A day of herbal medicine making

Everyone loves elderberry syrup because it tastes good, it looks good and it genuinely, actually helps us to get over colds more quickly.

Plus, elder trees grow easily and somewhat abundantly through central Victoria. So, even though they are introduced to Dja Dja Wurrung country, they are a part of the present day bioregional plant medicine picture of this place, and if you're lucky enough to know where to find some elder trees, you can harvest your own medicine.

So, the summer sun has set, air has chilled and 'tis the season to make syrup!

This will be a casual, hands-on workshop, making syrup for you to take home with you.

- We will explore the medicinal properties of elder and some other common herbs that I like to include in my elder potion, like rosehips, cinnamon, ginger.

- And we will discuss how and when to use elder medicines for best effect.

- If the weather suits, we'll sit outside and simmer our syrup on the fire.

A simple shared lunch will be provided.

And everyone will take home a bottle of elderberry syrup and some printed notes

The workshop is at my home in Guildford. Address will be shared upon booking.

I'm putting this out with very short notice, so we will only go ahead if I get a minimum number of participants booked in by Friday. So, if you want to come, please book in as soon as you can.

Tickets are $80 per person

I have a couple of concession places available for those who need it. Please contact me for the discount code before you book, no explanation required.

I'm Rosie. I've been practicing western herbalism for 15 years. My passion is for working with herbs close to home, keeping things simple and being willing to acknowledge the power and value of what is simple and accessible, rather than the exotic and currently popular.

There's a time and place for everything, but as a foundation, I like to begin close to home.

I've been teaching herbal medicine making since 2016 and my aim is to offer herbal knowledge through tangible experience, something you can carry home with you, both in your pocket and in your body.

Another key element of my herbal practice is working with plants through relationship, rather than pure theory. Plants and humans are both living beings and whether or not we are aware of it, communication is always happening between us and there is a lot we can learn from them, which you wont find in the books or a google search. A balance of intuition, awareness and discernment is key, and these are things often incorporated in my conversations about plant medicine.

For many people, stepping into the realm of medicine making feels like kind of remembering. There's something in the practice of working with plants that is somehow familiar and recognisable, even if we as individuals have never worked with medicinal plants before. The vast majority of our ancestors did live closely with plants though, and it's those relationships, which have enabled our lineages to survive from the beginning of it all, right up until today.

I look forward to some herb crafting with you.