The Empirical Herbalist

The Empirical Herbalist Master Herbalist working for 20 + years with people of all ages and plants from all around the globe In the checkout I picked up a magazine that I often read.

I wish I could say that I was bitten by a radioactive dandelion or had a massive dose of chlorophyll and BAM I was on my way to being part of the “Herbvengers” but truth is NOT stranger than fiction. I had my lightbulb moment about a career change way back in the year 2000 doing something incredibly mundane. I was driving to a job that while it was fun and easy, it was just me going through the mo

tions and didn’t spark any passion in my life. While stuck in traffic, I was staring at these giant mounds of upturned soil, and remembered all the fun I had as a kid playing in my great grandmother’s garden when it struck me that I should be working in the dirt. An odd thought, since I lived with my hubby in a one bedroom apartment located in the heart of the the city, but it definitely struck a nostalgic chord. Later that day for lunch, I stopped into a health food store to grab a meal. The first thing I saw when I opened it was a full page spread about an herbalist school, I felt the bulb get brighter. By the end of the day, I had a plan and I just needed to convince people I knew what I was doing. By the end of the week I was enrolled and as the cliche says- The rest is history. Over the next few decades, I’ve worked at an herb farm, taught classes on almost every herbal subject, and opened up a clinical business. Oh and yeah, there has been so much time spent in the dirt growing around 33% of the organic and biodynamic herbs I use to make products. I never knew that I would find my life’s passion on that day but every bit of me is so grateful that I did. I bring over 20 years of study and experience into every case but what I also work with a tenacity and I’m not afraid to try new approaches and get creative with herbal formulations. I often combine herbs from around the globe that belong to different modalities to get a formula or plan that most matches your situation not just the Western mindset of this issue gets treated with this herb. Both your health condition and the herbs that will help are multi layered. The benefit of working with an herbalist is the expert knowledge of the plants being used and how they work best in a treatment. Ruth (she/her) is happily married with 2 teenage children. Her passions include all things plants, great food and drink. She’s an avid reader and loves the challenge of a good board game. Her ideal day involves some time outside, several cups of tea, at least an hour reading and spending time with her family and friends, not in any particular order. Oh, Pina Coladas and getting caught in the rain sounds pretty groovy too. My motto- “ A Better Life Through Herbs” extends to all aspects of life so working with me extends to all of them too. Whether you are looking to improve your culinary choices to be healthier and more tasty, you need some help with a flu bug or you are looking for help managing your chronic condition, there are herbs for it all. Communities Served

Clients of all ages- from birth through all stages of life

LGBTQ+


Specialties

Detoxes and Cleanses
Inflammation
Infertility
Unusual and rare cases
Sleep issues
Lactation Herbs
Utilizing Cell Salts
Hormonal issues such as Menopause, fertility, balancing hormones whether it’s Estrogen, Progesterone or Testosterone
Restoring Gut Health



History working with
Parasite Cleanses
Auto Immune Issues
Rebuilding the immune response
Cancer and Pre Cancerous conditions
Anxiety and Depression
ADHD
Typical health and wellness issues such as colds, flus, stress, insomnia, etc

I never put anything on my plants except other plants!
06/13/2026

I never put anything on my plants except other plants!

Back home from a week of traveling and my order from Diaspora Spice Company was waiting for me! Such a lovely addition t...
06/13/2026

Back home from a week of traveling and my order from Diaspora Spice Company was waiting for me! Such a lovely addition to my coffee♥️

Thank you Arts in the Gap and thank you to every person who came out to stock your herbal medicine cabinet! It was such ...
06/13/2026

Thank you Arts in the Gap and thank you to every person who came out to stock your herbal medicine cabinet! It was such a great time getting to know you and sharing plants, snacks and tea with you all! My heart and tummy are full!

https://www.agri-pulse.com/articles/24748-opinion-to-recover-endangered-species-invest-in-plants?fbclid=IwY2xjawSXqUdleH...
06/11/2026

https://www.agri-pulse.com/articles/24748-opinion-to-recover-endangered-species-invest-in-plants?fbclid=IwY2xjawSXqUdleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETF1bkFwNjNuS0oxZXpSSTRSc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHsc6rIhmBUkhOE8GmG5deKHdxdvJjeooqQJHt2bZDWDIsGxgGLUTiGITtPYx_aem_58qFUcdXjKIDJkvhZudQpQ

Leaders from the Atlanta Botanical Garden and the Property Environmental Research Center argue that prioritizing plant species recovery would drive record gains for other wildlife at lower cost and with less conflict.

Elderflower Strawberry White Wine Vinegar Harvest the elderflowers- they are EVERYWHERE right now- if you are foraging a...
06/11/2026

Elderflower Strawberry White Wine Vinegar

Harvest the elderflowers- they are EVERYWHERE right now- if you are foraging and not picking from your garden- try and harvest from lesser traveled areas. I don’t love gathering anything by a busy roadside.

You will want to cut the whole flower from the plant. You can do a quick rinse under a delicate spray of water or a quick dip in a bowl of water and then let them sit for a few hours. There will be bugs, so many bugs. Next you will carefully harvest the flowers by pulling or cutting them off of the tiny stems. This is a tedious act but its the flowers that you want alone for the best taste. Then you will add washed and chopped strawberries and fully cover with white wine vinegar. I use white wine and not ACV so that the flavor of the vinegar is lighter and you get to enjoy the flavors of the plants without the bite of acidity. Steep for 3- 6 weeks, shaking often. Strain and you can use the vinegar as is for a medicine, drink or to add flavors to the kitchen.

I plan on using some of this to make salad dressings and some to turn into a syrup for drinks- you can add them to flat or fizzy water and it helps with electrolytes and flavor. It’s really a nice POP in your iced black or green tea too. OOOOH I just might make a vinegar pie. I haven’t had one in ages and this would be delish!

Come learn all about the Herb of the Year at Lavender Festival. June 20th! I'm so excited to share some good info!
06/10/2026

Come learn all about the Herb of the Year at Lavender Festival. June 20th! I'm so excited to share some good info!

06/08/2026

Just a reminder- The Apothecary is closed this week while I teach @ Arts in the Gap! So excited to be stocking an herbal medicine cabinet

The other day I harvested tea leaves from my Camilla plant- processed them and dried them- the basket was overflowing an...
06/05/2026

The other day I harvested tea leaves from my Camilla plant- processed them and dried them- the basket was overflowing and this is what it looks like dried. This is why I harvest something daily during peak growing season. This tea will find its way in my Staffordshire Tea!

06/05/2026

Get your orders in by noon today to ensure that they go out Monday before I’m closed while I teach in the Gap

All right STOPCollaborate and listen TEH is back with a not so brand new invention Something grabs ahold of me tightly H...
06/03/2026

All right STOP
Collaborate and listen
TEH is back with a not so brand new invention
Something grabs ahold of me tightly
Herbs helping me daily and nightly

Will they ever stop
I don't know
but let's learn about them all that we can
Ways to cool down in this heat without a fan

😂🤣

Sorry- last month while teaching I heard the call to teach a fun class on ways to use herbs in the Summer to cool down and I mentioned it in class and a friend said "OH it's gotta be called "Ice Ice Herbal" and that just popped up in my head.

This class will be focused on using herbs to make cooling and refreshing treats like drinks, popsicles, ice creams, salads and more. We'll taste a bunch of yummy things, take home recipes and facts about herbs that we can all reach for in those long hazy days of Summer.

I'm keeping the sale price low on this class and if I make the minimum- there will be scholarships. Link to sign up in the comments.

Class is June 30th at 6:30 and is only 25.00

Address

Powell, TN
37849

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 4pm
Thursday 9am - 4pm
Friday 9am - 12pm

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