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Leah and Joel Larabell at the High Garden Woodland Tea House & Sipping Apothecary<\/p>\n
At , Leah and Joel Larabell share their love of herbs and tea in a serene wellness-focused teahouse located in East Nashville, Tennessee.<\/p>\n
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Leah Larabell<\/p>\n
Leah has worked with herbs most of her life and was drawn to them for their wellness benefits. She built on her knowledge of herbs through directed study with Certified Professional Medical Herbalist Lisa Bedner, who taught Leah about traditional Native American herbal blends used by the Tihanama tribe. Soon afterward, in 2007, Leah became known for custom blending herbs for people in her home and then continued her studies under Southern Herbalist Darryl Patton.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wasn\u2019t doing what you saw on the shelves \u2026 I was doing whole, bold herbs from Appalachian folk-style recipes,\u201d Leah said. \u201cPeople liked them and that blew my mind.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Then, she began supplying her herbal blends to restaurants. Later, in 2012, she and Joel opened a 250-square-foot tea shop in an eclectic retail start-up community called the Fatherland District. The high demand for their herbs and teas precipitated the need to move into a larger space. They also wanted a location in which people could sit and relax; so in 2016 they moved into their current location, a 2,000-square-foot teahouse.<\/p>\n
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Leah and Joel Larabell<\/p>\n
\u201cWe wanted a place where people could be for hours,\u201d Leah said. \u201cIt\u2019s that deep connection that we all crave, especially as we get more separated in our homes, cars and offices\u2014there is that deep calling to reconnect.\u201d<\/p>\n
High Garden\u2019s laid-back atmosphere and its warm and charming rustic woodsy d\u00e9cor attract customers. People read, create art, write poetry and talk with each other. There is no Wi-Fi, so laptops are not part of the environment.<\/p>\n
Leah and Joel are conscientious about their herb and tea sourcing.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s really important to us that we buy the best herbs,\u201d Leah said. They source herbs from about 10 organic, naturally grown and ethically wild-crafted sources. High Garden offers 80 herbal blends. Leah will also do \u201cherbal matchmaking\u201d for customers who request custom blends.<\/p>\n
When sourcing tea, Joel works directly with the growers as much as possible.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom day one we\u2019ve stuck with unflavored, high-quality loose leaf teas,\u201d Joel said.<\/p>\n
He sources green tea from two small gardens outside of Uji in Japan\u2019s Kyoto prefecture. Joel also works directly with a garden in Taiwan and with a friend in the country who helps him connect with smaller tea farmers. He takes the same approach with teas from India, too, as he and Leah try to support as many small-scale ventures as possible.<\/p>\n
The teahouse has a kombucha tap room in the back in which their friend, Andrew Kingery, employs his kombucha brewing skills. Leah works with him to formulate fermented botanical brews. Another friend, Kim White, makes a cactus kefir.<\/p>\n
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Leah Larabell at High Garden Woodland Tea House & Sipping Apothecary<\/p>\n
High Garden offers monthly workshops in which Leah shares her herb expertise; and Joel teaches people about tea.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a way to deepen people\u2019s connection and comfort level with these plants,\u201d Leah said.<\/p>\n
They shunned the opportunistic cutthroat approach to business.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been nice to not get caught up in what appears to be modern-day business,\u201d Leah said. \u201cBusiness doesn\u2019t just have to be business; business can be love.\u201d<\/p>\n
The couple encourages small-business owners to operate in a way that feels best and to be authentic, and say customers will respond in kind.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re a passion project. When you\u2019re authentic, people are authentic,\u201d Leah said. \u201cThere is trust in your fellow human.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Leah and Joel Larabell at the High Garden Woodland Tea House & Sipping Apothecary At , Leah and Joel Larabell share their love of herbs and tea in a serene wellness-focused teahouse located in East Nashville, Tennessee. Leah Larabell Leah has worked with herbs most of her life and was drawn to them for their<\/p>\n