Land Apothecary
Connecting People & Plants
Melaina created Land Apothecary in 2015 as a platform to connect people and plants. Land Apothecary's mission is to support the revitalization of traditional medicine and food practices and to contribute to the enhancement of wholistic wellness in Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities.
She facilitates herbal medicine workshops and creates handcrafted herbal teas, soaps, skin care products, and herbal medicines to share and to use in her practice. She is passionate about wildcrafting and medicine making, which is rooted in her reverence for traditional knowledge about native plants, food systems, and ecology that has been entrusted and passed down to her. All her creations are made from, and inspired by, the plants she wildcrafts, with respect, from her natural surroundings. Melaina is deeply connected to Mother Earth and enjoys spending time out on the land alone and with others.
Offerings
HERBAL WORKSHOP FACILITATION
HERBAL WORKSHOP FACILITATION
HERBAL WORKSHOP FACILITATION
Melaina is available for in-person or virtual demonstrations, presentations, and workshops on a variety of topics.
Topic ideas:
- cold process soap making
- herbal teas
- herbal infused oils
- herbal salves, lip balms, lotion bars, lotions
- herbal tinctures
- herbal bath salts, bath bags, salt scrubs
- herbal first aid
- plants for a specific body system
- herbal self-care
- seasonal medicines
- wild foods as medicine
- ancestral beverages
- herbal culinary salts, vinegars, nutritional seasonings, honeys
- spring greens
- wildcrafting, ethnobotany walks, plant identification
- plant harvesting, processing, drying, and storing
- plant demonstration table
Contact us for rates and booking.
HERBAL MEDICINE MAKING
HERBAL WORKSHOP FACILITATION
HERBAL WORKSHOP FACILITATION
Melaina wildcrafts and creates herbal medicines to use in her practice, and to support family, friends, and communities. She welcomes custom and bulk orders, and has a product list available (see below). Please reach out if you'd like to discuss placing an order.
HOW TO MAKE THE PERFECT cup of herbal tea
hot infusion
When preparing teas, feel free to experiment and choose the proportion of herb to water ratio that suits your taste. A general ratio for infusions is 1-2 teaspoons of dried herb per cup (250ml) of water. The aerial parts of a plant (leaves, flowers, soft fruits, and any seeds high in volatile oils) are usually made into an infusion, which means they are soaked in boiled water.
Place the proper amount of herb in a container (a teapot or mason jar, for example) and cover with boiling water. Place a tight-fitting lid on the container. Let steep for 10 to 20 minutes, and then pour through a strainer. Tannin-rich herbs such as black and green tea should steep for less time because they will turn bitter if steeped too long. Mineral-rich herbs such as nettle, horsetail, and red clover are best when steeped several hours to overnight.
cold infusion
Plants can be infused in water without using heat, with some lending themselves particularly well to extraction in cold water. This method is most effective for extracting mucilage (a slimy substance that is found in marshmallow and slippery elm root), volatile oils (aromatic compounds as in peppermint), and for mineral-rich plants (such as nettles, alfalfa, red clover). To prepare a cold infusion, measure the herb in the same proportion as mentioned above and place in a small muslin bag or bundle in cheesecloth. Fill a mason jar with room temperature water and suspend the bag at the top by catching the string with the lid rather than letting it sit at the bottom of the jar. This promotes a circular movement in the water and better extraction. Allow herbs to steep for 6-10 hours. Squeeze herb bundle to get as much medicine into water as possible. Sip and enjoy!
solar infusion
By harnessing the sun’s warming energy, the herbs are invited to open and release their medicines into the water. To prepare a solar infusion, place 2-3 tablespoons of herbs in a 1 liter mason jar. Fill your jar to the brim to submerge the herbs. Seal and place your jar in a sunny spot. Gently shake the jar occasionally to help move the plant material around while steeping. Allow the herbs to infuse for 3-5 hours, or all day. Strain, sip and enjoy! Douglas fir tip, lavender, rose petal, and mint are some favourite sun teas.