What makes calendula a must-have herb for gardeners and herbalists worldwide?

In today’s episode, I’m joined by Helena del Pesco, whose background as a chef and fermentation enthusiast gives her unique insight into the world of herbs. Together we explore the many faces of calendula (Calendula officinalis)—from its glowing orange blossoms and otherworldly seeds to its remarkable gifts for soothing skin, supporting tissue repair, and inspiring generosity in both garden and spirit.

Calendula is beloved in herbal oils and salves to heal and protect the skin, but it shines in so many other preparations, too! Helena shares the diverse ways that she works with this lovely herb, including in her Tissue Tonic Infusion—an incredibly versatile infusion that can help heal and restore tissues both inside and out. To explore it yourself, you can download her beautifully illustrated recipe here.

By the end of this episode, you’ll know:

► Six different herbal preparations for calendula (and when you might choose one over the other!)

► When to reach for a calendula salve to help heal your skin—and when it might actually make things worse

► Why herbal teas often make better medicine than tinctures

► How forming relationships with plants and the living world around you can help you become a better herbalist

► and so much more…

For those of you who don’t know her, Helena’s work as an herbalist weaves together her love of plants with her background as a chef specializing in bioregional cooking and fermentation. Her first taste of wild food as a kid strengthened the sense of belonging she feels in nature. She seeks to walk alongside and support clients as they build relationships with plants.

Helena specializes in gastrointestinal and nervous system support (gut-brain connection) and topical remedies. In addition to her studies at the Vermont Center for Clinical Herbalism and Wild Ginger Community Herbal Center, her practice is guided by lived experience of what plant kin can teach us about the physiological, mental, emotional and spiritual aspects of being human.

I’m delighted to share our conversation with you today!

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Get full show notes, transcript, and more information at: herbswithrosaleepodcast.com

Would you prefer watching this episode? If so, click here for the video.

You can find Helena at HelenaDelPesco.com.

For more behind-the-scenes of this podcast, follow @rosaleedelaforet on Instagram!

Working successfully with herbs requires three essential skills. Get introduced to them by taking my free herbal jumpstart course when you sign up for my newsletter.

If you enjoy the Herbs with Rosalee podcast, we could use your support! Please consider leaving a 5-star rating and review and sharing the show with someone who needs to hear it!

On the podcast, we explore the many ways plants heal, as food, as medicine, and through nature connection. Each week, I focus on a single seasonal plant and share trusted herbal knowledge so that you can get the best results when using herbs for your health.

Learn more about Herbs with Rosalee at herbswithrosalee.com.

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Could the secret to a calmer mind and a healthier gut be hiding in your morning bowl of porridge?

In this episode, I sit down with Swedish herbalist and nutritionist Karoline Karttunen to discuss one of my favorite breakfasts — the humble oats (Avena sativa).

Grains have gotten a bad rap in recent years — and it’s true that highly processed or sugar-laden versions don’t do us any favors. But as Karoline reminds us, whole-grain oats are a true nutritional powerhouse that also carry the same medicinal gifts as oat straw and milky oats — beloved herbal allies for nourishing the nervous system and restoring resilience. She shares how oats support everything from balanced blood sugar to a calmer mind (and even a healthier microbiome).

Karoline is so devoted to her oats that she eats them for breakfast five days a week! She keeps her daily porridge endlessly interesting by rotating the nuts, seeds, fruits, and herbs that she adds to the mix. You can even try her Herbal and Protein-Rich Oatmeal yourself — download the beautifully illustrated recipe card here.

By the end of this episode, you’ll know:

► How a bowl of oats can calm frazzled nerves and lift your mood naturally

► What butyric acid is—and why your intestinal cells can’t get enough of it

► The truth about so-called “anti-nutrients” like phytic acid (and why you might not need to worry about them)

► How your brain and heart thrive on the right kind of carbs—and why oats are the perfect fuel

► How discoveries in archaeology and anthropology challenge the myth that eating grains is “unnatural” for humans

► and plenty more oat-inspired insights to nourish body and mind….

For those of you who don’t know her, Karoline Karttunen is a Swedish herbalist and nutritionist who brings herbs and food together in her herbal courses, blog and in personal consultations.

She has in-person courses year round on the west coast of Sweden, as well as offering online courses in herbalism. Karoline’s courses always have a focus on how herbs can strengthen health and be used as a natural part of our everyday life, just as we do with vegetables.

I was already a huge fan of oats, but after talking with Karoline, I couldn’t wait to make them an even bigger part of my herbal routine. I’m so happy to share this conversation with you—and I hope you leave feeling inspired to make yourself a big bowl of porridge, too!

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Get full show notes, transcript, and more information at: herbswithrosaleepodcast.com

Would you prefer watching this episode? If so, click here for the video.

You can find Karoline at Way-of-Life.se.

For more behind-the-scenes of this podcast, follow @rosaleedelaforet on Instagram!

Working successfully with herbs requires three essential skills. Get introduced to them by taking my free herbal jumpstart course when you sign up for my newsletter.

If you enjoy the Herbs with Rosalee podcast, we could use your support! Please consider leaving a 5-star rating and review and sharing the show with someone who needs to hear it!

On the podcast, we explore the many ways plants heal, as food, as medicine, and through nature connection. Each week, I focus on a single seasonal plant and share trusted herbal...

From easing hot flashes to calming muscle tension, black cohosh has long been a trusted ally for cycles of change.

In this episode, I’m joined by herbalist, author, and Appalachian plant steward Patricia Kyritsi Howell for a fascinating deep dive into one of the forest’s most mysterious and misunderstood herbs: black cohosh (Actaea racemosa). Patricia shares how this powerful woodland plant first “brought her back to herself” during a time of personal healing—and how that experience shaped decades of herbal practice and advocacy. Together, we explore the magic, medicine, and conservation of a plant that’s as beautiful as it is complex, weaving in folklore, insights from Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Patricia’s hard-earned wisdom from years in the Appalachian mountains.

Patricia recently finished updating her beautiful book on native Appalachian herbs, and as part of this interview she has generously included an excerpt from the book. You can download your copy of the black cohosh herbal monograph from Patricia’s book here.

By the end of this episode, you’ll know:

► Five ways that black cohosh can ease symptoms of PMS and menopause

► Benefits of black cohosh beyond its use as a “women’s herb”

► How this North American plant shares ancient lineage with herbs from China—and how it’s used differently in Western and Chinese traditions

► How to harvest black cohosh in a way that preserves (and even increases!) the plant population for future generations

► and so much more…

For those of you who don’t know her, Patricia Kyritsi Howell is a renowned clinical herbalist, teacher, and author based in the mountains of northeast Georgia. She’s the author of the newly expanded and updated Medicinal Plants of the Southern Appalachians: Second Edition, a richly illustrated guide to the use of 44 herbs native to eastern North America. A respected voice in the herbal community, Patricia supports emerging practitioners in clinical herbalism through her virtual course, Crafting Your Herbal Practice. She also leads tours to the Greek island of Crete to explore regional herbs and experience traditional Cretan cuisine.

I’m delighted to share our conversation with you today!

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Get full show notes, transcript, and more information at: herbswithrosaleepodcast.com

Would you prefer watching this episode? If so, click here for the video.

You can find Patricia at PatriciaKyritsiHowell.com.

For more behind-the-scenes of this podcast, follow @rosaleedelaforet on Instagram!

Working successfully with herbs requires three essential skills. Get introduced to them by taking my free herbal jumpstart course when you sign up for my newsletter.

If you enjoy the Herbs with Rosalee podcast, we could use your support! Please consider leaving a 5-star rating and review and sharing the show with someone who needs to hear it!

On the podcast, we explore the many ways plants heal, as food, as medicine, and through nature connection. Each week, I focus on a single seasonal plant and share trusted herbal knowledge so that you can get the best results when using herbs for your health.

Learn more about Herbs with Rosalee at