Our story

Natalie O’Grady, creatrix & folk herbalist 

Plants have always been a part of my life, even when I didn’t realize it. If you ask my mom she’ll tell you I had very little interest in gardening as a kid. Admittedly, gardening in Wyoming where I grew up isn’t the easiest, and planting seeds to wind up months later with the tiniest carrots you’ve ever seen wasn’t encouraging to a child whose busy imagination was already on to the next thing anyway. And yet, plants were already building important relationships with me. 

I spent hours reading on summer afternoons in the arms of the large tree in our backyard. Our front flower box held blooms from my Great-Grandma’s house, and to this day the sight and scent of lilac wakes up my inner child thanks to the large bush we had in the front of the house. My grandma often played a game with my sister and me where she’d send us to hunt in the backyard for “herbs” (grass could be thyme, a leaf became cinnamon) to add to her “cauldron” for a brew.  

Through a series of health crises amongst members of my family, a pandemic, and my own mental health journey, my interest in how plants could better the health of the communities around me grew rapidly in adulthood. While extremely grateful for the amazing life-saving advances of modern medicine, I felt called to look for practices that went beyond managing symptoms and crises. I wanted to support my own health and that of others in long-term, impactful ways. From mysterious lung issues to kidney stones to heart troubles to heavy, immense emotions and trauma, I found myself brainstorming on formulas and blends that could help me and those I love.

I dove into courses offered by The Herbal Academy, as well as individual workshops offered by other experts and herbalists. My studies will continue for life – though I am not currently a clinical herbalist, I aim to increase both the breadth and depth of my herbal knowledge every day. As my work evolved, I became more aware of the individual spirits of plants, the unique nuances and wisdom even individual versions of the same type of plant can offer. I now solidly ground my approach in animism and a deep reverence for the interconnectedness of humanity and nature.

My own spiritual exploration and research into my ancestry happened alongside my initial foray into herbalism, and the two are now tightly intertwined. I am a firm believer that herbalism is a partner to-not a replacement for-western medicine. Modern medicine has given us incredible, lifesaving tools; yet there are a multitude of plant allies available to us to help with long term health and wellness in body, mind, and spirit. Add in a dash of my own ancestry and spirituality, and you get The Meadow Apothecary, named in honor of Fólkvangr — Norse Goddess Freyja’s “People Meadow.”  

I aim for The Meadow Apothecary to continue to evolve, offering more ways to educate my community, connect people to plants and each other, and build respect and awe for the world around us.  In addition to small batch, hand crafted products, I offer curated herbal books, community connection and education circles, and workshops on herbalism.