plants. Students have been active in raising money for the herb garden by hosting various events and fundraisers at the Institute.

Throughout the program, students will also spend time at Jim Duke's "Green Farmacy" Garden, which is three miles from the Tai Sophia campus. The "Green Farmacy" Garden was established in 1998 after Duke's thirty year career with the USDA. It hosts 300 medicinal plant species from all over the world, including vegetation of multiple habitats. Medicinal plants are organized into 80 plots designated for 80 different disease states. Students and faculty have spent many pleasant hours at the "Green Farmacy" Garden viewing the morphology and spirit of the plant with the passing of the seasons. It is affectionately called "Tai Sophia South."

In a life estate arrangement, signed May 11, 2005, Jim and Peggy Duke agree that Tai Sophia Institute will inherit the garden and the beautiful six acre property when Jim and Peggy have passed on. The faculty, staff and students have been blessed with a tremendous garden resource.