I am so happy to introduce you all to one of the sweetest humans I have ever met! Ali from Featherflies & Humble Bee Botanicals is truly one with nature, she reminds me of a forest fairy. We met at a local community herbal conference called, Herbstalk where I bought one of her natural deodorants. Everything she makes is truly so special, you can really feel her love for the plants in each one of her products. She amazes me with all her creations, everything from immune boosting syrup, all purpose cleaning teas, herbal face cream, botanical jewelry, there really is nothing she can’t do ! Ali’s excitement for plants is contagious, I knew we were going to be special friends when she gifted me a friendship plant to put in my studio. Please enjoy reading about Ali’s journey as much as I did, and feel free to comment below or ask questions !
Photo by Chelsea Call
The Quick Six with Ali from Featherflies
1. What drew you to herbalism:
I have always had a real strong connection with nature and plants as well a strong desire to simplify and take a more natural path. Discovering how interconnected we all are with plants, the way they can communicate with our body, mind and sprit in such a healing and energetic way draws me to herbalism. It inspires me to create and share this magic and the language of plants with people through my herbal creations and formulations. I am working towards making the woods my office and surrounding myself with plants and flowers as much as possible!
2. How long have you been practicing?
I have been practicing herbalism "officially" since 2012 but I believe my plant path began long before that. One of my earliest memories is picking wild chamomile with my mom as a child to make tea, carrying our little petals in my skirt held up to be a basket. Pressing flowers and obsessing over the beauty of a plant and then researching what it is and where it likes to grow was a normal thing for most of my life. I really began to dive deeper into the world of herbs and their amazing properties and the alchemy behind it all while working with Laura Lamun who was the original creator of Little Moon Essentials, an all natural body care company. Then really tapped into the beauty and magical feeling of planting seeds and watching them grow into such abundance while working as the herbalist at Elkstone Farm where we grew and processed everything in house. I loved every minute spent in those gardens discovering that herbalism runs deep within me.
3. What are some of your favorite plants?
Oooooh weee... it is so hard to pick a favorite! I might have to pick a few... Tulsi, my beloved tulsi! The smell alone can stop you in your tracks, it is so amazing! I love this herb so much, its gentle yet profound way to heal your heart and lift your spirits. I also love how much honey bees love this plant, they buzz around so joyfully on the tulsi! Next would have to be Calendula... it is the healer of all with the sunniest sweet little flowers. I like to think that Tusi and Calendula are plant friends and love to be together in the garden and in formulations! Lastly I think it would have to be Dandelion, a constant reminder of resilience and such powerful medicine!
4. What was the first product you made and why?
The first product I made was herbal infused salves. I made a two salves - Rough & Tumble a wild Arnica salve because I would find so many beautiful wild arnica flowers growing and was excited to create with them. Aiming to infuse not only their healing properties but capturing that beautiful scene in which they came from... the healing cool mountain breeze and soothing sounds of the trickling stream and the peace that comes with standing in awe of big snow capped mountains. The other one was Wild, an all purpose healing salve. I called this Wild because all of the herbs that are infused are the wild weeds that we find at our feet. Often times we disregard the weeds we walk on, when they can be, and are, our greatest allies. I wanted to create a healing balm in honor of those often forgotten walked upon weeds.
5. What do you find most fulfilling about your practice?
I am so beyond honored to be able to do what I love every single day! I always say "Special is my specialty" and it is so fulfilling to be able to create these special creations and send them out... like nature filled love letters... and that just fills me right up! Being able to create these items and connect people with plants is all I have ever hoped for and I hope to stay curious and keep listening to plants to create and share their stories with you!
6. What is your favorite thing in this world outside of plants?
My favorite thing... once again it is so hard to choose favorites! I absolutely love spending time with my honey of a husband and our sweet little pup, Tulsi. We have a vintage pop top VW van and we love hitting the ole dusty trail, finding remote camping and places to explore. We also love canoeing and finding little islands to camp on. I often times think I have too many hobbies, I love making art, pottery, sewing, and creating jewelry. I also really love live music, cooking, going thrifting, and skipping rocks and you can usually find me with a pocket full of rocks!
