Wildroot Botanicals

07/12/2024

One of my favorite poetry lines is by Mary Oliver. “You do not have to walk on your knees for a hundred miles through the desert repenting. You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves”. These words have been a pathway throughout my life to embody peace. Tonight I’m taking a pause by the pond at bow sanctuary where I just taught a yoga class and it just feels so nice here I wanted to soak up the good feeling instead of speeding off to the next thing I need to get done. The breeze feels fresh, the voice of a bald eagle is on the wind and my spirit feels at peace lingering here for a little moment.

07/05/2024

Come join us next weekend July 13 & 14 for two days of immersion in herbal medicine. We will spend this weekend together with other like minded plant lovers, immersing ourselves in the gardens of Wildroot Botanicals. We will be slowly steeping in the healing properties of the plants we work with through hands-on harvesting, processing and medicine making.

Participants will have opportunities to submerge into the healing ways of plants by spending time with them, sensorially experiencing their scents, textures, growing patterns and developing a personal connection with them. Demonstrations will include processing each plant in their own unique ways to preserve their medicinal attributes, drying techniques, hydrosol production and alcohol extraction. For more information visit www.wildrootbotanicals.com

07/05/2024

I’ve been collecting wild foods and incorporating them into my cooking more than ever this year. It is revitalizing my body profoundly. I feel clearer and calmer in my mind and my digestive system feels light and easeful. I feel nourished and satisfied.

I’m understanding the land in new ways that is feeding my spirit too. The scents and sounds of the places I’ve been harvesting from feels like an awakening of fond familiar memories of a beloved grandparent that wants to feed me delicious things. The scent of berries in humid air after it rains, the sound of the slooshing mud under my boots as I collect salmon berries by the river and the sharp green scent of nettle seeds on a crisp morning is more than something that is merely a smell or sound. It’s a relationship full of giving and care just like my precious memories of my grandmother offering us homemade cookies.

The time spend in wild places recalibrates my busy mind and body and helps me remember the real cycle of things. Good things are better when savored and aren’t always the easy way to do things. I’m blessed the way the land helps me remember these important things. Harvesting and eating these foods feels like falling in love. The more I spend time with them, the more clearly I’m able to experience their incredible gifts, to show my appreciation and love and to feel taken care of.

This time on the land is teaching me again just how special it is to live here and to be able to be fed by the land. I’m so thankful to know these plants and to be able to work with them

07/04/2024

It's been a long time since we have had a sale in our Etsy shop. Now through Sunday July 7, we are offering 20% with orders $50+ with coupon code FACEBOOKFRIEND. Much love to each of you! Thanks for the support over the years!

06/23/2024

Nettle seeds are forming and the seeds in this immature green stage are a delicious treat packed full of nutrients. I like sautéing them in a little oil or adding them to soups or stir fries. Harvesting these little clusters will sting you if you aren’t wearing gloves. However, I actually like getting stung. It’s a good way to get circulation into your hands, keeping the joints healthy.

06/21/2024

The other night I went out to this beautiful place and felt so much gratitude for the beauty of this place. This ecosystem is so abundant and I pray with my whole heart that this sacred place is protected and we can live here with a spirit of gratitude.
I’m this photo you can see a healthy kelp forest that lines the bay. These kelp beds are home to a diverse array of plants and animals. While I was here we saw otters playing, herons fishing and the heads of sea lions popping up out of the water. This kelp is also a favorite ingredient I love adding to my diet regularly for all of its trace nutrients, cooling and healing properties.

06/14/2024

This beautiful lotus relative is blooming in the ponds of the bow sanctuary where I’ve been teaching yoga classes Thursday evenings. Isn’t it gorgeous?

06/12/2024

It has been an amazing árnica season this year. I spent the weekend with students a few weekends ago harvesting plants in the methow valley and it was one of the most abundant years for arnica I have seen. Fresh árnica salve from this harvest is now in our Etsy shop💚🌱

06/11/2024

It’s such a good salmon berry year. This corner of the world is rich with the gifts of many berries. Salmon berry is one of the first to ripen and is ripe in a variety of colors from orange to red to purple. All are full of life giving properties from this land. It may feel like something small to go harvest some berries but to I feel for myself that harvesting berries weaves me into the fabric of this landscape. I get to take this time to hear the bird songs and witness the tracks of animals, today i saw elk prints. This is one of life’s most precious gifts, the gift of food and specifically sweet nourishing berries, the gift of feeling a part of a community of beings instead of a stranger to it. 💗

03/17/2024

I made a few new rewilding collections. Link in bio. Spring energy feels so good after months of darkness and rain here in the Pacific Northwest. There is so much healing available as new life emerges and literally springs forth from the ground and tree branches. It’s so life promoting ....the warmth of the sunshine, the frogs singing, songbirds returning from their winter journeys and hikes through these stunning mountains. This time of the year is real life magic! We get to witness the birth of a new generation of plants, animals and the next chapters of ourselves. It’s a season to reclaim and reinvent the next layers of our health and healing.

With the first signs of spring, I’ve started sowing seeds in my gardens. It’s got me reflecting on the metaphorical seeds within myself that I want to nurture and bring life to. What ways do I want to experience life this year? As I’m sorting through that question, I find myself being guided back to gratitude. Gratitude brings clarity. Gratitude for the light of sunshine, for foraged nettles in my soup, for a new year of exploring plants with students, for the smiles on my kids’ faces. Gratitude helps me remember where I stand on this Earth amongst all that is around me and it reminds me who I am. Sometimes we forget to see these incredible gifts and I think that dims our spirits. Gratitude is seeing the world around us and within us. It offers peace and support and nourishment for the many layers of who we are.

I am thankful for the plants that guide us back to ourselves too. They have a real gift for doing it, especially when we ask for their guidance. Each plant supports us a little differently, but I have found that most plants I work with are very willing to build a relationship and offer teachings.

02/14/2024

GIVE AWAY!
We are giving away one spot in our Foundations of Herbalism Course. This is a 9 month program that dives into the healing gifts of plants. We explore wildcrafting, identification and hands on medicine making techniques. To enter to win: 1. write in the comments below why you’d love to study medicinal plants this year. 2. In two separate posts tag two friends that might be interested in taking a course on medicinal plants that live in the the Bellingham to Seattle area 3. Share this post in your stories stating this is a give away for a free spot in a medicinal herbs course. Closing date is next Wednesday February 21. 💚 🌱

01/27/2024

In this 9 month immersion program we will meet once per month throughout the growing season to learn how to grow medicinal and edible plants. This course will help you feel confident how to start herbs from seed, start new garden beds, optimize soil fertility, start herbs by cuttings and harvest and prepare medicines from the harvests. Come join our community and keep the wisdom of plants and growing alive. For more information see the link in bio.

01/24/2024

This year our wild foods 9 month course will take a deep dive into exploring the wild plant foods of the pacific northwest. We will spend time harvesting, preparing delicious foods and eating together, contemplating topics such as food sovereignty and revitalizing areas with plantings. This topic is one deep in my heart and I’m so excited to learn and explore these topics with like minded folks and work toward becoming deeper in relation with this beautiful place we call home. For more information see the link in bio.

01/23/2024

This time of the year I’m always dreaming about when the plants will first emerge. In the spring we gather together as a community in these classes to learn the wisdom of plants and immerse in the healing they foster. Our foundations of herbalism course begins in March and is a 9 month journey through intimately meeting the medicinal plants of the Pacific Northwest and beyond. We spend time in the field harvesting, witnessing and engaging our senses with their medicines. Classes also encompass learning how to prepare medicines from them. It’s always a group that fosters friendships, healing and a joy for the natural world and how to be in a place of reciprocity with all things. Visit our link in the bio if you’d like to learn more about what this course offers or send it to a friend if you think they would benefit and enjoy this kind of hands on learning. It would be lovely to have you with us this year.🌱💚

12/23/2023

Happy solstice to each of you. Today is the first day with a little more light and it already has me thinking about planting seeds and another year of teaching classes about plants. Every year I make intentions in the winter that the people that align with this way of knowing plants, healing and themselves find their way to these classes if it is useful to them. I don’t know if this intention is a piece of why I’m so lucky to get to know the students I have each year but I really do feel like I couldn’t hand select people I’m more in alignment with. Maybe it’s just that people who love plants care about the world and beings around them. I do feel blessed to learn together and spend time with good hearted people. I’m excited to find out who will be the next group of people I get to spend time in the forests with. If this resonates with you to find out more check out the link in the bio for our upcoming 2024 programs. I’ve added a third immersion program this year around growing medicinal plants in addition to our foundations of herbalism class and wild foods courses. Many blessings to each of you🌱💚

04/22/2023

Calypso bulbosa are up. These little Pacific Northwest orchids delight my soul when I see them. 💗

11/12/2022

This offering is all about deepening self care. Life is very fast paced these days and slowing down and interacting with nature is a great way to soften the edges and bring more health and joy into our lives. The other morning i was sitting on my porch in a downpour, listening to the sound the rain makes as it comes in contact with the leaves. I was struck with an embodied feeling of nature teaches us to heal.
Whatever is happening in my life, if I go outside and pay attention or go for a walk, I always come back to what I was doing a little less stressed, more embodied and feeling more supported.
It’s why I have chosen to work with plants, tea and other medicinal preparations are a way for us to drink in that healing power plants provide. This collection contains a wildcrafted tea for nourishment and connection, an ethically sourced sandalwood bath soak for easing anxiety, cacao body butter for deep replenishment for the skin, elecampane bitters for digestive support and a formula for easing stress with milky oats from my garden and local reishi I wildcrafted. For more info check out the link in the bio. .

10/27/2022

This Saturday October 29th. I’ll be hosting a class all about roots. We still have a few spots left if you’d like to join. About the class….Medicinal and edible roots are excellent additions to our diet and herbal medicine regimes to ground us. They give us sustenance and help us in times of upheaval when we are feeling anxious and stressed. They teach us how to look within and look to the land for support. As the fall approaches roots have a lot to offer for our immune systems, lungs, and overall nourishment and health.
In this class we explore many different types of roots that we can drink as delicious teas, take as tinctures and work with in smoke ceremonies. We will use our senses to explore all the gifts that roots offer and making several root preparations that each participant can bring home for their fall and winter herbal care regimes. We will also do some intention setting utilizing the benefits of several roots.

Some of the roots we will be exploring are astragalus, elecampane, osha, false solomon’s seal, dandelion, burdock, fo-ti, don quai, and many others. Click the classes tab in the bio to find out more info or to register

10/20/2022

So much fun being a part of rosalees podcast💕

Have you had a chance to listen to this week's episode of the Herbs with Rosalee podcast yet? In it, I had a chat with Leslie Lekos of Wildroot Botanicals who spoke all about her love of chamomile. She also shared this delicious recipe for Chamomile Cardamom Bitters!

𝐁𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐝𝐞, 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐥𝐥 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰:
►Why dosage matters for seeing the results you hope for

►How long to let chamomile tea steep

► Why chamomile is a great herb to work with long-term

Here is one of my favorite takeaways from our conversation about chamomile’s gifts:
“𝐼 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑙 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑒𝑑𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑛𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑙𝑎𝑟𝑔𝑒𝑟 𝑐𝑢𝑙𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑑𝑠 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑔𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑙𝑒 𝑚𝑒𝑑𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑛𝑒. 𝑊𝑒 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑠𝑜 𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑦 𝑑𝑟𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒𝑠, 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦𝑏𝑜𝑑𝑦'𝑠 𝑠𝑜 𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑒𝑑 𝑢𝑝 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑚𝑜𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑠𝑜 𝑓𝑎𝑠𝑡, 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑙𝑜𝑤 𝑢𝑠 𝑑𝑜𝑤𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑔𝑒𝑡 𝑖𝑛 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑏𝑜𝑑𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑙 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑤𝑎𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ, 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑙 𝑒𝑚𝑏𝑜𝑑𝑖𝑒𝑑.”

Click the following link to listen in and grab your free printout of her Chamomile Cardamom Bitters recipe: https://bit.ly/3yAfQbX

10/07/2022

Happy National Taco Day!

What better day to learn how to make homemade nettle tortillas? Our friend Leslie Lekos of Wildroot Botanicals gifted the Mountain Rose Herbs community with the perfect tortilla recipe.
⁠
Making homemade tortillas is much simpler than you might think and adding nettles to the recipe is a delicious way to pack in extra fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
⁠
Find the full recipe here: https://blog.mountainroseherbs.com/homemade-tortillas-recipe-with-nettles
⁠

10/07/2022

This is our October offering of the re-wilding project.

The cooler months have just begun to emerge here in the Pacific Northwest. It has been a longer warmer season this year. As the cold settles in, it can be a time felt in our joints and it is a good time to give some extra care to these important parts of our bodies. This salve is made with herbs that are known to help joint conditions.

Focus & Memory Tea
These herbs are stimulating and enhancing to our cognitive ability and are formulated to keep us mental present as the colder weather draws us within.

Anti-inflammatory Willow Creme
This creme is crafted from hydrosol I distilled from fresh willow branches. Willow has always been dear to my heart. Recently I have been seeing it in skin products for its ability to calm redness and reduce oiliness. One of its active ingredients is salicin, which is antibacterial and anti-inflammatory which can improve the appearance of pores and fine lines. Willow contains tannins, flavonoids, phenolic acids, and other minerals that help aid in cell regeneration

Heart Health Syrup
These 3 nervine herbs were gathered from my gardens. Each is tonic herb for our hearts and wonderful support for the effects of stress upon our nervous system.

Soothing Throat & Belly Tea
Marshmallow root, licorice and cinnamon bark are all soothing to irritated and inflamed tissues. In the herbal world we refer to this soothing gift these plants possess as mucilagenous, they have a thick slippery, softening texture. That softening quality coats and protects the skin and is perfect for sore throats and an irritated stomach. I love this tea anytime when I am wanting a nourishing tea but it is particularly well suited when your tissues are needing some care. 📸

09/20/2022

I haven’t been making extra re-wilding collections for individual sales lately but this month I have 5 extra. They are available in the Etsy shop. Link in bio.

09/06/2022

I spent the long weekend in the methow valley scoping out sites for our wildcrafting immersion next weekend. I always am healed when I’m here on this land. The methow valley has a special magic that brings me back to my wildness, my sense of knowing who I am and is so deeply nourishing. These resonate places on the Earth create ease in all aspects of our being that awakens the healing processes our bodies know how to do. I’m so excited to go again next weekend with all the students. I’m so thankful for power places like this. Thank you to this land and thank you to the lovely for hosting me. You and Xavier are great examples of health. I’m wondering to all you out there, where are your power places?
And if anyone has in interest in class next weekend there are still 2 spots left if you’d like to join us. Link in bio.

08/16/2022

We are having a big end of the SUMMER SALE in our Etsy shop. A great way to stock up for your Fall and Winter herbal needs. 20% your order from now through August 27. Many blessings to you all! 💜 Use coupon code SUMMER20 when checking out.

Shop Aromatic Plant Distillations and Plant Medicines by wildroot located in Bellingham, Washington. Smooth shipping! Has a history of shipping on time with tracking. Speedy replies! Has a history of replying to messages quickly. Rave reviews! 95% or more recent reviews were 5 stars.

07/01/2022

I grew this tuna, the fruit of the prickly pear cactus! SW friends I know this might not sound like an amazing feat where this outstanding plant is ubiquitous but here in the pnw to grow a tuna from a house plant is a celebratory moment. The fruits are delicious when peeled and the cactus pads often referred to as nopales is a favorite food of mine. The are delicious and super nutritious. Their mucilagenous texture is healing for the gut and they also are known to help stabilize blood sugar levels. I have another one that’s almost ripe too 😋

06/30/2022

Hello, I haven’t taken the time to really introduce myself. And I wanted to say thank you for being here and also thank you for your interest in the plants and this life sustaining Earth. I have lived all my life here in the Pacific Northwest corner of what is colonially know as the United States and this landscape is the make up of who I am. The rain flowing through these glacial fed rivers also run through my veins and the minerals from these grand volcanic beings is present in the foods and medicines from this area that I am blessed to consume. I love the rain and ancient cedar trees that watch over and protect the life force of the land here. And I also love traveling to summer places to warm up and dry out. I spend my time striving to foster space for people to learn more deeply about what plants offer us and my mission is for people to find their own way how to listen to the multitude of gifts they offer. I teach classes about herbal medicine and offer wildcrafted and farm grown herbal medicines on my Etsy shop to those that are interested in supporting their health with the plants but aren’t available to learn directly in a classroom setting. I’m setting an intention to be more present here on Instagram. If there is specific plant information you are interested in hearing about please leave a comment below. Many blessings.

04/13/2022

The Earth is the source for incredibly vast deep wisdom. Old ways and evolving ways. Taking time to observe and listen will never let you down and will always provide sustenance for the heart and spirit. I particularly love entering a new landscape to wake my senses up. I see with fresh eyes and listen and observe with a renewed curiosity . This desert landscape is incredibly life bearing though extreme heat and drought. May I deepen in this ability too. May the times of strain produce delicious fruits. Being a student of the earth is blessing. Tonight I find myself navigating how to return to this magical place very soon. The cactuses are blooming.

03/10/2022

Bitters are an excellent addition to our health care regime. Even a healthy Western diet lacks the concentration of bitters many traditional diets included. Bitters help move stuck energy, particularly in the digestive tract. They stimulate digestion, aid in assimilation of nutrients and keep us regular in a remarkable simple and effective way.

These bitters were created specifically for the aid in digestions when there is bloating or a heavy feeling in the stomach. Use it after eating a large meal or regularly if you are experiencing longer term stomach discomforts.

Orange Peel has a long history of use in Traditional Chinese Medicine for a range of ailments: as a respiratory decongestant, lowers blood pressure and cholesterol levels, stimulates liver function and improves digestive functions. Orange peel has been shown in clinical studies to aid in weight loss, support better iron absorption and even protect against certain types of cancers. We should really be eating a bit of the peel of our citrus! I like to zest the peel and add to dishes. It adds a delicious flavor and lightens the meal. Visit wildroot.Etsy.com to for more info. 📸

03/10/2022

Bitters are an excellent addition to our health care regime. Even a healthy Western diet lacks the concentration of bitters many traditional diets included. Bitters help move stuck energy, particularly in the digestive tract. They stimulate digestion, aid in assimilation of nutrients and keep us regular in a remarkable simple and effective way.

These bitters were created specifically for the aid in digestions when there is bloating or a heavy feeling in the stomach. Use it after eating a large meal or regularly if you are experiencing longer term stomach discomforts.

Orange Peel has a long history of use in Traditional Chinese Medicine for a range of ailments: as a respiratory decongestant, lowers blood pressure and cholesterol levels, stimulates liver function and improves digestive functions. Orange peel has been shown in clinical studies to aid in weight loss, support better iron absorption and even protect against certain types of cancers. We should really be eating a bit of the peel of our citrus! I like to zest the peel and add to dishes. It adds a delicious flavor and lightens the meal.

03/02/2022

Im processing piñyon pine today for hydrosol and teas. My fingertips are black with the resin and the smell is working it’s medicine on me. This scent has a way of bringing me back home into myself. Tree medicine is POWERFUL. The sweet orange like balsam scent helps me to find my grounding even in times of great upheaval and anxiety. We have so many amazing tree medicines here in the Pacific Northwest where I live but there is something wonderful about stepping out of your own environment to experience new surroundings. It brings a renewal to work with plants, places and people that are less familiar. It helps me to appreciate what I have and rework what needs shifting. Today piñyon is assisting me. Most of the conifers I know support our ability to breath well. They smell great and when I’m working with them I want to breath deeply. It’s aromatics and the deep breathing help me to let go of what no longer serves and create some more easy and peace.