Quote: Are you stressed? This is the rhetorical question of our age; if you’re in California, you will be at a loss as to where to "de-stress". Spas, hot stone therapy, massages, detox farms, yoga therapies, ayurveda seminars, - all of which are wonderful and equally expensive. If you are in Sebastopol, there is a place where you can unravel your knotted minds and bodies in a do-it-yourself apothecary called Rosemary’s Garden. There really is a person called Rosemary, and she, in fact, is quite notorious as a famous herbalist who has specialized in this trade since 1972.

I love to go into shops like these because I use a lot of the products, and when I find something noteworthy, or something that I use which is not found easily, I am thrilled. I also realized that my mother had been using herbal therapy as her mother had, giving me chamomile to relax a nervous stomach, diluting a tincture of peppermint for abdominal pains, and cooking with rose water to add flavor to special dishes.

At Rosemary’s Garden, you can find herbs for cooking, for making teas and infusions (that’s another thing my mother used to inflict on me: tisanes), flower essences and essential oils. She carries a specific line of women’s cosmetic and skin care developed by a Dr. Hauschka. If you’re adventurous, you can mix and make your own soaps, fragrances and gifts. How many of you have been tempted to bite into a slice of soap that smelled so authentically of coconut? I have drawer sachets which I have made from lavender from Provence; one of the greatest herbal movements "du jour" are natural estrogen replacement therapies for women who are reluctant to take prescribed estrogen. I am currently using Dong Quai, Black Cohosh, Vitamin E among other herbs and vitamins to fend off some of the discomforts, and they have worked admirably.

Rosemary’s Garden is the oldest and largest herb store in Sonoma County. They have a web presence, however, I did not find the site very informative as far as the function of the various herbs and remedies. If you are new to the herbal life style, a good place to start would be here.

From journals Sebastopol: California's Apple Cart