Garden Gatherings
NEXT GATHERING STARTS SPRING 2025
A sacred monthly gardening circle devoted to exploring the gifts of hands-on gardening and herbal medicine.
I believe the garden holds medicine that can aid in our individual healing journey.
Gardening is a simple way to root ourselves, feel our connection to the Earth, and a natural way for us to explore what is happening in our hearts. It puts us back in touch with our innate capacity to create, nurture, and replenish ourselves. I believe that getting our hands in the soil, chatting with other women, and tending plants through the growing season is a simple and effective way of resetting our nervous systems, creating connections, and working through trauma and challenges that we have faced.
Each Garden Gathering session is a sacred circle that opens with a prayer, reflective questions to create connection, an introduction to a spiritual gardening theme and moves organically into hands-on work in the garden and medicine making. Each session ends with a gift to take home, such as seeds, self-made plant medicines, or art.
We will root our work together each week with a theme and a plant of focus. Each session will include a blend of group discussions, facilitated art projects, herb walks, and medicine making, all held together by our shared desire to grow and change.
We welcome trans, queer, and non-binary friends into our circle.
I recommend participants join all 5-sessions if possible. Single sessions are also available.
“My experience studying herbalism with Ashley was life-altering. I recommend Sky House to anyone who has the slightest inclination to learn more about their own health and self-care, as well as the professional whose end goal is to practice clinical herbalism.”
Take one class or join the full 5-part series.
Open to all and all levels of gardening experience.
Freshly brewed herbal tea will be served each week, along with light snacks.
Cost: A suggested donation range of $5 - $25 per session or $25 - $50 for the full 5-part series. This covers all materials and supplies.
What to Bring: Participants should wear long pants, gardening clothing (that can get dirty), gardening gloves, and clippers/scissors.
2025 Series Details
Classes take place at the Sky House Community Herb Garden in Wayzata/Deephaven, Minnesota
Saturdays from 10:00 am - 12:00 noon.
Exact address and details will be emailed to you after registration is complete.
Garden Gathering Events include:
Plant Of The Month:
A deep dive into a single plant that will serve as our artistic focus and guide for the session.
Examples include Nettles, Chamomile, Marigold, Lemon Balm, and Yarrow
Monthly Theme:
Each session will feature a theme or topic that is connected to the plant of the month.
For example, a focus on the herb Nettles would include a discussion about its work as a boundary keeper and guided journal questions would be offered for deeper reflection on this theme.
Art/Writing Projects:
Participants will be given materials to create plant based art or paper and a pen to create plant-inspired poetry or writings.
Examples include mud art, plant personality paintings, and flower mandalas.
Medicine Making:
Participants will make a plant medicine to bring home using the herbs from our land and garden.
Examples include fresh herbs for teas, tincture or glycerite making, herbal honeys, flower essences, or nourishing herb infused oils.
May 31st
SESSION #1 - Let’s Get Dirty!
Garden preparation, planting, and weeding, alongside art, harvesting, and medicine making.
June 28th
SESSION #2 - Community Bonding
Work in teams to identify our strengths as plant people and engage in messy art using natural mediums to express our gifts. We will make a flower essence to take home.
July 19th
SESSION #3 - Sacred Bathing
Water is life. In this session we will explore the magic and healing properties of water, herbal infusions, and make a sacred herbal bath to dance through and celebrate life. Be prepared to GET WET!
September 13th
SESSION #5 - Preparing for Autumn
Colder seasons are around the corner and we will explore ways to support our nervous system and immune system as the weather turns using plant medicines, art, and oil.
August 16th
SESSION #4 - Native Pollinators
Learn about native Minnesotan pollinating plants and how to use them as medicines. We will make art to reflect this generosity of the plants and make herb-infused honey to bring these gifts home.
Meet your instructor
Ashley Litecky Elenbaas, MS, (RH) AHG, ERYT
Ashley Elenbaas, M.Sc., RH(AHG), has enjoyed playing outdoors, leading herb walks, teaching apprentices, and growing gardens for over 20 years and has returned to gardening for healing and support throughout her life and sees gardening and connecting with plants as a spiritual practice.
Ashley has held jobs and volunteer positions working in food and herb gardens in Costa Rica, North Carolina, Maryland, DC, and now Minnesota.
Through her own experience with eating disorders and family addiction, Ashley has explored many spiritual traditions and therapeutic approaches. Her purpose for leading these sessions is to create a safe and healing space for people to explore their hearts, their griefs, and to see the healing power of nature as a great tool in the process of recovery and soverignty.
Ready to embark on an outdoor healing experience?
$5 - $25 per session, $25 - $50 for the full 5-part series
Please specify which session/s you are registering for in the form below. Your donation covers all materials and supplies.