“Plants are teachers – they’re not ‘just’ plants, and they are not simply things in nature from which we’re disconnected. We are a part of their lives and they are a big part of ours. The history of how most Chinese herbs have been used as medicine spans thousands of years.

That history, as well as potential for new uses, is contained within each plant and can be connected with as one works with these plants. If you spend enough time with a plant, and it is your desire and your intention to learn from the plant, it will teach you.”
Robert Newman, LAc
Director of Clinical Education, liaison to the Learning Garden

The Chinese Herb Program at The Learning Garden features a selection of over one hundred Chinese medicinal plants which are cultivated and cared for by a volunteer network of Emperor’s College students. Participation in the growth and nurturing of Chinese medicinal herbs, Emperor’s students gain a deeper and more holistic understanding of herbs in clinical practice, participate in the development of an herbal database, and contribute to the well-being of the Los Angeles community.

The incorporation of The Learning Garden into the Emperor’s College curriculum is creating a new and exciting model for herbal medicine studies within the traditional Oriental medicine profession. The Learning Garden is located at Venice High School in Venice, CA.