Group retreats at Forest & Flowers enjoy peaceful surroundings on the 50 acre private woodland property. Our botanical farm and retreat space hosts up to 40 guests for a day event, with on site overnight accommodations for up to 10 people.

The space includes forest, flower, herb, and medicinal plant gardens, the Retreat House, Glamping Tent, Garden Room, and the Flower Barn. Event packages also include options for catering, decor, dinnerware, florals, photography, wellness sessions and other activities to simplify the planning process and create a meaningful and beautiful event.

Sound baths, yoga, aromatherapy, herb and flower workshops, and more can be curated for your group to create a meaningful experience and connect with nature.

Calm Pittsburgh, a therapy practice, hosted a weekend stay and day gathering for their team at Forest & Flowers Retreat. The day began with a catered garden brunch grazing table, and an opening circle led by Forest & Flowers Retreat founder, Jenni, for setting intentions and connecting with nature.

The group of 25 spent the afternoon choosing from a variety of sessions including:

• Plant Walk and Herbal Tea Meditation
• Self-care for Therapists
• Aromatherapy Workshop
• Sound Healing Experience
• Floral Arranging Workshop
• Yoga & Gentle Movement
• Reiki/Massage Sessions

Bring your team, employees, or company together for a unique experience to nourish your senses in a serene nature woodland at Forest & Flowers Retreat. Click here to learn more and inquire about your event.

Miranda and Matthew intentionally planned a no-fuss approach to their microwedding, and trusted the details to be curated by Forest & Flowers Retreat in Portersville, Pennsylvania. They encouraged the natural beauty of the woodland backdrop to offer a simple but beautiful experience for their friends and family.

Guests were welcomed into the Garden Room, a space that pairs rustic charm with nature through an indoor-outdoor flow through the cedar carriage doors. Handcrafted wooden tables with hairpin metal legs, black metal chairs and wood benches, reclaimed ceiling beams, basket lighting, and cascading hanging ferns completed the simple, modern, and natural aesthetic.

Garden style florals for the bride’s bouquet, groom’s boutonniere, bud vases for reception tables, and ceremony flowers were an August-inspired color palette. All florals for the event were organically grown at Forest & Flowers Retreat in Pennsylvania. Guests enjoyed a dinner reception with a beautifully designed grazing table by Nosh & Curd, followed by cupcakes and a wedding cake laced with flowers from the property’s gardens.

Photography by Hannah Lampman

“Our wedding here was absolutely amazing!  Jenni was the best hostess and wedding planner we could have had.  Everyone commented on the peaceful vibes of the property and how it was the best wedding they’ve ever been to!  We couldn’t have asked for a better location, place, or wedding experience.  Thank you!”

-Matthew and Miranda

WEDDINGS IN HARMONY WITH NATURE

Forest & Flowers Retreat curates and hosts Petite Weddings, Elopements, Vow Renewals, and Anniversary Celebrations.  Gather with your nearest and dearest for an eco-conscious event on a 50 acre woodland property in western Pennsylvania.

Snow has arrived again. The forecast says more on the way with colder temps than we’ve had so far this season. This winter has been quite wet, but warmer than usual (except for that bitter cold sub 0 F set of days in late December).

As I flipped on the porch light one morning at dawn, two deer were lingering around the snow drenched hillside of creeping thyme just outside our house. They browse it every year but it always seems to come back thriving.

However, our deer friends don’t browse everything so evenly. With some of the shrubs at Forest & Flowers Retreat, their grazing approach seems more like an “all you can eat” buffet. This winter, we’re trying some seasonal fence to give the shrubs a chance to thrive, although I want to figure out a good balance to provide things for the deer to eat in the winter while also protecting some of the plants from overgrazing — an experiment in progress.

Seed and plant orders are in (mostly). There’s always more, and I’ll inevitably have forgotten something or learn about a new plant I want to start if it’s not too late in the season to do so. Can you relate?

So many plans. I have spreadsheets for flowers, herbs, native plants, and the home vegetable garden. Columns of notes, Evernote lists week by week, drawers full of seeds. This time in between the end of the last growing season and the beginning of the next one is for making plans — I love the task.

And… it’s winter. I’m settled into this season and feeling grateful for the beauty of heavy snow on everything. Do you notice how the day light feels a little longer too?

Surrounded by plans of the coming season transports me to warmer weather, more sunshine, and the smell of fresh soil. I’m thinking about those new varieties of daffodils and tulips hibernating at the moment — they’re going to be such a vision in early spring.

Speaking of vision… Whether you consider yourself a gardener, plant woman, nature lover, birder, photographer, hiker, or someone who is so grateful for the natural world… have you ever considered how you can live in a way that the earth is grateful for you too?

• Tending a small patch of earth in your backyard with vegetables, herbs, or flowers
• Growing a patio of pots, perhaps starting with a few herbs
• Learning about the native plants in your region, and planting some if you can to add genetic diversity for a more resilient ecosystem (more on that below)

May we all notice where our attention is required for the way forward… because living in harmony with nature is our responsibility and our hope for the future.

What we do will likely be an antidote to what’s popular.  But can you feel it in your body that there’s a different way of living in which earth will be grateful for you too? 

Of course, we could feel hopeless at the state of the soil on our planet.  We could feel overwhelmed of where to begin. And… we can put seeds in the soil and grow something in devotion to the earth that holds us.

Which brings me to this year’s garden.

I thought I’d share plant lists for this season — herbs/native/medicinal plants and flowers. Some I’m growing by seed while others I’ve ordered bareroots. I’m hoping this may expedite your process in growing, or at least give you a starting point even if you’re growing somewhere different (I’m in zone 6a).

I’ve also included the seasonal floral color palettes expected to be blooming from April-October. Here we go.

Herbs | Native | Medicinal Plants

• Bee Balm
• Black Cohosh
• Bloodroot
• Blue Cohosh
• Blue Vervain
• Butterfly Weed
• Goldenseal
• Lavender
• Mayapple
• Mint Mountain
• Milkweed
• Motherwort
• Nettles
• Pipsissewa
• Skullcap
• St. John’s Wort
• Trilliums
• Valerian

Planted in the fall… Russian Sage, Salvia, Anise Hyssop

I’m going to try a winter sowing method shared on the Joe Gardener podcast by Heather McCargo, the executive director of Wild Seed Project. It’s a simple process to sow native seeds, without a lot of equipment or human intervention. She had me at “it’s like being a midwife who trusts the birthing process. It’s the same thing with the native plants — trust that they know.” Check out the episode here for more details if you’re interested.

Flowers

• Amaranth
• Baptisia
• Basil
• Calendula
• Celosia
• Dahlias
• Larkspur
• Marigolds
• Roses (David Austin, Floribundas, Hybrid Teas)
• Rudbeckia
• Snapdragons
• Violas
• Zinnias

Planted last fall… Alliums, Astilbe, Tulips, Daffodils, Sedum, Peonies, Hellebores

As I write this, a box of dried herbs I ordered has just arrived on the doorstep. Inside… Blue Vervain, Echinacea, Skullcap, Elderflowers, and a few more. Most are new to me, and they’re part of my studies in the plant medicine course this year. About to make a cup of tea and become acquainted. Should I tell them I’ve also ordered seeds so I can plant them here too? I can’t imagine a lovelier introduction.

P.S. If I’ve shared something that inspires you, take that as a nudge for how you can tend your own patch of soil. May what we grow be healing for all people and the planet.

In the future, I could also share lists of specific varieties, characteristics of the plants, harvesting notes, a calendar timeline for starting the seeds, planting, etc. Would that be of interest? Click “comment” below and let me know.

White Pine
Your lower branches dying 
and yet you stand 
so rooted in your entire being.

Thank you for supporting me 
in nourishing my roots 
for strength and resilience 
to withstand the cold and storms.

Thank you for whispering 
in the winds of change.

For moving through my lungs 
grief that is still holding on 
even after I let go.

Breathe into me. 
Thank you.
May my exhale return to you
and all who take care of us.

I recently enrolled in the Gaia School of Healing & Earth Education’s year long program on sacred plant medicine & traditional herbalism, so expect to receive more from me in the coming year as I learn more!

Personally, I’m interested to see how this new exploration of herbs blends with what I’ve already explored in my study of essential oils. I hope what I continue to share about plants engages our senses and connection with the natural world.

I was inspired to share some of my notes here from one of the plants of focus last month: evergreens.

Evergreen Support for the Body

• respiratory support
• expectorant
• circulatory stimulant
• mild diuretic
• immune stimulant
• grief support (lungs)
• evergreens stimulate sweating, which can help reduce a fever
• balance the left brain and overactive mind, improve memory, and clarity
• throat chakra — connecting to all forms of expression, sound, music, and communication

In the ancient ways of understanding the natural world symbols and “signatures” in nature offered insight into the properties of plants. Referred to as the “doctrine of signatures,” one could learn about the beneficial capacities and relationships to plants through observation.

Considering the shape of a tree’s branches, especially the needles of pine, you can see how they visually mimic the delicate intricacies of our lungs. Energetically, the respiratory system is associated with the emotion of grief. It’s understood from this perspective that pine opens the lungs and also helps to move energy to support us on all levels.

BATH

Gathering needles from the White Pine trees on the land where I live, and adding them to a bath — highly recommend in the winter.

Removing the needles from the tub afterward was good for the pipes and the trees — I returned them to the base of the White Pines with thanks.

Side note: weather permitting you could do a bath like this during your stay at Forest & Flowers Retreat in the outdoor tub, or indoors with the pine bath salts in the guest gift package.

BODY OIL

With a simple base of jojoba and sometimes a little sesame oil (warming), I add a drop of black spruce, cypress, or white fir essential oil and apply feet to neck after a shower. I especially love this in the winter — circulation, lungs, and the grounding aroma that helps me feel more steady and wind down for sleep.

SMOKE CLEANSING/SMUDGING

For purifying, cleansing. Ever since making juniper bundles from the shrubs at Forest & Flowers Retreat last year, I’ve used them in my home, at the Retreat House, and often before meditation — I feel it’s clearing energy and support in bringing me into a sacred space.

AROMATHERAPY

Simply inhale the essential oil (black spruce, cypress, or white fir) from the bottle or apply a drop in carrier oil over the lungs — breathe deeply fully in, and fully out.

Clear your lungs and breathe in the winter air on a hike through the gorge at McConnell’s Mill, or with enough snow cover find a sledding hill at Moraine State Park, or try cross-country skiing or snowshoeing (available to borrow) at Jennings Environmental Education Center.

Cozy up in the Retreat House hammock chair as you enjoy one of the books from the collection while watching the snow fall.

Enjoy a cozy and romantic cabin stay at the Retreat House this season, complete with hot chocolate, organic herbal teas, and woodland wonders to explore beneath your snow boots at Forest & Flowers Retreat as well as the nearby State Parks.  

“This property was exactly the perfect place for me. Words can not adequately describe what a special and unique retreat this is. The physical beauty, peacefulness and healing I found during my stay is an experience I will hold forever in my heart. The hosts have anticipated the needs of their visitors, even supplying a whole array of organic cooking spices. The kitchen is fully equipped. There are several areas in and out of the house that are conducive to reading, relaxing, resting, meditating and contemplating. The surrounding areas are well worth exploring and offer an array of outdoor activities. I would whole heartedly recommend this magical property especially if you are in need of relaxing, restoring, or reconnecting with yourself and/or others.” 

– Kathryn, Forest & Flowers Retreat House guest

Wintering.

Hibernation with being instead of doing.

Finding solace in rest and retreat, soundless beauty, and active acceptance of all that is hushed.

Immersing ourselves into the cold to share in its sharp edges, gloomy depths, and curative flow. Is this the medicine of winter?

As winter settles in, I notice a downward shift within me and around me. As the Earth outside is covered in a blanket of ice and snow, it feels like I’m being hushed to rest too, like someone’s turning the volume down and closing the door. A part of me welcomes the change of pace, and another part of me misses the long, warm days of more light.

From the book Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May…

“Plants and animals don’t fight the winter; they don’t pretend it’s not happening and attempt to carry on living the same lives that they lived in the summer. They prepare. They adapt. They perform extraordinary acts of metamorphosis to get them through. Winter is a time of withdrawing from the world, maximizing scant resources, carrying out acts of brutal efficiency and vanishing from sight; but that’s where the transformation occurs. Winter is not the death of the life cycle, but its crucible.”

–Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May…

Prepare… Like the roots and seeds buried into the frozen soil. For it’s only in this contrast that they become.

Adapt… Like my bare bones meeting cold water, learning to stay with discomfort. The exposure feels raw and wildly uninhibited. Free. I breathe. I hold myself in radical acceptance for all the parts that want to escape it. Only in feeling the sharpness of the blade do I also feel my edge.

Click below to continuing reading in the natyre journal

What a gift it is to buy local from unique artisans and businesses offering what they love!  Allow me to introduce you to a short list of Pennsylvania creatives, artists, and businesses.

Pennsylvania Local Gift Guide

Best Ever Granola

“Your favorite Pittsburgh made gluten free + vegan granola, Best Ever Granola, has teamed up with some of their favorite local businesses this holiday season to offer some ah-amazing gift bundles!  These are seriously awesome and will only be available through 12/25/21.  Currently shipping and offering local delivery!  No container ship required. Head here to shop to get in on the goodness.  Pictured above is just a glimpse!” – Sarah

Brie & Baskets

“The Grinch might have answered the greatest question of all time; What is the perfect gift to give at Christmas? To quote his thoughts exactly, “Maybe Christmas,” he thought, “doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas. . . perhaps. . . means a little bit more!” From experience, the best gift isn’t the latest piece of technology or a shiny new bracelet. The most memorable gift is sharing an experience and spending time with those we love most. What better way to do this than with an intimate picnic?

Brie & Baskets is an all-inclusive picnic planning company in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Our chic, modern style turns everyday picnics to a luxury outing. We believe picnics are a way to disconnect from the outside world and to dial in on growing your own personal relationships. Picnics with us are more than just a casual date night or hang out. Whether you choose a local park, back yard, or an intimate indoor setting, we will create a luxurious picnic experience for couples, friends, and families to enjoy. There’s no need to lift a finger to plan anything, we will we create the picnic of your dreams and do all the work for you! Just show up and enjoy the gift of time with those who mean the most to you.” – Jade and Brittney

Leaf & Twig

“A great gift for this time of year is Leaf & Twig’s Yule Spice/Yule Spice Chai. Cozy up with the warming spices of the holiday season. Yule Spice is caffeine-free while Yule Spice Chai brings the same flavors blended with black tea. Excellent on its own or with milk and honey.” – Melissa

Butler County Gift Certificates

Give the gift of options! Support local businesses by buying a Butler County Gift Certificate this year. Gift Certificates can be redeemed at over 100 locations in Butler County, including hotels, restaurants, shopping, and attractions. A perfect option if you’re unsure of what to gift someone. Buy local, give local. Gift certificates are available in increments of $25 and do not expire.

The Emma & Jane Shoppe

“The heart of the shoppe is built on creating community, giving back, and supporting local makers and creators. At anytime, you can come into the shoppe and find a thoughtful gift for most people in our lives. From specialty foods to fidgets and popits for your kids, we have that and more. Thoughtfulness, that is what we strive for here. For this holiday season, we are filled to the brim of holiday decor and gifts. But here are our top 3 gift ideas that we think everyone would enjoy!  1. Our ornaments. We have tables full of them, and they are beautiful. From vintage glass to VSCO girl for your tween, we have ornaments for everyone in your life.  2. Self Care gifts.  3. Local Foods and Cheeses.” – Nicole

Kraken Apothecary

“Kraken Apothecary works to bring back the old ways. Making products by the cycles of the moon, the way our ancestors used to. Kraken collects a majority of their ingredients locally, works with other small businesses, and makes products that last to help fight waste. Your recipients will feel good with these gifts and you will too!” – Steph

River Rose Weddings

“I specialize in family, wedding, and elopement photography. My goal is to turn every session into more than just a set of images, striving to create photos that feel authentic to you, your family, and season of life and take you back to all the fun we had at your session creating these images. I offer multiple mini session dates and family photography sessions throughout the year, and a gift card to redeem for one of those session site perfect gift this holiday season.” -Ali

Nicolette’s Memories Photography

“Nicolette’s Memories Photography is offering new Mini Memories as 8 x 8 metal prints to sit on an easel (available) or any small wall space. 2022 Calendars make wonderful gifts featuring a different local photo each month, and you can use each calendar as a notecard afterwards!  Blank photo cards complete the gift!  Contact email at Nicolette@zoominternet.net or call/text 724-368-100 for quick shipping or safe pick up.” – Nicolette

ABOUT FOREST & FLOWERS RETREAT

Nestled among the trees less than a 1 hour drive from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and within 10 miles of McConnell’s Mill & Moraine State Parks — Forest & Flowers Retreat is a cabin getaway with amenities for cozy luxury and your self-guided wellness retreat.  We also grow specialty flowers and offer botanical workshops for you to experience the beauty of flowers and healing essences of nature. Book your overnight stay, attend a workshop, purchase local flowers, and connect with nature for your well-being.

Jenni Hulburt, Founder & Steward of the land at Forest & Flowers Retreat

OUTDOOR ADVENTURES

Located in the historically glaciated region of the high Allegheny Plateau in Western Pennsylvania, nearby McConnell’s Mill State Park encompasses 2,546 acres of the spectacular Slippery Rock Creek Gorge – a National Natural Landmark. Created by the draining of glacial lakes thousands of years ago, the gorge has steep sides while the valley floor is scattered with huge boulders.  Scenic overlooks and waterfalls are popular natural attractions.

Moraine State Park is 16,725 acres — one of the largest parks in western Pennsylvania. It includes 71 miles of trails and 42 miles of lake shoreline. The North Country Trail runs through the park, and you can hike many sections from different areas.  Rent a boat or kayak, take a nature cruise, swim, and enjoy the water of Lark Arthur.

McConnell’s Mill State Park

The park nearly borders Forest & Flowers Retreat. It encompasses 2,546 acres of the spectacular Slippery Rock Creek Gorge – a National Natural Landmark. Created by the draining of glacial lakes thousands of years ago, the gorge has steep sides while the valley floor is scattered with huge boulders. Scenic overlooks and waterfalls are popular natural attractions.

• Tour the historic gristmill and covered bridge built in the 1800s
• Hike the Slippery Rock Gorge Trail from Eckert Bridge area or Hell’s Hollow Trailhead
• Less than a 10 minute drive from the Forest & Flowers Retreat, you can hike from the Hell’s Hollow Trailhead. Go on the Slippery Rock Gorge Trail for a long challenging hike or trail run through the gorge (out and back). Take the 1.2 mile out and back to a waterfall for something shorter and easier.

The Slippery Rock Creek

Only 1 mile from the Forest & Flowers Retreat. Enjoy fishing or exploring the trails along the creek here. Turn left out of the driveway until you reach the bridge at the bottom of the hill.

Moraine State Park

At 16,725 acres — this is one of the largest parks in western Pennsylvania. It includes 71 miles of trails and 42 miles of lake shoreline. The North Country Trail runs through the park, and you can hike many sections from different parking lots.

The Glacier Ridge Trail is a section of the 4600 mile North Country National Scenic Trail and starts at the bike concession on the North Shore.

The South Shore also has several trails: The Sunken Garden Trail, Pleasant Valley, and Hill Top Trails pass through wetlands and lake edges where you may spot turtles soaking in the sunshine near the lake, or even osprey and bald eagle.

• Take a tour with Surf SUP Adventures — a premier guide and outfitter with ongoing tours at Lake Arthur, Moraine State Park.
• Rent a bike from the North Shore and ride the rolling hills along Lake Arthur. In the winter, I love cross country skiing on this trail.
• Cruise Lake Arthur on Preston’s Pearl or visit the Owlet Gift Shop on the North Shore of Moraine.
• Visit the Jennings Environmental Center – a 20-acre prairie ecosystem, the only public and protected prairie in the commonwealth. Many short trails here.

Fishing Licenses & Permits for Lawrence or Butler County

www.fishandboat.com

Maps & Trails

The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources website has maps and up-to-date information regarding the local parks and trails. You can also visit the park offices.

Local Events & Activities

www.VisitLawrenceCounty.com

www.VisitButlerCounty.com

RESTAURANTS

Della Terra is an Italian inspired bistro showcasing naturally leavened Neapolitan pizza and handmade pasta. 20 minute drive in Zelienople.

Burgher’s Brewing Co is a craft brewery focused on local, ethical, and sustainable food and drinks. A 20 minute drive in Zelienople.

Venti Sei is a winery & pizzeria, 15 minute drive in New Castle.

Chive is a green forward, healthy, casual restaurant serving salads, wraps, and bowls. Local products with organic and vegan choices. A 10 minute drive in Ellwood City.

Two Fraus Bakery located in historic Harmony – a purveyor of fine baked goods. German and Hungarian baking traditions and recipes have been passed down to the owners. They use natural, organic ingredients for most of their baking. They use flour from the local Frankferd Farms too! A 20 minute drive in Harmony.

The Lagerhaus Bakery in nearby Harmony – proudly serves Intelligentsia Coffee. “Not only do we enjoy the taste (and caffeine) we appreciate that they are direct trade with their farmers and engage in sustainable farming and environmentally friendly practices.” They serve breakfast and lunch daily, with a seasonal menu & daily specials. Their baked goods rotate, but you’re sure to find cinnamon rolls, bear claws, turnovers, carrot cake, scones, and other Lagerhaus specials daily.  A 20 minute drive in Harmony.

Wunderbar Coffee & Crepes features Italian inspired coffees, loose leaf teas, French crepes, and American grilled cheese sandwiches in nearby Harmony PA – a historic German town. A 20 minute drive in Harmony.

National Grind Coffee Shop in nearby Ellwood City, PA serves locally roasted coffee and offers house made items such as almond milk, chai, and hummus. A 15 minute drive in Ellwood City.

Butler Brew Works is a taproom with adventurous ales and a chef driven menu with everyday bar food plus elevated dinner specials less than 15 miles from Moraine State Park. A 30 minute drive in Butler.

The North Country Brew Pub is a local favorite and uniquely handcrafted restaurant and brewery in nearby Slippery Rock, PA. Check the calendar for live music and enjoy a meal from their delicious menu ranging from farm to fork to vegan options. A 30 minute drive in Slippery Rock.

The Log Cabin Inn easily accessible on Route 19 and built around a historic cabin dating back to the early 1800’s. The restaurant is an intimate, casual atmosphere complete with colonial décor. Grab a seat on the great outdoor deck overlooking the woods. A 15 minute drive in Harmony.

The Harmony Inn, located in the heart of Harmony’s National Historic District, offers a public tavern and unique dining experience, featuring local food and an extensive selection of Pennsylvania brews. A 20 minute drive in Harmony.

Prospect Pizza: One-of-a-kind family-owned pizza shop with outdoor seating or take-out. Made with homemade dough and red sauce, plus fine Italian cheeses. A 20 minute drive in Prospect.

Knockin Noggin Cidery and Winery: Sparkling hard cider crafted in Pennsylvania from fresh pressed fruit with a gluten-free apple base. Local wines too. Stop in to the tasting room, a 35 minute drive in Volant.

Cal’s General Store: gas station and convenience store in Portersville about a 5 minute drive away (also a great stop for local eggs).

The nearest grocery stores are Giant Eagle in Ellwood City or BiLo in Harmony. If you’re coming from the South, there are also more options in Cranberry Township.

SHOPS & STOPS

The Owlet Gift Shop & Nature Center: a unique collection of nature gifts and collectibles like photographs. hand thrown pottery, local maple syrup and honey, embroidery, and hand made bird houses. Most items are from Pennsylvania and promote Butler County products. Tickets for cruises on the boat and the North Country Trail shuttle are sold at The Owlet.

The Appalachian Rock Shop: The beauty and wonder of billions of years of natural history are at your fingertips. Find Western Pennsylvania’s finest collection of minerals, crystals, fossils, jewelry and related giftware, as well as jewelry making classes in nearby Harmony, PA.

Enchanted Olive: Offering seasonal extra virgin olive oils from northern and southern hemispheres as well as aged-balsamic vinegars from Modena, Italy. In Harmony, PA.

Volant Shops: a unique village of quaint shops, restaurants, wineries and distillery located on Route 208 only 10 minutes from I-79 and I-80. Enjoy shopping on an old-fashioned main street nestled in the rolling hills of scenic western Pennsylvania Amish country. Including some of these favorites below and many more…

Zelienople Historical Tour: Enjoy this self-guided walking tour.

The Barns: 150 yr. old two peg barn featuring braided & machine made rugs, crafts, gifts & furniture.

Over the river and through the woods I would go to my grandparent’s house. Actually it was over the creek and through the woods. Slippery Rock Creek flowed under the bridge we crossed before turning up the mile long hill.

Halfway up the hill there was a mysterious road that we never went on when we visited. It wasn’t until I became a resident of this place that I ventured down this road for the first time on a run. I was overwhelmed with tears, and had to stop and catch my breath from the flood of beauty, gratitude, and belonging I felt.

I had found my place, or maybe this place had found me. 

Robin Wall Kimmerer, author of Gathering Moss and Braiding Sweetgrass, wrote an essay called, “Greed Does Not Have to Define Our Relationship to Land: On Choosing to Belong to a Place.”

“Native people have a different term for public lands: we call them home. We call them our sustainer, our library, our pharmacy, our sacred places. Indigenous identity and language are inseparable from land. Land is the residence of our more-than-human relatives, the dust of our ancestors, the holder of seeds, the makers of rain; our teacher. Land is not capital to which we have property rights; rather it is the place for which we have moral responsibility in reciprocity for its gift of life. Here is the question we must at last confront: Is land merely a source of belongings, or is it the source of our most profound sense of belonging? We can choose.”

I respectfully acknowledge the land here in the Appalachian region of western Pennsylvania was once unowned free land, inhabited by many indigenous cultures.  My home, and Forest & Flowers Retreat, are located on the traditional, ancestral territory of 𐓏𐒰𐓓𐒰𐓓𐒷 𐒼𐓂𐓊𐒻 𐓆𐒻𐒿𐒷 𐓀𐒰^𐓓𐒰^ (Osage) and Monongahela Culture according to Native Land Digital.  Knowing and acknowledging the land we live on is a way of deepening our connection with place, and honoring the ancestral people who stewarded this land in the past.

Before my husband and I built our homestead here, and before I established Forest & Flowers Retreat as a botanical farm and retreat space, it was the home of my maternal grandparents. They handcrafted the house and buildings, leaving a legacy of beauty and love that will forever be felt here.

In my early 20s, I had stayed with them periodically throughout the summer since I went to university nearby. I remember sitting on the porch one day and saying to both of them, “It always feels so peaceful here – it’s like coming to a retreat.”  They laughed. Little did I know how those words would come into form. 

When my husband and I had returned “home” to the Appalachian region, we were looking for land to build a house. My grandmother passed on during this time, and after many discussions and plans, my grandfather sold us some of his acreage so we could build. He supported and watched us create and begin the journey with steady encouragement and wisdom. We were neighbors for a short 5 years before he passed on.

I truly thought we’d be neighbors longer, and it suddenly felt lonely living on this land that we had shared for a time. I spent many walks around these woods wandering with grief and sadness, but as time passed I also felt a connection to them that has remained. I still smile, laugh, and let tears flow as I witness the ways their love and presence continues in a different form.

The vision of opening this space to others as the retreat it has always felt like to me led to purchasing the property, and Forest & Flowers Retreat was established in 2021. There was a rebirth that came after death, and I’ve sensed that this continues to be a place, for those who visit here, where cycles of change are felt and honored.

As I pass the row of White Pines on the way to the Retreat House, I wonder, “Did I ever tell Gram and Pappy when they lived here, how much I loved these trees? Had I ever told them how grateful I was that they planted all of them as young saplings?” They put these roots into the soil nearly thirty years ago. Thirty years.

My responsibility to this place runs as deep as the roots of the trees. The reciprocity I offer for these gifts, and the gratitude I feel for this sacred land that holds the ashes of my ancestors, is what moves me to cultivate this place for pollinators and people, to support regeneration of the soil, and to remember that everything we do here flows downhill to the creek.

I have found my place. This place has found me. This place doesn’t belong to me. I belong to this place.