IMPORTANT PLANT WALK UPDATE: NEW DATE We have had bad luck this year with plant walks being cancelled due to forces beyond our control. And due to a COVID infection, we are NOT cancelling the best/final one of the year, we are rescheduling!! Join us on Sunday November 3rd at 930 am, the Birnam Wood Arboretum at the north east end of the Avon River. Link to register remains the same, still in my bio. If you bought a ticket and are no longer able to come for the new date, please lmk and I will refund your ticket. #covidruinseverything #plantwalk

Reminder for the final plant walk of 2024, an all-time fave: Dead and Dying, a plant walk and Samhain ritual. Join Terran and I this Sunday September 27th at 9:30 am for this seasonal, kind of goth, hopefully kind of cathartic plant walk experience. Pre registration thru eventbrite always encouraged, tho walk-ins also welcome. $25. https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/a-season-in-place-fall-editions-dead-dying-fall-edition-tickets-872854008837?aff=oddtdtcreator

Reminder of Sunday's plant walk! In collaboration with Stratford Walking Tours, we will be getting to know some of the plants along the south side of the Avon River, as well as some local history about the area. 9:30 am this Sunday September 29th. We will meet at the location shown in the first picture: the intersection of Queen St and Lakeside Dribe. You can register through eventbrite (link in bio) or show up. $25. Hope to see you there!! #plantwalk #autumn @downtownstratford @visitstratfordon @visitperthcounty

As I complete my second year of clinical studies in the Institute of Traditional Medicine’s (ITM) Therapeutic Western Herbalism program, I am once again seeking practice clients to help me practice my clinical skills/complete my clinical hours. What does this process look like? After completion of a health assessment form, giving me a bit of personal information and health history, we would schedule a time to meet, in-person or over Zoom. Sessions are usually at least 1 hour, up to 1 hour 30 minutes.  During this intake, I ask you a series of questions about your main health concerns, medical history, and functioning of body systems. Expect to be asked questions about diet and digestion, elimination (fairly detailed discussion of your stools and urine), sleep and mental health, and menstruation/reproductive health if you are someone who menstruates.  If we meet in person, I may take your blood pressure, pulse or examine your tongue.  All info shared is completely confidential. Details from your case may be discussed in clinic and/or with a supervisor, and notes from our session will be submitted as homework, only using your initials. After our session, you will receive a follow up email from me going over what we discussed, my assessment and understanding of your health concerns, a proposed remedy and other recommendations. As a second year student, I am able to dispense remedies, so let me know if you would like to try the proposed herbal formula.  As an herbalist, I am not able to make diagnoses of any kind, but I can suggest potential system dysfunctions and present options for differential diagnoses (i.e. what could be going on).  After this initial consultation, if you decide to take the formula/implement some of my recommendations, we can also schedule a follow up in a few months to check in on your health concerns.  Also, the intake is completely free! And if you were gracious enough to help me out with last year’s clinical intakes, thank you for trusting me with your health information, and we can also do a followup and see how things are progressing. Interested? Questions? DM me or email snettlesherbs@gmail.com.

Announcing a new theme for September's plant walk: Local Plants and Local History. September's plant walk is a collaboration with Stratford Walking Tours, and will progress along the south side of the Avon River, a detour from our usual route. Participants will learn about local plants as well as local history. We will meet near the Tom Patterson island, close to the Lower Queens Park parking lot. You can also register for October's walk: Death and Dying, a plant walk and ritual for Samhain. Pre-registration is encouraged but not required: we love a walk-in too. Register at the link in bio. Pre-registration sales are final, but if a walk is cancelled due to weather, that ticket can be used for another walk during the season. Accessibility: This is a gentle, slow moving (approximately) 2km walk. Please wear comfortable clothes and walking shoes. Bring your own water bottle. Questions? Please email snettlesherbs@gmail.com Your hosts: Gabrielle Arkett is a community herbalist and plant person with an educational background in Western herbalism and owner of Singing Nettles Herbs. SNHerbs sells dried and fresh herbs and herbal products, as well as providing community education and workshops. Stratford Walking Tours was founded in 2024 by Lauri Leduc. Born and raised in Perth County, Lauri studied Canadian history at university and has a passion for telling stories about our past. While living abroad for 18 months in the United Kingdom and participating in many walking tours there, Lauri was inspired to start a company that highlighted the history of Stratford when she returned to Canada. The idea for Stratford Walking Tours was born! Terran V. Shaver, B.A., is a spoonie, femme-witch, artist, activist, and educator devoted to building a slow new world. Weaving years of academic studies in burnout, stress and health with her own of lived experiences, Terran is working to create art and resources that foster intentional slowness, grounded living, and optimistic futurism in an uncertain and rapidly changing world

Plant Walk upcoming this Sunday July 23rd at 9:30 am (weather pending)! These photos were taken about a month ago when things were very green: there will be lots more a blooming this weekend. You can register at the link in my bio. We look forward to enjoying high summer with you. @downtownstratford @visitstratfordon

Popping on here with a bit of a midsummer update.  Not much has been happening with Singing Nettles Herbs this summer. It's felt like a lot of flops/fails this summer: like I've been trying to juggle many balls and dropping almost all of them.  I am still harvesting and drying herbs for teas, albeit on a much smaller scale. Plant walks are still on once a month, although we've been rained out more than once, and attendance has been low.  I finished my final semester of year 1 of clinical studies and am taking a break before diving back in this fall. Thank you to everyone who acted as a practice client this past year.  Other than that, not a ton is happening.  Taking some time to regroup, reassess and plan.  There will be a plant walk at the end of July: link in bio to register if you'd like to come.  For now, please enjoy some pictures of things blooming in the garden, some for the first time! Pic 1: first year of blooming elderberries: i planted these plants 3 years ago. Pic 2: Native Bee Balm (Monarda fistulosa): first year blooming. Pic 3: Elecampane blooming, a midsummer fave. Pic 4: Day lily, its first year blooming too. Pic 5: greenhouse popping off with herbs and peppers. Pic 6: marshmallow plants blooming Pic 7: the garden in 2025 at midsummer. Ps this instagram music is hilarious but i actually have nothing for sale at the moment. Hopefully some teas towards the end of the summer.

I've been MIA lately finishing my semester, getting the drying room ready, shifting some things about the business and working through some life stuff. I will post an update about Singing Nettles Herbs soon. For now, I wanted to remind you that there is a very special solstice plant walk and ritual this week. Wednesday June 19th at 6:30 pm along the north side of the Avon River in Stratford. We will walk a bit, talk about some plants and have a little tea party. Link to register is in bio. Pre registration encouraged but not required. #plantwalk #solstice @terran.ofearth @stratford_walking_tours @visitstratfordon @downtownstratford

Coming up next week! A special solstice plant walk and ritual with @terran.ofearth Wed June 19th from 6:30-8:30 along the Avon River. Register at the link in my bio or dm with questions. We hope to see you there! @visitstratfordon @visitperthcounty @downtownstratford #plantwalk #solstice #local

Such a nice inviting path. Did you know there's a plant walk this weekend along the Avon River? Sunday May 26th 9:30 am. DM me for details or register at the link in bio. @terran.ofearth and I hope to see you there for a reflective and fun time. Ps stay tuned for announcements about a kid specific event! @downtownstratford @visitstratfordon #spring #plantwalk #