What Tools You Need To Start Your Herbalism Journey
I am so excited that you are interested in learning a bit more about herbs. Whether you just want to know what the big interest is in herbs these days or ready to go full tilt and dive into all things plants the first lesson is the same for everyone. So whats the first thing you need to start learning about herbs? Herbalism tools.
Herbalism isn’t just about reading articles, monographs and books. It’s a hands on interactive learning experience. The best way to learn about an herb isn’t to read about it but use it. So while I will recommend a couple books here we’re really going to focus on tools to help you create, store and bottle your herbs.
Books
| Item | Why | Where |
| Peterson’s Field Guide | A must if you will be foraging for plants. This has become a staple for me. | Learn More |
| Medicinal Herbs: A Beginner’s Guide by Rosemary Gladstar | This is a great beginners book, it covers basic herbs and recipes. You’ll get a lot out of this (I promise because I know I did as a beginner!) | Learn More |
| The Earthwise Herbal: Old World | This series reviews first classic herbs from Europe (lavender, chamomile, etc). It covers materia medica information and practical/clinical use. | Learn More |
| The Earthwsie Herbal: New World | I love that these books go into how to use the whole the plant and not just the active ingredients. This second volume covered American herbs. | Learn More |
Tools
| Item | Why | Where |
| Teapot or pot to boil water | You will use this ALL the time | Learn More |
| Tea ball or small strainer | If your tea pot doesnt have a built in strainer you’ll want a tea ball or other small strainer. | Learn More |
| Jojoba oil or Coconut oil | Either one of these will work. I personally prefer jojoba because it soaks into the skin nicely. | Learn More |
| Cheese Cloth or Potato Masher | Either one of these will work. I personally prefer the potato masher because when I’m squeezing out my concoctions I can get more nutrient rich liquid plus its easier on my hands. If you’ve ever made elderberry syrup and walked away with purple hands (worth it) you’ll love the potato masher. | Learn More |
Containers
Bottles and jars should be glass whenever possible. This is because our herbal concoctions have a tendency to pull into themselves the chemicals that are in plastic bottles. If you spend all this time trying to make natural solutions only to get these chemicals anyway it’ll just drive you batty!
| Item | Why | Where |
| Tincture bottles | These bottles have a dropper in the lid and are on of my all time favorites to keep a stock of around the house. | Learn More |
| Jars | Various sizes needed, trust me on this one! (2 oz, 4 oz, 8oz, 16oz). | Learn More |
| Storage Containers | You’re going to need all shapes and sizes of these to keep all your dried herbs year round. | Learn More |
| Ball Mason Jars | These are the best when making sun teas, fire cider and other infusions. | Learn More |
Gardening (if you plan on growing your own herbs)
| Item | Why | Where |
| Gloves | Handing plants, digging in dirt, etc. It’s not fun trying to dig out caked in dirt from under your nails. | Learn More |
| Trowel | Way easier using a little shovel then just your hands. | Learn More |
| Plant Food | Give your plants a fighting chance with nutrient enriched all purpose plant food! | Learn More |
| Seeds/Plants | Decide whether you want to start from seeds, small plants or both. I recommend some easy to grow herbs that you can use in wellness and kitchen recipes. Lavender, Thyme, Sage, Echinacea and Rosemary. | Learn More |
Herbs (for purchase)
| Item | Where |
| Lavender | Learn More |
| Chamomile | Learn More |
| Sage | Learn More |
| Rosemary | Learn More |
| Echinacae | Learn More |
Additional tools you probably already have in your kitchen: kitchen scale, mixing bowls, measuring utensils, scissors, notebook and pens/pencils.
Learning
Don’t forget online learning too! You can follow along with my blog posts below and continue to follow the links at the bottom of each herbalism blog post.
With these tools we’ll be able to explore, learn and create herbal concoctions together. I can’t wait! Join me in learning how to make a simple calming herbal tea with some of these tools.
You can also take this free, thats right people I said the magic words of free, class from the New England Herbal Academy!
