Caroline Parker is a herbalist, forager, farmer and facilitator, with a studio in the misty Wombat Forest on Dja dja wurrung and Wadawurrung land where she blends her award winning teas and tisanes.

During our chat Caroline shares her introduction to the world of plants as a suburban kid growing up in the 80’s and 90’s. Her Mum’s a very keen gardener and the family loved to visit the local nursery on weekends, picking up plants and seeds for their garden. Caroline speaks of the joy of being allowed to choose a seed or plant of her own to tend and watch grow.

We laugh about her experiments with Valerian ‘the stinky sock herb’ and she shares how one of the most treasured gifts she received for her 13th birthday was a Herbal medicine encyclopaeida which still has a place on her bookshelf today.

Caroline shares how her English and Scottish roots instilled a deep love for the ritual of tea drinking and how the practice of putting on the kettle first thing in the morning is still one of her most cherished forms of daily self care.

We chat about her inspiring and exciting collaboration with Lucy from Pennyweight Farm and how this has enabled her to get her hands firmly in the earth, growing and tending herbs and flowers.

Caroline’s home in the Wombat forest is a special place and her daily connection through walks in nature form a big part of her self care, she takes us on a walk, sharing the sights and smells she experiences each day.

We finish up our chat as Caroline shares a lovely and nourishing ritual using a beautiful handmade oil to help ease frazzled nerves and drift into calm.

Caroline has such a wonderful way of bringing the herbs into our everyday and I think you’re going to really enjoy our chat.

To find out more about Caroline and to buy some of her award winning teas and tisanes, head over to her website. You can follow Caroline (The Cottage Herbalist) on Facebook and Instagram

To follow Caroline and Lucy's journey over at Pennyweight Farm growing herbs and flowers, check out Pennyweight farm's website or visit their Instagram or Facebook pages.

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Find out more about this podcast and the presenters here. Get in touch with The Elder Tree at:  asktheeldertree@gmail.com

The intro and outro song is "Sing for the Earth" and was kindly donated by Chad Wilkins.  You can find Chad's music here and here.