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Take time to wander among the many fragrant colored roses and enhale deeply again and again. Each color and fragrance holds a different and subtle story of the promise of love.🌹
Comment ROSE for a free delicate flower recipe straight to your inbox 🌹
Christopher Hobbs
#rose #rosegarden #christopherhobbs #roserecipe ... See MoreSee Less
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When I was young, my mother told me, “always remember to stop and smell the roses.” Thus, I always slow down and linger there, whether a single rose or a fantastic garden of rosely delights. When inhaling each smell and color, it is as if my mother’s abiding love springs up in me anew.
As I wander through a garden of roses and take a precious moment to savor the colors, the perfection of form, and the always surprising fragrances, each different in it’s own way, the memory of past delights, and the very love of life in it’s many forms come rushing through me, until I can hold no more.
Have you ever taken the time to wander among the roses in the garden? If you close your eyes and inhale deeply of each one, it is as if each color, whether white, yellow, multi-colored hue, purple or red each have their own fragrance. Each one brings forth different feelings, it is an experience unique unto itself.
With gratitude 🌹
Christopher Hobbs ... See MoreSee Less
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🌿 Meet Mahonia aquifolium, better known as Oregon grape root — a powerful native plant of the Pacific Northwest, with deep golden roots and equally deep healing potential.
This bitter, antimicrobial root has long been used by Indigenous peoples and herbalists to support the liver, digestion, skin, and immune system. Rich in berberine, it acts as a botanical ally for clearing heat, cooling inflammation, and defending the body against unwanted microbes.
I often reach for Oregon grape root when the liver needs gentle stimulation, digestion is sluggish, or the skin is expressing deeper internal imbalances.
🟡 Bitters like this aren’t always sweet, but they are some of our most profound teachers — guiding the body back toward balance through stimulation, detoxification, and resilience.
📚 You’ll find Oregon grape featured in both Western and traditional herbal traditions, often as a gentler alternative to goldenseal — and one that’s more ecologically sustainable.
Have you worked with this brilliant root?
Thank you for walking the plant path with me,
Christopher Hobbs
#oregongraperoot #mahoniaaquifolium #plantbitters #liversupport #digestiveherbs #skinhealth #berberine #herbalism #plantmedicine #herbalremedies #herbalistsofinstagram #herbalmedicine #christopherhobbs ... See MoreSee Less
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🌿 Foxglove: Beauty, Power, and Caution
Botanical name: Digitalis purpurea
Family: Plantaginaceae (formerly Scrophulariaceae)
Common names: Foxglove, Digitalis
⚠️ Powerful — and Potentially Dangerous
Foxglove is a striking biennial native to Europe, now widely naturalized in North America, especially along forest edges, meadows, and gardens. Its tall spires of bell-shaped, purple-to-pink flowers make it a favorite among pollinators and plant lovers alike.
But beneath its beauty lies great power — foxglove contains potent cardiac glycosides (notably digitoxin and digoxin), compounds that affect heart rhythm and contractility. These constituents have been used pharmaceutically to develop life-saving heart medications, but the plant itself is highly toxic and should never be self-administered.
Do you recognize this plant when you walk in the woods?
Thank you for walking the plant path with me,
Christopher Hobbs
#foxglove #digitalispurpurea #plantidentification #herbalwisdom #herbalsafety #herbalistsofinstagram #plantstudy #christopherhobbs ... See MoreSee Less
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🌹 Throughout history, roses have been revered across cultures as symbols of love, purity, and divine beauty. In ancient Persia and Egypt, they were cultivated for their fragrance, used in sacred rituals, and distilled into rose water and rose oil for healing wounds, calming the heart, and soothing skin.
Greek and Roman texts link roses to Aphrodite/Venus, embodying sensuality and the ephemeral nature of life. In traditional medicine—from Ayurveda to medieval European herbals—roses were prescribed for inflammation, grief, and digestive ailments.
Beyond medicine, their unmatched aroma made them central to perfumery and spiritual practices, evoking emotional balance and subtle joy. Even today, the rose remains a botanical icon—both a remedy for the heart and a symbol of beauty eternal. 🌹
With gratitude,
Christopher Hobbs
#rose #herbalwisdom #christopherhobbs #hearthealing #nervines #plantmedicine #apothecary #herbalist #herbalremedy #emotionalwellness #botanicalmedicine ... See MoreSee Less
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🌿Aloe vera is one of the most time-honored medicinal plants — a succulent that’s been cherished for thousands of years for its cooling, soothing, and regenerative properties.
Used traditionally in Ayurvedic, Chinese, and Western herbal medicine, aloe is most known for its clear, gel-like inner leaf — rich in polysaccharides, enzymes, and antioxidants that support skin healing, digestion, and immune function.
🧴 Topically, aloe gel is a go-to for sunburn, minor wounds, and skin irritation — helping to calm inflammation and support cellular repair.
🌿 Internally, small amounts of the inner gel can soothe the digestive tract, supporting conditions like heartburn, gastritis, and even promoting gentle elimination. (Be mindful: the outer leaf, or latex, contains anthraquinones like aloin, which are strong laxatives — best avoided unless specifically needed and in tiny doses.)
💧 Aloe is also a deeply hydrating plant, helping to retain moisture in the skin and mucous membranes — making it a favorite in both herbal and cosmetic traditions.
Whether fresh from the plant or in high-quality preparations, Aloe vera is a beautiful example of nature’s ability to heal, cool, and restore balance.
Have you used Aloe as part of your wellness routine?
May the plants meet you where you are,
Christopher Hobbs
#aloevera #christopherhobbs #herbalmedicine #plantwisdom #naturalhealing #digestivehealth #skinhealth #herbalremedy #summerhealing #guthealth #plantmedicine #herbalwisdom #herbalremedies #herbalhealing #naturalmedicine #digestivehealth #herbalistsofinstagram #herbalcommunity #medicinalplants ... See MoreSee Less
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🌿Meet Rupertia physodes — a lesser-known gem in the pea family, quietly flowering along dry hillsides and forest edges from late spring through summer. Often called California tea, this native legume has been traditionally used by Indigenous groups for gentle herbal infusions, though it’s rarely seen in modern herbalism.
With its delicate, cream-to-yellow blossoms and deep roots in the western landscape, Rupertia reminds us that even the most unassuming plants carry stories worth listening to.
I love encountering this plant on summer walks — a quiet companion, thriving in the sun-baked soil and offering a subtle nod to the resilience of native flora.
Have you ever come across this one in bloom?
In health and harmony,🌿
Christopher Hobbs
#californiaplants #californianatives #nativeplantmedicine #herbaltea #wildherbalism #localplants #californiatea #plantallies #herbalinfusion #herbalistsofinstagram #christopherhobbs ... See MoreSee Less
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When the world feels chaotic, look up. 🕊️
This flock of starlings moved as one, forming the shape of a bird mid-flight — a symbol of peace and purpose.
May we learn from nature’s coordination, cooperation, and quiet power.
#naturemedicine #naturalrhythms #earthwisdom #birdmedicine #quietpower #wildbeauty #lookuptothesky #seasonalliving #flocktogether #slowliving #healingthroughnature #innerpeace #christopherhobbs ... See MoreSee Less
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As the sun reaches its peak, we find ourselves at the turning point of the year — the Summer Solstice 🌞
One of my favorite herbs to honor this season is St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum). Traditionally gathered right around the solstice, this golden plant seems to drink in the sun and share its warmth — supporting our mood, our nerves, and even our skin.
I often turn to St. John’s Wort when there’s a need to lift the spirit or soothe a restless heart. And just as the sun lingers longest on this day, this herb teaches us to stay present, stay bright, and let the light within us expand.
More St. John's Wort wisdom coming your way next week 🌿
Wishing you a bright, grounded, and herbal Solstice,
Christopher Hobbs
#solstice #stjohnswort #herbalwisdom #christopherhobbs #plantmedicine #hypericum #sunmedicine #summerhealing #naturalremedies ... See MoreSee Less
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