Herb Mentor Radio

In this episode of HerbMentor Radio, we continue our journey through National Geographic Herbal with Chapter Two: Kitchen Herbalism.

To guide us into this aromatic world, we are joined by Appalachian herbalist Patricia Kyritsi Howell, director of the BotanoLogos School of Herbal Studies and co-owner of Wild Crete Travel. Patricia brings a beautiful perspective shaped by both the mountains of Southern Appalachia and the herbal food traditions of Crete, Greece.

Together, we explore what it means to live in a culture where herbs are woven directly into daily meals. Patricia takes us on a sensory journey to Crete, where oregano, thyme, and rosemary grow wild across the hillsides and nearly every home carries its own living herbal traditions.

We also explore the tradition of horta, the gathering of wild greens that become the centerpiece of family meals, simply dressed with olive oil and lemon.

Throughout the episode, we return to our anchor herb: oregano. In Greece, oregano is not simply a dried spice in a jar, it is a vibrant wild plant deeply woven into food, medicine, and cultural identity.

The conversation then bridges back to Appalachia through another shared plant tradition, sumac, whose bright red berries appear both in Mediterranean cuisine and Appalachian kitchens.

In this episode, we explore:

Learn more about Patricia Kyritsi Howell and her work at patriciakyritsihowell.com

Are you ready to take your herbal learning to the next level?

Sounds like it’s time to check out HerbMentor!

HerbMentor offers a wide variety of rich herbal content — including an in-depth course on food as medicine — that gives you the opportunity to choose your own herbal adventure, take your time, and connect with other herbal learners and experts whenever you login.

Are you just starting to make herbal remedies?

Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) is a beloved culinary staple around the world, and an ancient herbal ally for common modern ailments.

Want to learn more about the healing gifts of fennel?

Follow along with herbalist Sorrel Hartford to learn about 3 medicinal benefits of fennel.

And after learning these 3 benefits of fennel you might be wondering how you can learn more about other common herbs.

Here’s the easy way to learn more about our favorite common herbs: download a FREE deck of our top 12 Herb Notes. You’ll learn all about popular herbs like catnip, aloe, elderberry, and more.

Get your FREE Herb Notes printable flashcards here: https://herbnotes.cards/

In this episode of HerbMentor Radio, we begin our journey through National Geographic Herbal with the chapter that opens the entire path: Sensory Herbalism.

To guide us into this deeply relational way of knowing plants, we are joined by Kat Maier, author of Energetic Herbalism and founder of Sacred Plant Traditions. Kat has spent decades helping students and practitioners understand the energetic language of plants, not just through theory, but through direct sensory experience.

Together, we explore what it truly means to be in relationship with plants through the senses. Kat helps us understand that energetic herbalism is, at its heart, the study of patterns. This awareness allows us to more skillfully match people and plants in clinical and everyday practice.

We also spend time with marshmallow root (Althaea officinalis) as a sensory teacher. Through taste and direct experience, marshmallow reveals its signature moistening softness and quiet strength, offering a clear example of how energetic qualities can be felt in the body, not just studied in books.

Throughout the episode, we return to a central theme: sensory herbalism is relational herbalism. Every culture has cultivated ways of knowing plants through the senses. When we slow down enough to listen, the plants are already speaking.

In this episode, we explore:

Learn more about Kat Maier and her work here.

Are you ready to take your herbal learning to the next level?

Sounds like it’s time to check out HerbMentor!

HerbMentor offers a wide variety of rich herbal content — including an in-depth course on food as medicine — that gives you the opportunity to choose your own herbal adventure, take your time, and connect with other herbal learners and experts whenever you login.

Are you just starting to make herbal remedies?

Sage (Salvia officinalis) is a familiar garden plant with a long history as both a culinary staple and a revered herbal ally.

Want to learn more about the healing gifts of sage?

Follow along with herbalist Tara Ruth to learn about 3 benefits and key contraindications of sage.

And after learning these 3 benefits of sage you might be wondering how you can learn more about other common herbs.

Here’s the easy way to learn more about our favorite common herbs: download a FREE deck of our top 12 Herb Notes. You’ll learn all about popular herbs like catnip, aloe, elderberry, and more.

Get your FREE Herb Notes printable flashcards here: https://herbnotes.cards/

Big news at HerbMentor Radio! We open this episode with an exciting announcement that Mimi Prunella Hernandez is joining HerbMentor Radio as a co-host alongside Kimberly Gallagher.

From there, we take time to get to know Mimi a bit better, her journey as a lifelong herbalist, author, and mentor, and what has shaped her herbal path. Mimi shares her excitement and joy about what she calls her new herbal playground, and what it means to step into a deeper role within the HerbMentor community. As a new co-host, Mimi will be popping into the HerbMentor forums, participating in community meetups, and offering her guidance as a true herb mentor, curious, generous, and grounded in science, tradition, and into the kitchen.

We also take a peek inside Mimi’s books, beginning with sensory experience and moving outward through weeds and forests to the global landscape of herbalism. We highlight the velvet soft cues of peach leaf, the tart brightness of hibiscus, and other beloved herbs featured in National Geographic Herbal and Backyard Guide to Edible Wild Plants.

Learn more about Mimi and her work at www.herbalandhome.com, and follow her on Instagram @herbalandhome.

Are you ready to take your herbal learning to the next level?

Sounds like it’s time to check out HerbMentor!

HerbMentor offers a wide variety of rich herbal content — including an in-depth course on food as medicine — that gives you the opportunity to choose your own herbal adventure, take your time, and connect with other herbal learners and experts whenever you login.

Are you just starting to make herbal remedies?

Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum) is a sweet, warming spice used in Ayurvedic medicine and beloved in kitchens around the world. It’s treasured in herbal medicine for its aromatic, stimulating gifts.

Want to learn more about the healing gifts of cardamom?

Follow along with herbalist Tara Ruth to learn about 3 benefits and key contraindications of cardamom.

And after learning these 3 benefits of cardamom you might be wondering how you can learn more about other common herbs.

Here’s the easy way to learn more about our favorite common herbs: download a FREE deck of our top 12 Herb Notes. You’ll learn all about popular herbs like catnip, aloe, elderberry, and more.

Get your FREE Herb Notes printable flashcards here: https://herbnotes.cards/

Gut health isn’t just about digestion: it’s the foundation of whole-body balance. Clinical herbalist and author Maria Noël Groves brings a practical and deeply empowering perspective to the conversation, helping demystify gut health and showing how herbs can gently and effectively support digestion and long-term vitality.

Maria is the author of several books, including but not limited to Body into Balance and Herbs for Gut Health. She is a clinical herbalist and herbal medicine teacher with more than 2 decades of experience and a registered professional member of the American Herbalists Guild. Her business, Wintergreen Botanicals, is based in Chichester, New Hampshire.

In our conversation, Maria shares…

You can learn more about Maria Noël Groves and her work here. 

Are you ready to take your herbal learning to the next level?

Sounds like it’s time to check out HerbMentor!

HerbMentor offers a wide variety of rich herbal content — including an in-depth course on food as medicine — that gives you the opportunity to choose your own herbal adventure, take your time, and connect with other herbal learners and experts whenever you login.

Are you just starting to make herbal remedies?

Build your natural first aid kid with our free Herbal Preparation Cards: https://Herbal.Cards

Clove (Syzygium aromaticum) is a pungent culinary delight that makes for a wonderful spice and herbal ally.

Want to learn more about the healing gifts of clove?

Follow along with herbalist Tara Ruth to learn about 3 benefits and key contraindications of clove.

And after learning these 3 benefits of clove you might be wondering how you can learn more about other common herbs.

Here’s the easy way to learn more about our favorite common herbs: download a FREE deck of our top 12 Herb Notes. You’ll learn all about popular herbs like catnip, aloe, elderberry, and more.

Get your FREE Herb Notes printable flashcards here: https://herbnotes.cards/

Ginger (Zingiber officiniale) is far more than a spicy addition to your meals. This beloved plant has been used for centuries across the world as a powerful herbal remedy.

Want to learn more about the healing gifts of ginger?

Follow along with herbalist Tara Ruth to learn about 3 benefits and key contraindications of ginger.

And after learning these 3 benefits of ginger you might be wondering how you can learn more about other common herbs.

Here’s the easy way to learn more about our favorite common herbs: download a FREE deck of our top 12 Herb Notes. You’ll learn all about popular herbs like catnip, aloe, elderberry, and more.

Get your FREE Herb Notes printable flashcards here: https://herbnotes.cards/

Menopause isn’t an ending: it’s an initiation. Herbalist Mimi Prunella Hernandez offers a refreshing, grounded, and deeply compassionate look at the post-menopausal years, breaking down stigma and opening the door to a new era of vitality, strength, and self-trust. She shares how simple, time-tested herbal allies can support the body through this powerful life chapter.

Mimi is a clinical herbalist, educator, author of The National Geographic Herbal and coauthor of The Backyard Guide to Edible Wild Plants. Rooted in her Colombian heritage and the Mexican tradition of curanderismo, she honors the art of folk healing while weaving in modern science. She is the former Executive Director of the American Herbalists Guild and the 2023 recipient of the Botanical Excellence Award for Herbal Community Building from the American Botanical Council.

In our conversation, Mimi shares…

You can learn more about Mimi Prunella Hernandez here. 

Are you ready to take your herbal learning to the next level?

Sounds like it’s time to check out HerbMentor!

HerbMentor offers a wide variety of rich herbal content — including an in-depth course on food as medicine — that gives you the opportunity to choose your own herbal adventure, take your time, and connect with other herbal learners and experts whenever you login.

Are you just starting to make herbal remedies?