Spring & The Emerging Green World 🌱 May Apothecary Tour 🪴 May 2026 Newsletter

Published: Thu, 04/30/26

Updated: Thu, 04/30/26

🌼 🌱Re-Emerging 🌱
~ May 2026 Newsletter ~

Flowering Trees & The Emerging Green World

Spring in New England is a roller coaster, a bit heavy as you clog up with cold dreary days and then a big wheeee with a warm spell. May is the month that spring really shows up. We start off stark and muddy and emerge into a lush bright baby green and bloom-filled oasis.

In May, we plant. And plant. And plant. Each week brings a new set of pots to the deck, sprinkle of seeds, or lovingly tapped in transplant to the garden. First the frost hardy and by the end of the month we're probably safe to plant the tender perennials and annuals. Right now it brings me great joy to look out at mint, lemon balm, motherwort, and pansies on the deck and perhaps next weekend I'll belatedly pull out a few more of my self-watering planters and pop in some pea seeds.

Honestly, I'm looking forward to this transition into May. I know I have a blessed life and my personal world is nothing compared to all that goes on "out there," but April has been emotionally rough. I've been over-committed and overstretched for a long while now and had to let go of some things I cared deeply about -- one of the hardest decisions I've had to make in a very long time -- and then, days later, I lost my sweet dog Reishi unexpectedly to a tumor that went from silent to end stage nearly overnight. She's been my sidekick and baby girl for the past 9 nears and is so deeply missed.

In the coming weeks I've got a flurry of community classes where I get to be in person with both newbies and my closest herbie friends celebrating the plants. I'll be wrapping up the latest book edit round in the publisher game of hot potato, and I'll be transitioning the classroom from advanced online to in-person/hybrid Home Herbalist. We've also got weekends scheduled with friends and family. It feels a bit like I'll be emerging from this cocoon of home-based work into the IRL human and plant worlds.

New & Seasonal in This Email

• Plant ID Practice

• Plant Spotlight: Autumn Olive & Cherry Blossom

• Planting Seedlings

• May Apothecary Tour

• Camille's Managing Your Clinical Management Class

• Home Herbalist Series - Starts in June 3

• Upcoming Community Classes

Plant ID Practice

Practice and Empower Yourself With These Important Skills

Can you identify wild plants with 100 percent certainty? If you plan to ingest it or give it to someone else, you need to! The ability to “key out” and identify plants is a crucial skill for any herbalist or wild food forager. Nothing is quite as powerful and healing as picking a plant yourself, turning it into a remedy, taking it, and feeling that plant infuse you with its vital energy. But (to quote Spiderman), with great power comes great responsibility. Most of us did not grow up learning to identify plants, so we rely on field guides to help us figure it out.

Fortunately, learning how to identify plants can be incredibly fun. A new plant that you don’t already know becomes “the next Great Plant Mystery,” and the process of sleuthing out its identity helps you look more closely at and connect with each plant. Let’s get started!

Also check out My Recommended Reading Page for more book recommendations for identifying plants, bioregional herbalism, foraging for edibles, medicinal mushrooms, and more.

Learn more about Plant ID here

Spring Plant Spotlight

Autumn Olive (Elaeagnus umbellata) - These trees dot many open spaces, landscapes, roadsides, and the like throughout NH. This INVASIVE small tree was encouraged a couple decades ago because it’s pretty, fixes nitrogen, grows quickly, and produced edible berries much loved by herbs. Unfortunately, it really took off and is now quite problematic and invasive. I would not recommend planting the tree, but you can find a stand of it pretty easily in the wild or a friend’s yard. Learn more about this delightful smelling tree in the Spring Virtual Herb Walk.

Wild black cherry (Prunus serotina) (a small to large tree) has longer, thinner leaves (though this can vary) and blossom clusters. This can be a shrub and grow to become a very large tree. It begins blooming shortly after/during the choke cherry bloom time. In fall, the berries are small, blue-black, with one pit. Leaves can vary to be longer/narrower or somewhat shorter/wider. Look for the fuzzy midrib (see above) – this is distinctive for this species. They also have more than 13-15 pairs of leaf veins and are blunt toothed. Lots of white lenticels gradually turn to a shaggy bark on older trees. Bud scales are pointed. Tent caterpillars and webworms are common. Learn more in the Spring Virtual Herb Walk.

Spring Virtual Herb Walk

Planting Seeds & Seedlings: Spring Garden Planning

what would you like to plant? Perhaps you have your old favorite herbs that you just need to grow every year for pleasure, food, and medicine. Or maybe you’d like to expand your garden with some new herbs. Consider your growing conditions. Is your garden shady or full, unrelenting sun? Do you need to stick with plants that you can grow in containers? Do you need to create some new raised beds to accommodate your new or expanding garden? How would you like your garden laid out? Ideally it’s in a spot with good sun and soil and easy access to water. Consider a spot that’s easy to access or walk by regularly so you won’t forget about them and can grab a handful whenever you need it and also pluck out baby weeds as they sprout. Learn more about my top 5 herbs to grow and my favorite places to buy seeds and plants in my blog post.

Spring Garden Planning Blog Post

Run a Smoother Clinical Practice
Welcoming Camille Freeman

I've been following and learning from Camille for more than a decade now. The practical and heartfelt tips she offers for herbalist and nutritionists in building their practice via her classes, podcast, practitioner-focused newsletter (literally my favorite), and other offerings have positively impacted my practice in many ways. In more recent years I've been honored to become friendly colleagues and collaborate together more, and so I'm very excited to have her teach this class which will include time-management skills as well as tech and tips for a smoother and more effective clinical practice.

Details and Registration Here

This is our last Clinical & Assessment Skills Series drop in class for spring (so I can focus on the Home Herbalist Series this summer) - more C&A classes will resume in fall! :)

Join Us for a NH & Maine Seacoast

Apothecary Tour!

Friday May 15 - Sunday May 16

My friend and fellow herbalist Jenn Prince of My Magical Muse and I will be road-tripping to some of our favorite herb shops and spots to chat with the owners, converse about our favorite spring herbs, show off our cool herbal community offerings, and I will also be signing my books! The tour is totally free and will also be live streaming and/or posting on our social media feeds. You can drop in at one or all locations to join us in person (and shop at these lovely stores!) or couch surf from social media during or after the tour. :)

Friday, May 15

10 am at Misty Meadows Herbal Center in Lee NH

12 pm at Alchemy & Herbs in Exeter NH

2 pm at Spirit Wise Herbs and Magick in Portsmouth NH

Saturday, May 16

10 am Botanically Curious in Portland ME

1 pm Lunch at Rooted Heart Cafe & Apothecary in Buxton ME

Sunday, May 17

10:30 am Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay ME

Follow the tour that weekend on social media here:

Jenn on IG @my_magical_muse and FB @mymagicalmuse

Maria on IG @marianoelgroves and @wintergreenbotanicals

Home Herbalist Series Starts June 3!

June start of HHS! Don't delay in registering as classes start June 3 and you'll want to sign up for a remedy kit early to ensure you get one and get it in time. 9 Classes total - running on almost consecutive Wednesday nights 6-9 pm eastern with a mid-summer break: June 3 - August 19.

We have a few spots left for in-person students here in my Chichester classroom and plenty of space for folks who want to join us via zoom or on-demand.

Fascinated by plant medicine but not sure where to begin your herbal studies? Empower yourself in herbal medicine with the Home Herbalist Series. In these nine classes you will learn core body systems, primary medicinal remedies and key concepts of herbal medicine. Each class covers a body system and at least one herbal remedy. Learn how to use herbs and diet along with lifestyle changes to bring the body back into balance. Common health concerns will also be covered.

Course Overview

Class 1: Introduction to Herbalism & Herbal Nutrition | The Art of Tea

Class 2: Stress & Energy: Adaptogens for Health | Tinctures

Class 3: Relaxation & Mood: Herbs for the Nervous System | Flower Essences

Class 4: Digestive Wellness: Herbs for the Upper & Lower GI | Herbal Oils

Class 5: Detoxification: Herbs for the Liver, Colon & Urinary Tract | Capsules

Class 6: Herbs to Support Blood Sugar Balance | Skin Salves

Class 7: Heart Health: Hypertension & Cholesterol | Herb Honey & Vinegar

Class 8: Herbs for Immunity, Allergies, Cold & Flu | Elderberry Syrup

Class 9: Herbs for Reproductive Hormone Balance | Lip Balm, Cream, Bodycare

Plus Bonus Recorded Classes include Intro to Herbal Energetics, Formulation, Sourcing Herbs, Sleep Support, Uplifting Herbs, Herb Gardening, Alcohol-Free Remedy Making, First Aid Kits, Herb-Drug Interactions, Science of Herbs and various Herb Walk Videos.

Custom payment plans available by request. Limited scholarships available for online students. See forms at the bottom of the linked page below.

More Info and Registration HERE

Maria's Community Classes & Events

Herbal Gut Health

Thursday, May 12, 2026, at 6:30 pm EST

IN PERSON at Gibson’s Bookstore, 45 S Main St, Concord, NH 03301

Join Maria for an in-depth discussion about how to how to adopt healthier eating habits, employ herbs to alleviate digestive issues and improve digestion to dramatically improve your quality of life.

May 15-17 Apothecary Tour

IN PERSON and to be posted to social media. See details above!

Delicious Backyard Herbal Healing Teas and Drinks

With Herbalist & Author Maria Noël Groves, RH (AHG)

Thursday, May 28, 6-7:30 pm

IN PERSON at Enfield Shaker Museum, 447 NH Route 4A, Enfield, NH
in their Chosen Vale Performance Center

Get inspired by medicinal herbs you can grow in your garden and how to turn them into delicious hot and iced teas, herbal seltzers, and refreshing cold water infusions! Maria will share some of her favorite herbs, the various ways each can be enjoyed for health, cautions, and recipe ideas. $25 Register here.