Student Testimonials

Dr. Lara Gardner
"I took Mary's Herbal Foundations Program as a practicing doctor. Herbal Foundations opened up a tool set that is not being utilized in western medicine. I have been able to support my patients with therapies that are non-toxic and non-invasive, and use herbalism as an integrative practice for my patients. I highly recommend Mary's program for anyone who wants to open a door to natural health, and connecting with nature. Mary gave me the confidence I needed to use herbal medicine with my patients, and to encourage them to take their health into their own hands, and prevent disease before it happens! 

Abigail Jefferson
“I am a 61-year-old African American woman who has just recovered from stage 4 lymphoma cancer and major spine surgery. I was so happy to be able to delve deep into learning about herbs, their healing properties, and the many ways they can support me on my healing journey towards optimal health and wellness. I especially enjoyed the plant walks and hands-on activities of making syrups, salves, and tinctures. The details explained of the many actions of each herb were invaluable. I look forward to furthering herbal study….
Mary Blue is a knowledgeable, joy-filled, and engaging teacher. I thoroughly enjoyed the class.


Lydia Andersen-Tarnell
I had been wanting to take Herbalism classes for some time, but work/life excuses always got in the way. Once Covid hit and my life changed in more ways than one, I decided there was no better time to take the leap, and boy I am so glad I did. The Level 1, in-person classes were truly the highlight of my summer! On-site at Mary's beautiful farm, the classes were extremely informative, fun and so inspiring.  Since taking the class I have formed an even closer relationship to plants and mama earth, as well as reconnected to my own soul purpose and potential to heal. I intend to take Level 2 classes as soon as possible, and am looking forward to continue down my own herbal path, to see what blooms. 

Iesha Martinez
“Before I started the course I was overwhelmed with all of the information floating around. Herbal Foundations was broken down in a pragmatic way and taught me how and what to look at rather than just where. Example: starting with herbal actions and what you’re trying to accomplish rather than starting with herbs...
I also love the breakdown of herbal extractions and how to use herbs in the most beneficial way — which circles back to herbal actions! The course was broken down nicely. Weekly instruction was the right amount and was able to fit the coursework in with my busy schedule, work, and raising two kiddos.

Anna Fox
"Mary Blue's Level 1 program has a wealth of information for budding herbalists and plant lovers!  She gives an in depth introduction to herbal actions, product making, plant recognition, constituents, solvency, and much more. This program provided me a foundation for herbalism that allowed me to then expand on greatly in many different ways. I recommend it to anyone looking to learn more about plants whether it's for supporting themselves, their families, or their community!" 


D'Andre Quinerly
"I came to Mary's classes as a young professional struggling through a transition. I had dedicated my educational pursuits to preparing for a career in conventional medicine and I had come to conclude that my heart was tugging me in a different direction. I had the opportunity to study with Mary and I knew from that point on why I had been redirected to studying herbal medicine. I found a new life path, and the confidence to make herbal products, recommend herbs to my friends and family AND community of people coming from all sorts of backgrounds, who were invested not only in the plants but in building community. I found plants, people, and communal support."

Rosann Kozlowski
"Taking courses with Mary is an invaluable and gingery experience. I’ve learned how to recognize herbs and how these herbs support the healing process, and this knowledge has allowed me to look at the natural world with capable and tender eyes. If you have the pleasure of working in or visiting the herb farm, you’ll watch the cycle of herb life and be opened to the world of plants and their talents. Moreover, you will be guided into this herbal world through a qualified and compassionate teacher. Mary is the perfect teacher: she has breadth and depth of herbal knowledge, passes on this knowledge with generosity, and has a fiercely compassionate heart. She’s funny as hell and has the just-slight-of-center teaching style that makes learning worthwhile, fascinating and just plain remarkable."

Tyler Plante
"I highly recommend Mary Blues Level 1 Herbal Foundations course for anyone who is interested in learning more about Western Herbalism. Mary teaches this comprehensive course with excitement and enthusiasm making it easy for budding herbalists to digest all the information. I love that we had sessions where she spoke about the processes of making medicine and then actually demonstrated how to do it. Herbal Foundations gave me the strong foundational footing I needed to catipult me deeper into my herbal journey. Not only did I learn all the basics in a thoughtful way that incorporated social justice, which was a non-negotiable for me, but i had a blast doing it. It was fun to be in class and I really enjoyed getting to know Mary and the community she has built at Farmacy Herbs, they are my people! What has been most rewarding for me is that I've taken the knowledge I've learned from Herbal Foundations and used it in real life situations confidently. Thank you, Mary!"

"Thank you Mary for this course. I really learned a great deal and learned how very much more I need to know. I love the Herbal Foundations book and have used it frequently as a reference to gain more info to help a neighbor or answer a question on how to enhance their life with herbs. I suspect it will be my go to reference for years.I had absolutely no idea where to start. There is so much misleading information out there, especially on social media. I am so glad I took this course! I now have an understanding of the basics (and then some). Mary has paved a path of clarity and has armed me with the necessary foundational knowledge to delve confidently in my journey of herbalism.”

Ejama McNeil
"I would like to express my deepest appreciation for Mary Blue. Going through Herbal Foundation has completely made the relationship between myself and plants much stronger. It’s changed my approach to herbalism forever. The amount of knowledge Mary provides helps you transition into studying herbs smoothly. You will leave with confidence to keep yourself, community and family well." 

Meredith Buban Lee
“I thought the class was absolutely fabulous! The material covered in the textbook, in-class, and via the online videos is extensive and thorough.  Mary’s videos are a pleasure to watch! The class really motivated and inspired me as I had to go shopping for a lot of the tools, assemble my “apothecary kitchen”. So to speak and then actually make tinctures, oils, salves and syrup! I have sung the praises is this program to many friends and relatives and the members of my garden club and advised them to check out the website and the shop. Taking this class has fulfilled a long-time dream and I look forward to furthering my herbal education in the upcoming Level 2 class. Yay!”

Nancy M.
“This course has given me a much better base of knowledge to work on in my road to learning and working with herbs. Every time I re-listen to one of Mary’s training sessions or look up something in the Herbal Foundations book I feel as if another window has been opened in my knowledge of herbs. My path to knowing more of herbs and how they can enhance our lives has become clearer. This class was so very much worth the time and effort. Mary, from listening to you these weeks, it is clear you have worked hard for years to gain your knowledge. Thank you for taking the time on your journey to find a way to share this knowledge with those of us just beginning on the herbal road.”

Carissa Wills Demello
"Herbal Foundations is the perfect name for Level 1 of Mary's herbalism program -- it's truly the foundation of regaining our health independence and herbal empowerment that is our birthright as human beings. Mary's focus on accessibility, social justice, and practical herbalism is like nothing else I've experienced through my studies as a student of herbalism. If you're wondering where to start, look no further. I can't imagine a better way to build the foundation of my work as an herbalist! This was without question the best investment of my time and money in my adult life. Years later, I still refer to my textbook and notes from the program. And I still connect regularly with the community that I built through the program! With Mary's guidance, I gained unshakeable confidence in my ability to support myself, my family, and my community with healing plants. I wish that everyone, yes literally everyone, could enroll in this program. What you learn from Herbal Foundations is applicable to every day and everyone, throughout all of life!"

Nicole V
“I’ve always been an amateur, aspiring family-herbalist (or possibly, one-day community herbalist) and looked to books and online research to guide me. Mary’s course gave me a much more comprehensive and approachable understanding of herbalism, especially when it comes to understanding plants’ constituents and herbal actions. It’s a great foundation and gave me the confidence to continue on with my herbal education. Thank you!”

Sunan Yund
“I loved this class. I learned a lot and it was fun and engaging.”

Jennifer
 “I was highly satisfied with the content and quality of this course. The classes were educational, informative, and hands on.”

“I enjoyed learning about herbs in this online training because I could fit the learning in my busy schedule when it was convenient for me.”

“Both knowledgeable and personable, Mary Blue guides you through this great, user-friendly online course with a wealth of information about Western herbalism and wildcrafting, offering the perfect starting point for the beginning herbalist.”

Katherine Amaral- “I am a 34 single mother of a 6 year old girl. Since I can remember, I have always wanted to have a deeper understanding of my natural surroundings. I have dabbled in gardening, volunteered on farms, gone on many plant walks, and continuously read and research which wild plants can be eaten and used medicinally. I always wished that understanding and learning about plants had been a bigger part of my life when I was younger instead of it just being something that I am trying to teach myself when I have the time. Now that I have my own child, I want her to grow up having a better understanding of her natural surroundings. I want her to know where her food comes from and know how to use plants for nutrition and medicine. I want to have more control over my own health and I want to teach my daughter this as well. This is my main interest in learning a deeper understanding of plants and how to use them. I want to feel confident in taking my health into my own hands and I want it to by my daughters normal to turn to plants and natural remedies when caring for her own health and also to know when to seek more professional help. This class has given me a clearer view on understanding plants and not only how they can be used to benefit our health but also why the work. Now that I have completed this course I feel more confident in researching plants to figure out which ones can and should be used for a certain situation and also what type of application they should be used in to be most effective. Thanks to this course, I will continue my research and education in learning about plants and also teach it to my daughter.”

Tami Killam
 “Herbal Foundations Online opened my eyes to the wonderful world of herbs and how to use them in my daily life. I enjoyed the online course because I was able to fit the learning in my busy schedule when it was convenient for me. I would highly recommend this course to others who wish to learn about incorporating herbs into their own healing and journey. I look forward to using more herbs on my own healing journey. A big thank you to Mary Blue for teaching and sharing her love of herbs with me!