How to Start Exploring Herbalism: Simple First Steps
When people hear the word herbalism, they often imagine something complicated — shelves full of jars, ancient recipes, a vast encyclopedia of plants. But at its heart, herbalism is simple.
It’s about relationship. It’s about slowing down, paying attention, and working alongside what God has already planted.
If you’ve felt the pull to explore herbalism but didn’t know where to begin, this is your gentle invitation: You don’t have to know everything to start.
You just have to begin with one step.
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What is Herbalism, Really?
At its core, herbalism is the practice of working with plants to support health, healing, and well-being. It’s rooted in observation, tradition, and stewardship — not in mastering every Latin name or memorizing every property. It’s about learning from the plants by spending time with them. It’s about honoring creation — and the Creator — by noticing the gifts He has woven into the earth.
“He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for people to cultivate — bringing forth food from the earth.”
— Psalm 104:14
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Simple First Steps to Begin Exploring Herbalism
You don’t need a full apothecary to start. You don’t even need a big backyard. You just need a little curiosity and a willingness to pay attention.
Here’s a simple way to begin:
1. Choose One Plant. Start with one herb. Not ten. Not twenty. Just one. Choose something easily accessible — something you can find locally or grow yourself.
(Examples: lemon balm, peppermint, dandelion, violet, chamomile.)
Learn its:
Name (common and botanical if you want)
Taste
Properties
Stories
How it’s traditionally been used
Spend a few weeks getting to know it like you would a new friend.
2. Make a Simple Herbal Tea. The most ancient way to learn from plants is by drinking them.
Start with a simple tea:
1–2 teaspoons dried herb (or a small handful fresh)
1 cup boiling water
Steep 5–10 minutes
Strain and sip
Notice the color.
The taste.
How it makes you feel.
Learning herbalism is learning to listen.
3. Walk Your Local Land. Whether it’s a backyard, a park, a meadow, or a sidewalk crack — pay attention to the plants growing around you.
What comes up first in spring?
What thrives in the heat of summer?
What lingers into fall?
Even if you can’t name them yet, simply observing the rhythms of the land will deepen your understanding.
4. Keep a Simple Plant Journal.
When you notice a plant, sketch it or describe it.
Write how it smells, what it reminds you of, where you found it.
This builds a relationship — not just head knowledge. Over time, you’ll start recognizing old friends in new seasons.
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The Heart of Herbalism
Exploring herbalism isn’t about mastering facts. It’s about rebuilding the relationship between people and plants that was always meant to exist.
It’s about:
Stewardship, not exploitation
Relationship, not control
Trust, not fear
It’s about recognizing that the earth is full of good gifts, and learning how to walk humbly with them again.
“Ask the plants of the earth, and they will teach you.”
— Job 12:8
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You Are Invited. You don’t have to be an expert to begin. You don’t have to have a “perfect” garden or an encyclopedic knowledge of herbal lore. You just have to start.
One plant. One cup of tea. One walk in the woods. And before long, you’ll find yourself walking in rhythms older and wiser than anything the modern world can offer.
Welcome to the journey. You are right on time.