March 31st - 6:00 pm Herbal Tea Making - $25 

This is an introductory class to using herbs to make medicinal teas. This is a perfect class for someone relatively new to herbalism who wants to dive in and start learning, as well as for those who'd like a fresh perspective on the flavors of herbs and how we might want to blend them.

We'll explore some of their medicinal properties and flavors. We'll sample many different teas to get a feel for how they taste. We'll also talk about which herbs do best with different extraction methods.

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April 14th 6:00 pm - Herbalism for Beginners - $20

The most successful use of herbs requires an understanding that different people have different underlying constitutions and require plants with different qualities based on this. The art of herbalism is more complex than "take this herb for this problem." This class lays a solid foundation to start to think of herbs in a constitutionally appropriate way and to start to work your way through how to really use herbs with a deeper knowledge of how they affect the body.

In this class we will talk about how to choose herbs based on their energetics- cooling, warming, moistening, drying, as well as some examples of herbs from each of these categories. We will meet a few of our best allies and learn the basics of how to use them.

April 15th 10:30 am- Herbalism for Beginners $20 

This is the same class that will be taught on Friday night to accommodate more sign ups since we sold out so quickly!

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April 21st 6:00 pm - Gut Health: Healing Inflammation, Allergies and Autoimmune - $20 

The root of all disease begins in the gut. We'll talk about why gut health is so important for reducing your hay fever symptoms, you aches and pains, your mental health outlook, as well as the impact on autoimmune conditions.  

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April 28th 6:00 pm- Herbal Medicine Making- $30 (FULL)

This class will be a hands on demonstration of how to make your herbs into medicine. We will learn about how to make infusions, decoctions, tinctures, poultices, steams, salves, syrups and more.  We'll be doing A LOT in the 2-2 1/2 hours or so that you'll be here.

April 29th 10:30 am -Herbal Medicine Making $30- this is the same as the class that will be taught on Friday night, to accommodate more sign ups since we sold out so quickly!

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May 5th 6:00 pm- Individualized Nutrition, Genetics & Bloodtype $20

Have you ever tried to eat a certain way that someone else has used with great success, and found it didn't work for you? Maybe you tried a keto, paleo, vegan or vegetarian diet and found you absolutely didn't feel like you were thriving? Not everyone thrives on the same type of diet- we are all unique. We have specific immunologic and genetic needs for nutrients and the best forms in which to consume them. Discovering your best foods is not always straightforward with the latest fad diets declaring their virtues apply to all. 
Learn just *why* blood type of all things affects the foods you should be choosing, and why we have to go beyond blood type to really find the foods that will help you to thrive. (Hint: your blood type isn't only expressed on the surface of your red blood cells- it's an expression of your immune system) Eating foods that go against your Genotype believe it or not contribute to inflammation (and therefore pain), weight gain, as well as increases in other diseases, especially when you're already struggling.
Learn how we can zero in on the foods that will help *you* feel more energetic, optimize your health and help you to find your correct balance for weight.
If you can, find out what your blood type is before class. We have blood type testing kits available for sale in the store.

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May 12th 6:00 pm - Michigan Wild Plants & How to Use Them $20

Come learn about the medicinal properties of plants that grow around us in Michigan, as well as their preferred growing habitats. So many of the things we pull out when we are weeding are actually plants our ancestors were very familiar with and used as food and medicine. You may find yourself looking at your own backyard with new eyes!
There will also be some medicinal herb starter plants available for sale this time of year at Hawthorn & Violet! 

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May 19th 6:00 pm - Herbs for Brain Health and Memory $20

We will talk about different herbs that can help improve memory and support that very important organ, the brain. We'll also talk about how they work!

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May 23rd 6:00 pm - Herb Walk at Dauner Martin Nature Sanctuary in Fenton $20

One of the best parts of learning about herbalism is finding all the wonderful herbal allies that grow in our region. Michigan is rich in herbs that are potential allies if you know how to identify and use them! 

For this class, we will meet at the southern entrance of Dauner-Martin Nature Preserve on Dauner Road. **Parking can be somewhat limited. For those of you who would like to carpool, meet at the Hawthorn & Violet parking lot by 5:45 and we'll go as a group or two and make parking easier!

We will go on a one mile hike through wooded trails and meadow. Along the way, we will stop many times to point out and discuss medicinal plants growing in Michigan. I plan to do three herbs walks over the course of the warm weather on this same trail so that we can see how the plants look in later summer. (May, July & September)

It's always a good idea to wear good close toed walking shoes, and maybe even long pants, and to apply bug deterrent spray. We will still plan on going if it’s raining. Cancellation will only happen if weather is dangerous such as a thunderstorm with lightening is imminent. So if it looks like rain and you’d like to bring an umbrella, take that into account. 

A notebook and camera may also be useful, but there are some great notetaking apps for smartphones that are great for just this kind of thing if you're a quick typer.

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June 2nd 6:00 pm - Herbal Mocktail and Cocktail Making 6:00 pm $30

I'll show you how to make some fun new drinks for your next summer get together, or just to enjoy on your back porch. There are lots of great options to make these non-alcoholic, but you can certainly make them with your favorite liquor instead. We'll talk about how.
Its wonderful to know how to make a really great drink for everyone in your life, including those who don't consume alcohol. We had a recent family party and it was great to be able to make fun drinks for the kids and non-drinking adults too that were healthy, delicious and gorgeous.
We'll talk about how to make your own herbal infused ingredients to make them truly unique and to bring them up to the next level.
We'll sample some lovely treats (all non-alcoholic for class) and you'll leave with an understanding of how to mix up what you have growing in your backyard into something truly delicious! 

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June 9th 6:00 pm Digestive Bitters and Why Your Poor Bloated Belly Might Need Them $20

Heartburn, gas, bloating and difficulty with digesting fats and proteins is really common in our modern day lives.
Find out how the bitter flavor nips this right in the bud and how to get it into your diet so you don't have to resort to medications that might actually be making the problem worse at it's root.

I know, I know, you just can't stand the taste of bitter. That might just change when you learn more about them! America has gotten really good at breeding the bitter out of our food supply, but that has been to our detriment because we just aren't used to that flavor anymore. But we are truly meant to consume bitters. We are living through a time of bitters deficiency in most peoples diets, which is manifested as the myriad digestive problems we face. 

Bitters have helped so many people get their digestion back on track, and I'd love to teach you how.

We'll meet a range of bitters and learn about subclasses of bitter flavors so you can really play around with experimenting with them if you'd like!

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June 16th 6:00 pm - Herbs for Women's Health - $20

This is a class to become more familiar with herbs that are beneficial for many areas specific to women's health. We'll talk about herbs that are useful for periods, fertility, pregnancy, childbirth, lactation, menopause and more.

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June 20th 6:30 pm - Herb Walk in Fenton Backyard - $20

I'm offering an herb walk class in our back garden, adjacent to the Shiawasee River. I have a dedicated medicinal herb bed that includes some things you may not see as frequently in the wild around here like rue, feverfew, valerian, angelica, mugwort, marshmallow, chamomile, comfrey, lemon balm, as well as plants you may come across in the wild like catnip, Saint John's wort, New England aster, boneset, yarrow, Monarda fistulosa, motherwort, California poppy, calendula, Solomon's seal, black cohosh, wood betony, pleurisy root, blue vervain, and several more I'm probably not thinking of.  
We'll talk about these plants, their properties, identifying them and how to use them medicinally, as well as their preferred growing habitat. Its a small backyard, but with a little forethought and determination, a medicinal garden can fit just about anywhere.
Please note, we keep honeybees in our backyard. They aren't aggressive, but they are bees, so please take that into consideration if you are allergic or afraid of bees! We won't be near them for long, but the comfrey and elderberry is right next to them.

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June 23rd 6:00 pm - Medicinal Mushrooms - $20 (FULL)

All new class at Hawthorn & Violet!
Here we'll learn about the qualities of various medicinal mushrooms, how they can be used, how to identify them, where they grow, and their constituents and how best to extract them.

June 24th 10:30 am- Medicinal Mushrooms $20

This is a repeat of Friday nights class to accommodate more students

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June 30th 6:00 pm - Herbs for Stress & Anxiety - $20

You may have heard about herbs like St. Johns wort for depression and Chamomile for soothing stressed nerves, but let me take you a little deeper into the world of herbs we can use to help balance our energy patterns, that will help alleviate stress, fatigue and other emotional states. We will look at several different adaptogenic and nervine herbs and discuss the types of imbalances they best address.

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