About Us
High Garden tea isn’t just a business; it’s a way of life. And our tea… it’s remarkable because it has to be. This isn’t just tea to us, it’s who we are. Each blend is created through over a decade of study and dedication to the field of herbalism through the lens of Ecoherbalism. Every item that you purchase from us also saves 2sq feet of forested land allowed to become a future old growth forest. Every person that connects with a plant through a cup of our tea is another who may carry ancient plant wisdom forward and begin to protect this beautiful wild home that we all share. Welcome to the wild side. You already belong; it’s in your nature.
Ecoherbalism
We don’t just practice herbalism here at High Garden… we are Ecoherbalists. In fact, Leah’s writing the book on it. This means recognizing plants and our wild neighbors as community rather than a commodity. We don’t use herbs, we work with them, and are deeply connected to the plants which we offer you in every single cup.
Why Tea?
Tea is our thing. Of all the herbal preparations, tea is our first love and focus. For us, it’s the ritual and lineage present in every cup. Tea is gentle yet powerful. It brings your body medicine in a way that you know in your deepest being. Tea is an easily absorbable form of vitamins, minerals and constituents our system recognizes as food and knows just how to assimilate each gift. When you are sick or sad, nothing can be quite as comforting as a warm cup of tea. It’s all of the elements coming together. Fire heating the Water which then extracts the incredible medicine of the plants offered by the Earth. Then, for just a moment, the hard to capture Air is visible as beautiful steam bringing forth aroma and transformation. True, traditional tea is a dying art because it doesn’t bring as good of a profit margin as most other herbal products. We will hold it sacred no matter the cost. And that’s why tea….
Preserving Future Old Growth Forests
We save $.50 from every product sold and place it in a Forest “Savings” account which we use to purchase and preserve forested land. Particularly woodlands that are part of a wildlife corridor, watershed or hold at-risk species. We then protect it by placing it into a Conservation Easement to never be developed or timbered, creating a future old growth forest. We say that every item purchased saves 2 square feet of forested land, and that is based on $10,000 per acre purchasing price. We also use this Forest Savings account to donate to other forest preservation efforts in our region.
Packaging
Our packaging is intentionally minimal and environmentally conscious. We don’t over package the tea to convince you its high quality.. the tea speaks for itself. The kraft bags holding our teas are 100% recycled and compostable. The inner lining is plant based and the outer layer is FDA approved recycled natural Kraft. Tin tie closures need to be removed prior to sending it to compost heap. Our unbleached tea bags are plastic free and are sealed with a food grade staple and no chemical sealant. Each is compostable, as well as the herbs inside, once staple is removed. They love to return to the earth.
Sourcing
We will not pay profit to those spraying harmful chemicals on the soil that provides us life. All herbs and spices are either organic, naturally grown as regional as possible or sustainably wildcrafted. We work closely with the Appalachian Forest Farming Coalition purchasing herbs from their amazing sustainable farms.
The teas are intentionally sourced from tea farms that care as much about the finished product as they do about caring for their land and the wellbeing of the family or families facilitating the harvests. As they know, the healthier the land, the happier the plants and the more vibrant the tea in your cup. These teas are not flavored or masked with perfumes. Because of the healthy growing practices, the leaf itself is full of flavor and subtleties. If any embellishments do occur, it is a natural process that has been passed down from generation to generation.
We only support deforestation free pledged tea farms and do not support any who intentionally injure wildlife.
The Owners
Leah Larabell
I am the co-owner with my husband here at High Garden, and possibly most of all, a nature loving tree hugger, conservationist, wife, mother and daughter. I am a trained clinical level herbalist, studying under many incredible elder herbalists over the years. In fact, I’ve been practicing herbalism for over 20 years. Before creating High Garden, I used my Master’s degree in psychology to be an ecotherapist and help others find belonging in this beautiful wild home we all share. I am honored to now use my years of herbal study and practice to train herbalists through our Plantfolk Herbalism program as well as make the best dang herbal tea available.
I practice and teach EcoHerbalism, a term I created to represent the practice of working with plants while considering the entire scope of wellbeing when collecting them. Truly learning more than just their “uses” and more of how they help create this perfect web in which we all live. Connection, Balance, Belonging. I am a forever student of the land and eternally grateful for the lessons.
Joel Larabell
I, Leah, am writing Joel’s bio because he would rather lay down in a field of fire ants than talk about himself. He is a humble man filled with sunshine that radiates from his smile. Because of his warmness, he can create relationships with ease and this gift has allowed him to create relationships with tiny, top quality tea farmers which brings us access to incredibly special teas. He fell in love with the beverage on humanitarian trips when he couldn’t share a conversation due to language constraints but he found himself having meaningful experiences with locals by sharing a pot of tea. He found it to be a type of universal language. He is an incredibly kind, fair and considerate human who only wants to offer you the very best. Only teas that are created in the most conscious way with consideration to the land, farmers and harvesters. Joel is also a woodsman deep down to his core. He knows the trees by name, can carve a wooden spoon from a fallen branch in no time flat, chops firewood to warm our home, and truly knows how to thrive with the land.
“Thank You” Seed Paper Cards
We purchase our seed paper from a company in Seattle Washington. It is handmade in an environmentally friendly process with 100% post industrial waste and is 100% tree free, acid free paper.
The seeds found in our paper include 10 annual and perennial species which tolerate partial shade, need 4 hours a day of direct sunlight, and will need to remain constantly moist until established. They can grow up to 3 feet tall. None of these plants are on an invasive list within the US.
We are actively trying to create a seed paper with native seeds across the entire US which is proving to be challenging to find such a mix; especially one that imbeds nicely into paper and has a high germination rate.
The seeds included in our seed paper notes are: Spurred Snapdragon, Wild Petunia, Beardtongue, Creeping Thyme, Red Corn Poppy, Maiden Pinks and Chamomile.
Growing Recommendations: Germination may begin as quickly as one week or may take up to six weeks depending on your regional growing zone and planting depth. We recommend just 1/4 inch of soil coverage if direct sowing the card. Keep moist
Our favorite way to assure best germination: Place the paper into an airtight zip lock sandwich bag, place a tablespoon of water (or enough to fully saturate the paper) in the bag and then seal the bag to trap a bit of air inside it so it forms a bubble to keep both sides of the bag from touching. Do this in a room that is is at least 72 degrees and allows at least 2 hours of sunlight on the bag each day. You should see evidence of the seeds growth within 10 days. Once you see the sprout's roots searching for soil, transfer the paper from the bag into a pot (or garden) with just 1/8" of soil and keep moist until established since germinating seeds and seedlings cannot survive even a brief drought.
Return with Us…
Rekindle
Let the light shine in as if lifting the blinds and seeing the world for the very first time. Wipe the years of haze, created by haste and assumptions, from your eyes and see. Truly see the majestic world around you. No longer looking at “it” and “things” but seeing the wonder that is nature and your natural community. Nature has answers and a rhythm our brains can’t fully comprehend but we feel the steady beat within us keeping us moving, striving for balance and wholeness.
Lie in the grass staring up at the sky bewildered by its vastness. Listen to the wind and try to hear the secrets that it carries from plant to plant. See a mother deer realizing that she somehow cares for herself and her baby in a world now built against her, but still, she prevails and walks with grace. Every plant is either food or medicine for its neighbors in nature, including human neighbors. Our environment is a self sustaining world of wonder and you are a piece of this!
Our products are created through nature’s own wisdom to offer you a spark of excitement about the possibilities held in your natural world. Our classes are focused on being an approachable gateway for all to find their path back to or deeper within nature through excitement and awe. We are amazed every single day by the wild around us and are humbled once again by its inspiring lessons.
Remember
Remember that you belong. You belong as an important piece of a very large family. Tear down the walls of self induced separation between you and your natural home to find your place in the beautiful balance. A care taker of the land nurturing and harvesting in perfect sync. Walking gently remembering that all is alive beneath your feet.
We want to support this remembrance. Every blend we create is done so through years of practice and purpose. Ancient knowledge and plant wisdom travels through each tea bag with whispers of what has greatly been forgotten. May it bring forth the old knowledge that courses through your veins. To remember ourselves as a part of nature unlocks an abundance of possibilities and potential of true wellness for us and the land.
Reconnect
Reconnect to the whole. We are all one; all are your relations. Your family is huge. Your circle of trust is vast. You are loved by many beings in many ways. Once our walls of isolation are down and the haze is cleared from our eyes to truly see the world around us, our roots can dig deeper into the earth.
We begin to listen to the birds and understand they have a story. We know that bug has a purpose and should be carried outside and freed rather than smashed beneath your foot. We begin to feel an overwhelming sense of belonging and purpose we didn’t even know we were missing. When arriving here, your world will never be the same. You will never be the same. It is here that we become earth protectors and offer much back to the land that gives us everything.
It is our mission to offer you all the nourishment we can on your journey to reconnecting with your most natural self. Even once connected, we all need support from one another for the strength to continue the pursuit toward deeper levels of connection. We hope to offer herbal nourishment, as well as earth wisdom from in person classes and online video resources, to help you on your journey. Our dream is to foster community seeking this path. Once you’ve tuned into the wold around you, nature is an incredible teacher offering wisdom requiring no other expert for translation because you speak the language naturally.
Return
Like taking your shoes off after a long days work and finding solace in your safest space, when you fully return to nature it feels like returning to the best parts of home. With every step you connect to the earth. Every breath is an offering to the trees who gift it right back, over and over again. You feel at home wherever you are because you know your natural neighbors. You feel smaller than ever because you know you are a lovely speck of dust in this massive existence yet you feel larger than ever before because you know you are a piece of the grandness. You no longer try to control everything around you because you don’t want to get in the way of the magic of life. You embrace change and lessons as food for growth. You put your best foot forward with a gentle step and continue the journey in a good way. With every action, you consider the impact on your greater because you are a piece of the whole. You are nature.
Here we know that it is up to us to see the forests protected so there is clean air for future generations. We know that natural habitats are diminishing that are vital to animal and plant species important to the well being of this world. We acknowledge purpose in all beings and see how we are able, as a part of nature, to support our world around us in a balanced, good way. We aren’t perfect; the joy here is knowing that we can never be and that is incredibly freeing. We will never know everything. We will make many mistakes, but the lessons, journey and pursuit are beautiful. It is our mission to share what we can and learn alongside you.
We are honored to share this Earthwalk with you.