Hiking to Maine for Mountain Gardens

Nestled in the Appalachian Mountains in North Carolina, Mountain Gardens is an inspirational sanctuary of biodiversity and education that was founded 50 years ago by Joe Hollis. With the help of countless friends, apprentices and wwoofers Joe has created an incredibly beautiful garden of useful plants as well as a unique way of life. You can read his philosophy in his seminal essay, Paradise Gardening. Through his writing, his videos and especially through direct experience of Mountain Gardens, Joe has influenced and inspired thousands of people. I was one of them! I first visited Mountain Gardens in the Summer of 2016. That experience changed my life and eventually led me to make my home in the South Toe Valley, where I aspire to have a fraction of the positive impact on the land and community that Mountain Gardens has had.

In March of 2022 Mountain Gardens suffered a devastating fire that burnt down the main pavilion that contained an outdoor kitchen, a large porch, an enormous library, an herbal apothecary and two greenhouses. Joe lost a lifetime of amazing books, the extensive herb shop & apothecary, the carefully-maintained seed collection, and many beloved plants, not to mention the garden tools, power tools, herb grinders, and the solar power system.

Your pledge will help to rebuild the pavilion and to upgrade the infrastructure so that Mountain Gardens can continue to educate and inspire folks like me for another 50 years.