Under the Linden Tree

Rose: Rose spp. is part of the Rosacea family. The flowers, leaves and fruit (hips) are all used to support our health.

Rose is commonly found in cosmetics- oils, creams and hydrosols. It is protective and moisturizer.

Have you tried any rose products in your skin?

Wonderful herbal explorers joined me in the garden yesterday.
We experienced herbs with all of our senses.
So delightful to witness and learn from children in nature!

I have a lot I should be doing but time in the garden creating was what my soul needed today!
Don’t forget to take time to create.

Yesterday I read a newsletter from Kelly Tenkely, the principal of a small school my son attended years ago. She shared a story about taking her teachers to walk a labyrinth as part of a professional development day. Each teacher walked it alone, taking the time they needed before gathering together to reflect on what they had noticed.

She wrote,

“We all walked the same labyrinth. But none of us had the same journey.”

She went on to say,

“Each of us had made meaning differently, noticing different things, carrying different perspectives and emotions into the journey. As we listened to one another, our individual experiences became richer as we borrowed one another’s eyes, and we noticed things we had completely missed ourselves.”

That phrase - borrowed one another’s eyes - has stayed with me.

It made me think about why I love learning in community.

Whether we’re walking a labyrinth or wandering through a garden, we each bring our own stories, experiences, questions and ways of seeing the world. One person notices the fragrance of a plant first. Another remembers it growing in her grandmother’s garden. Someone asks a question that changes the way we all understand a plant. Another shares an experience that opens a new perspective.

When we gather together, our learning becomes richer because we begin to borrow one another’s eyes.

It’s one of the reasons I continue to create spaces where women can gather around the plants. Yes, we learn from the herbs themselves but we also learn from one another.

Thank you, Kelly, for sharing such a beautiful reflection and for allowing me to share it here. It was exactly what I needed to read yesterday.

Link to Kelly’s blog in the comments below and registration link to the Rooted class can be found on my website.

The lovely rose! Not only is it beautiful but it also does so much to strengthen our hearts.
Later this month I will be teaching a class all about roses at Hudson Gardens.
Do you have a favorite color of a rose?

I am thrilled to be welcoming the wonderful Herbalist Lauren to my garden on August 8 to teach the practice of distilling herbs into hydrosols.
We will be crafting a fresh hydrosol from plants in my garden!
More details can be found on my website - link in my bio.

Late July in the garden! It has been a tough year to be a gardener in CO but the plants are teaching me about resilience!
On Saturday evening I will be gathering at SoSu for the Lughnasa Women’s Circle. Lughnasa is a celebration of the beginning of the harvest season. We will be sharing our gratitude and also reflecting on our mentors who have guided us.
On August 4 I will be sharing the experience of eco-printing. We will be using plants to create works of art on fabric.
August 8, I am bring in a guest teacher to my garden so we can all learn about making hydrosol.
August 9 you can join me with your child to explore herbs through all of our senses.
More information and registration can be found in my website.

Meadowsweet has salicylic acid compounds that can support fever reduction and ease pain.

You can make a tea and apply the wet plant as a poultice to painful joints.

She also smells so wonderful!!!

Preparing for today’s hands on medicine circle!

Are you ready to deepen your knowledge of plants and build your home apothecary? Registration is open for the next session - we will begin gathering in February 2027.

More information can be found on my website.

I love the medicinal qualities of plants but I also love creating beautiful art with them - wearable art is even better! Join me enjoy an evening in the garden where you will gather plants and make a scarf using the eco-printing process. It always feels like magic and I would love to share it with you.
Space is limited. Register on my website.