Foundational Herbology is Now Enrolling! Our 9 month program begins March 21st.
What is it about the plants that calls to us?
An appreciation of their beauty?
A desire for self-sufficiency?
Maybe a longing for a simpler, more natural way of taking care of ourselves?
Yes, all of those things beckon us to connect more deeply with the plant world.
For some, it goes even deeper than that.
There’s something that has been dormant in our cells and our DNA, calling out to us to remember a forgotten truth…
That we are all A beautiful one;
That we are made of the same substance as the plants, nourished by the sun’s rays, supported by the minerals of the earth and recharged by the element of water.
We breathe in the exhalation of vegetation, and our exhale is taken in by the stomata of the green leaves.
We are in a symbiotic relationship
The Earth calls us because it’s time for healing on a planetary level.
Time to wake up.
To reconnect.
To remember the sacred teachings of the garden.
Whether you are completely new to the trade, or have spent years practicing the green arts, if you are here reading this, you too feel this calling to connect with our original teachers, the ones who sustain all of life.
That is the purpose of this school:
This is where you can reconnect with the land and yourself. Where you can strengthen ties of love and respect, within and without.
This is your space to be empowered to take care of yourself, others, and the planet.
To take the steps toward healing yourself and your relationship.
Our Mission
- To empower others to take the wellbeing of themselves and the planet into their own hands
- To strengthen the feeling of connection and interdependence between plants and people
- To co-create a space for self-inquiry and personal growth
Your Instructors
Founder, Director & Primary Instructor at Sacred Garden School:
My name is Ashley Davis. I am a clinical herbalist, permaculturist, and co-founder of Tonic Herb Shop in Shepherdstown, WV.
I took my first herbal medicine class while still in college in Vermont, studying anthropology & visual art. I immediately fell in love with the herbs and connections that I found between gardening, medicine-making, art & spirituality.
After college I moved to Charlottesville, VA where I continued to study Permaculture and herbal medicine. I completed a 3 year clinical training program with Kat Maier through Sacred Plant Traditions.
After moving to WV, I began to see clients, teach workshops, and make herbal products from my home. I completed a 500 hr certification in Ayurvedic Nutrition through the Joyful Belly Institute in 2014. And in 2016, I opened Tonic Herb Shop along with my intrepid partner, Carmela Cesare. From here, I continue to deepen and expand my knowledge through interacting with customers, seeing clients, teaching, writing, attending conferences and formulating products.
I have over 13 years of clinical and teaching experience. The Sacred Garden School is now in its 6th year, and the teachings continue to grow and deepen with each passing year.
Kat Maier
Guest lecturer
Kat Maier, RH (AHG) is the founder and director of Sacred Plant Traditions, a center for herbal studies in Charlottesville, VA. She has been in clinical practice for over 30 years and is the author of Energetic Herbalism, founder of the non-profit called Botanica Mobile Clinic, and has been an Earth advocate and teacher of herbal wisdom for over three decades.
Becca Daye
Guest lecturer
Becca is a clinical herbalist, nurse practitioner and certified nurse-midwife. Becca has been studying herbal medicine for almost 3 decades, while also practicing in the world of allopathic medicine and focusing on women‘s health and perinatal mental health. She teaches the women’s reproductive health classes at Sacred Garden School, and this year will be co-teaching the clinical practicum with Ashley.
Elizabeth Baker
Guest lecturer
Elizabeth is an herbal practitioner, nurse practitioner, and energy worker. She was also a student at Sacred Garden School in 2020. Elizabeth has also studied with Aviva Romm, with much of her nursing career spent in labor and delivery, bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, and women’s health. Elizabeth incorporates energetic medicine, functional medicine and nutrition into her practice. Most recently, she has been focusing on mineral restoration to help her clients achieve optimal wellness.
Amy Boldt
Guest lecturer
Amy is a clinical herbalist, currently living in Westminster, MD, where she offers holistic consultations and manages a small herb farm. You can find Amy selling her homegrown herbs and remedies at the Westminster Farmer‘s Market. Having struggled with digestive issues most of her life, Amy came to herbalism through personal experience, and went back to school to obtain a Masters in Therapeutic Herbalism from Maryland University of Integrative Health (now called Notre Dame of Maryland University’s School of Integrative Health). Amy’s practice is focused on GI health, anxiety, sleep, and getting people back into their natural rhythms.
Geo Derrick
Guest lecturer
Geo Derick, MSc, RH(AHG) is founder of Geo‘s Joy Herbal Medicine, LLC. She is also a founding owner of the Sanctuary Wellness Center in Berryville, VA. Geo received her Master’s degree in Herbal Medicine from Tai Sophia Institute (now the Maryland University of Integrative Health) in 2008 and has been a practicing clinical herbalist ever since. She is also an adjunct faculty member at Johns Hopkins University.
Kimber Hyatt
Guest lecturer
Kimber teaches our Intro to Ayurveda class. Kimber started practicing yoga in 2005 and completed her 200hr Yoga Teacher Training in 2012 and her 300 hr Advanced Yoga teacher training soon after. In 2017 Kimber completed her 600hr training as an Ayurvedic Health Counselor and in 2018 at Kirpalu. She has also studied through Sacred Garden School and loves to show students how to maintain health and balance through the changing seasons with the help of yoga, food and herbs.
Meaghan Thompson
Guest lecturer
Meaghan is an herbalist, doula, artist and founder of Blooming Mountains Botanical Sanctuary where she and her husband grow dozens of medicinal plants. They offer a fresh plant CSA, herbal consultations, classes and hand-made herbal remedies. Meaghan has studied and worked with herbs for over 10 years and completed clinical training with Teresa Boardwine of the Green Comfort School. She has been a guest teacher with us since 2020, leading the tongue & pulse and Hydrosol-making classes each year.
