From opening the lungs to easing grief, pine offers both physical and emotional medicine.

In this week’s episode I’m joined by herbalist Liz Neves, who shows us how to tap into pine’s gifts through working with its resin, needles, and the simple yet profound medicine of just being in its stately presence.

Liz reveals the many ways she works with pine (Pinus spp.), from crafting pine needle baskets to making medicine with the resin and needles, and even a surprising use for pine-infused porcupine poop (no, I’m not kidding—that really came up in our conversation!).

She also shares her recipe for Pine Infused Honey—a simple, delicious way to make the most of pine’s abundant needles. You can download a beautifully-illustrated recipe card here.

By the end of this episode, you’ll know:

► What makes pine such a wonderful herbal ally during the cold months of winter

► How pine can help to unstick what is stuck— physically, emotionally, and energetically

► Six different ways to work with pine pitch

► The delightful ways that animals interact with pine

► and so much more…

For those of you who don’t know her, Liz Neves is a dreamer, wanderer, and Earth lover who seeks to deepen her connection to the elements and other wise beings (plants, animals, fungi). She is passionate about shifting perceptions and lifting unturned stones to find creative solutions to life’s challenges.

Since 2008 Liz has been on a meandering journey of developing her skills in herbalism, earth-based living, shamanism, and energy healing. Liz is the author of Northeast Medicinal Plants: Identify, Harvest, and Use 111 Wild Herbs for Health and Wellness (Timber Press). She currently offers wandering healings, healing plant walks, herbal classes, and dream circles on request.

I can’t wait to share our conversation with you today!

----

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information at: herbswithrosaleepodcast.com

Would you prefer watching this episode? If so, click here for the video.

You can find Liz at GatheringGround.nyc.

For more behind-the-scenes of this podcast, follow @rosaleedelaforet on Instagram!

Working successfully with herbs requires three essential skills. Get introduced to them by taking my free herbal jumpstart course when you sign up for my newsletter.

If you enjoy the Herbs with Rosalee podcast, we could use your support! Please consider leaving a 5-star rating and review and sharing the show with someone who needs to hear it!

On the podcast, we explore the many ways plants heal, as food, as medicine, and through nature connection. Each week, I focus on a single seasonal plant and share trusted herbal knowledge so that you can get the best results when using herbs for your health.

Learn more about Herbs with Rosalee at herbswithrosalee.com.

----

Rosalee is an herbalist and author of the bestselling book

What makes calendula a must-have herb for gardeners and herbalists worldwide?

In today’s episode, I’m joined by Helena del Pesco, whose background as a chef and fermentation enthusiast gives her unique insight into the world of herbs. Together we explore the many faces of calendula (Calendula officinalis)—from its glowing orange blossoms and otherworldly seeds to its remarkable gifts for soothing skin, supporting tissue repair, and inspiring generosity in both garden and spirit.

Calendula is beloved in herbal oils and salves to heal and protect the skin, but it shines in so many other preparations, too! Helena shares the diverse ways that she works with this lovely herb, including in her Tissue Tonic Infusion—an incredibly versatile infusion that can help heal and restore tissues both inside and out. To explore it yourself, you can download her beautifully illustrated recipe here.

By the end of this episode, you’ll know:

► Six different herbal preparations for calendula (and when you might choose one over the other!)

► When to reach for a calendula salve to help heal your skin—and when it might actually make things worse

► Why herbal teas often make better medicine than tinctures

► How forming relationships with plants and the living world around you can help you become a better herbalist

► and so much more…

For those of you who don’t know her, Helena’s work as an herbalist weaves together her love of plants with her background as a chef specializing in bioregional cooking and fermentation. Her first taste of wild food as a kid strengthened the sense of belonging she feels in nature. She seeks to walk alongside and support clients as they build relationships with plants.

Helena specializes in gastrointestinal and nervous system support (gut-brain connection) and topical remedies. In addition to her studies at the Vermont Center for Clinical Herbalism and Wild Ginger Community Herbal Center, her practice is guided by lived experience of what plant kin can teach us about the physiological, mental, emotional and spiritual aspects of being human.

I’m delighted to share our conversation with you today!

----

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information at: herbswithrosaleepodcast.com

Would you prefer watching this episode? If so, click here for the video.

You can find Helena at HelenaDelPesco.com.

For more behind-the-scenes of this podcast, follow @rosaleedelaforet on Instagram!

Working successfully with herbs requires three essential skills. Get introduced to them by taking my free herbal jumpstart course when you sign up for my newsletter.

If you enjoy the Herbs with Rosalee podcast, we could use your support! Please consider leaving a 5-star rating and review and sharing the show with someone who needs to hear it!

On the podcast, we explore the many ways plants heal, as food, as medicine, and through nature connection. Each week, I focus on a single seasonal plant and share trusted herbal knowledge so that you can get the best results when using herbs for your health.

Learn more about Herbs with Rosalee at herbswithrosalee.com.

----

Rosalee is an...

Could the secret to a calmer mind and a healthier gut be hiding in your morning bowl of porridge?

In this episode, I sit down with Swedish herbalist and nutritionist Karoline Karttunen to discuss one of my favorite breakfasts — the humble oats (Avena sativa).

Grains have gotten a bad rap in recent years — and it’s true that highly processed or sugar-laden versions don’t do us any favors. But as Karoline reminds us, whole-grain oats are a true nutritional powerhouse that also carry the same medicinal gifts as oat straw and milky oats — beloved herbal allies for nourishing the nervous system and restoring resilience. She shares how oats support everything from balanced blood sugar to a calmer mind (and even a healthier microbiome).

Karoline is so devoted to her oats that she eats them for breakfast five days a week! She keeps her daily porridge endlessly interesting by rotating the nuts, seeds, fruits, and herbs that she adds to the mix. You can even try her Herbal and Protein-Rich Oatmeal yourself — download the beautifully illustrated recipe card here.

By the end of this episode, you’ll know:

► How a bowl of oats can calm frazzled nerves and lift your mood naturally

► What butyric acid is—and why your intestinal cells can’t get enough of it

► The truth about so-called “anti-nutrients” like phytic acid (and why you might not need to worry about them)

► How your brain and heart thrive on the right kind of carbs—and why oats are the perfect fuel

► How discoveries in archaeology and anthropology challenge the myth that eating grains is “unnatural” for humans

► and plenty more oat-inspired insights to nourish body and mind….

For those of you who don’t know her, Karoline Karttunen is a Swedish herbalist and nutritionist who brings herbs and food together in her herbal courses, blog and in personal consultations.

She has in-person courses year round on the west coast of Sweden, as well as offering online courses in herbalism. Karoline’s courses always have a focus on how herbs can strengthen health and be used as a natural part of our everyday life, just as we do with vegetables.

I was already a huge fan of oats, but after talking with Karoline, I couldn’t wait to make them an even bigger part of my herbal routine. I’m so happy to share this conversation with you—and I hope you leave feeling inspired to make yourself a big bowl of porridge, too!

----

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information at: herbswithrosaleepodcast.com

Would you prefer watching this episode? If so, click here for the video.

You can find Karoline at Way-of-Life.se.

For more behind-the-scenes of this podcast, follow @rosaleedelaforet on Instagram!

Working successfully with herbs requires three essential skills. Get introduced to them by taking my free herbal jumpstart course when you sign up for my newsletter.

If you enjoy the Herbs with Rosalee podcast, we could use your support! Please consider leaving a 5-star rating and review and sharing the show with someone who needs to hear it!

On the podcast, we explore the many ways plants heal, as food, as medicine, and through nature connection. Each week, I focus on a single seasonal plant and share trusted herbal...