Meet Melissa

Herbalist First. Homesteader Always.

Herbalist for nearly 30 years

Before anything else — the gardening, the homesteading, the skincare — I'm an herbalist. That's the lens everything else gets seen through.

My curiosity about plants started at just 13 years old — wandering fields and forests, wondering what every leaf and root around me could actually do. Almost 30 years later, that curiosity has become a lifelong practice, shaped by formal training through Wild Rose College of Natural Healing and by decades of hands-on personal experience growing, harvesting, and working with medicinal plants on our own farm in Williamsburg, Ontario.

Ten years ago, that herbal foundation led me somewhere I didn't expect: into skincare formulation. Years of physical work in the gardening and landscaping industry had left me with tendonitis, and I went looking for real relief rather than another product that just masked the discomfort. I started fusing my herbal knowledge with skincare formulation — and what I built to help myself ended up actually healing me. That formula became the foundation of what Homestead Gardener's skincare line is today.

I believe these are skills every Canadian family deserves access to — and that belief is why I've spent over a decade sharing what I know, not keeping it to myself. Whether you're a backyard beginner or a seasoned homesteader, my goal is the same: help you live healthier, grow more, and depend less on systems that don't serve you.

Alongside my herbalism training, I hold a degree in Environmental Studies, certifications in horticulture, rain garden construction, and soil management, and I'm also a Living Plant Leader with WWF Canada. But herbalism came first, and it's still the foundation everything else is built on.

As the author of Blooms & Reflections: An Annual Gardening Journal and founder of Homestead Gardener Inc., I've had the privilege of walking alongside thousands of Canadians on their journey toward a simpler, more intentional life.

I'm so glad you're here.