Give Back: Earth Island Herbs

We have been working with Carol Wade for several years and are so grateful for the plants and wisdom she has shared with us.

If you have been following along with us for a while, you already know that so many of our hydrosol plants are grown in her medicinal garden. Both Paul and I feel a deep connection to Carol and the garden she and her husband Bill have created on the Krishnamerti Foundation property.

We can talk for hours, exchanging gifts of ideas and plants of course, and we want to take this opportunity to introduce you to Carol and her work. We are delighted to launch our Local Give Back campaign with Earth Island Herbs! For the entire month of June, we will be donating 5% of sales to The Ojai School of Herbal Studies.

Carol is one of my favorite people. I truly don’t say that lightly, we get along like two peas in a pod. She is funny, eloquent and witty and has a depth of herbal knowledge that extends beyond the classroom or clinic and into the garden.

Carol created The Ojai School of Herbal Studies, 22 month foundational herbalism course in which students receive more than a formal academic education. Carol has created a sanctuary for medicinal plants and herbs, as well as a home for many animals, insects and birds.

In the process of building the garden, she has also built a community. One for humans and critters alike, a place where we can come to learn from one another and from the greatest teach of all, Mother Nature.

We have bonded over our love for plants, over our similar and silly ways of making sense of the wild world we live in through the lens of the garden.

Carol’s garden is rich with meaning and metaphor. Each bed is organized by body system, the plants that grow in each area correspond to different systems in the body. Some plants find their way into several beds, true to form, plants are not linear nor do they have just one prescribed use.

We will take you on a virtual tour of the garden, exploring the world Carol has created that is open to the public for everyone to enjoy. If you would like to schedule an ecotour to visit the garden with Carol, you can learn more here. We are so grateful to know both Carol and Bill, they are pillars of our community. If you feel called to support Earth Island Herbs directly, you can donate here or become a patron. You can watch our interview with Carol Wade here.