Welcome to BOHO BOTO ~ Bohemian Botanicals! An apothecary of herbal goodness venturing to bring wild and organic plants + mushrooms into folks’ daily lives. Herbalista Ry offers bioregional small batch organic and sustainably wild harvested high quality herbal tincture extracts, tonics, body care and teas. I am a one woman owner operator, gardener, forager, potion maker and herb slinger based in the fertile Willamette Valley of Cottage Grove, Oregon, Kalapuya lands.
I have had the fortunate opportunity to directly study with a dozen amazing herbalist teachers, educators and healers. I consider this diversified training fundamental to my style of medicine making as well as communicating about herbs, herbalism and the body. From folk herbalism, wilderness skills, clinical herbalism, botany, medicine gardening, large scale herb farming, bioregional knowledge to vitalist tradition perspective — all of these teacher’s styles, knowledge + ways of living with plants have infused into my being.
I have been a student of Herbalism since 2011. I am a Graduate of the Wisdom of the Herbs School, Woodbury, VT; Vermont Center for Integrative Herbalism (VCIH), Montpelier, VT; Herb Pharm, Williams, OR and Columbines School of Botanical Studies, Eugene, OR. In 2025, I continue to be a student of the plants enrolled in the Vitalist Herbal Practitioner Program with the School of Evolutionary Herbalism. I have broadened my education deeper by participating in additional workshops and classes with several amazing mycologists and herbalists over the past 14 years. And perhaps most radically, I spend time in my garden, in wild fields, forests and meadows, listening, learning, tending and building bridges of connection.
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I didn’t always know my purpose or place in this world…it was hidden deep down, oscillating between my heart center + gut. I slowly pulled it up, and up, and up, out of the depths, through a messy bunch of years. I smoked a hella lotta marijuana during college while attempting to navigate socializing and coming into adulthood. I adored vintage clothing so…!? Lift Off, I declared a fashion marketing major! After graduating, I went on to work in fashion and retail for 10 years. I worked my tail off for a corporation, training folks how to merchandise and style things to look enticing so they could acquire more and more money. It was an intense ‘work hard, play hard’ lifestyle. I worked a ton, drank even more and battled tons of migraines. I luckily managed to transition myself within the realm of nonprofit public health for several years following thanks to the help of a friend. But, I continued searching for work with a deeper heart connection.
I discovered my path to Herbalism in 2010 in downtown Montpelier, Vermont. I saw a flyer for an immersion folk herbalism, primitive skill building and botany field program. I applied, received a grant from the beautiful state of Vermont and was accepted in 2011! I was enamored by this immersion program and subsequently continued to advance my studies over the next seven years.
In 2014, after my third herbal program, I took a risk. I stopped my exhaustive search for herb jobs all over the Country. I was willing to move anywhere to finally ‘work’ with herbs. And, I was driving my partner a bit bonkers as we had just settled in Oregon the year prior after traveling for a year. But, I was so ready to make this thing my thing. Make it real. I had been studying plant medicine for four years with three different herbalist training programs in Vermont and Oregon. My studies ranged from folk to clinical herbalism, small to large scale medicinal gardening and farming. I took the plunge, reassured myself I knew enough to begin sharing knowledge and selling my herbal goodies.
It’s been 14 years since my herbal education journey began and 11 years since I made a go with my herbal products biz! I’m still learning. I’m still studying. I’m still growing. I am profoundly grateful my path found me {grateful I finally listened!} In the early years of studying herbalism, I initially shied away from telling others my history. I allowed for the idea that folks assumed I grew up a gardener, an herbalist. But, I absolutely did not. I grew up in the suburbs of Massachusetts eating canned vegetables and store bought cookies searching for a deeper connection. What I did know was I loved to be outside, around plants, trees and wild animals. Being outdoors amongst these being was my saving grace. My safe place. My grounding.
I found my purpose in this world to be a conduit – connecting humans to plants + mushrooms. To their energy, their magic + their healing. I don’t make the amount of money I used to make working in fashion. I don’t have paid vacation or sick time. Health insurance is always an uncertain ride. But, when my community tells me that the medicine I make, the plants I connect them to are getting them back to health and helping them navigate this wild ride of life ~ my soul couldn’t be happier!
In deep reverence to the plant + mushroom world.
