Christina Winters' Apothecary, Wych's Bloom, got its inspiration from a Witch Hazel tree found growing in her garden.
Also known as Wintersbloom by The Mohegan Tribe, branches from Hamamelis virginiana L. are believed to 'wych' or bend towards the ground when water is detected. A Connecticut native, who spends much of her time cultivating her backyards into medicinal gardens and surfing the Atlantic Ocean, Christina immediately appreciated the analogy to her own life.
In the old days, communities had medicine women, shamans, and witches. These healers were trusted sources who knew, intimately, the plants of their region and how to extract medicine for everyday remedies. They were also the people you turned to for guidance and advice. If you've ever spent time in Christina's kitchen, you know it is a place where the community stops by to grab a poultice for a bruise, or just to have a cup of tea from her garden and share the burdens and joys of this world.
Education
Today, Christina brings her knowledge of Herbalism to students across the country in hands-on workshops using plant material from her gardens. Certified in Plant-Based Medicine at Cornell University and a student from the Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine, Christina shares an infectious passion for the power of plants.
The foundation of Christina’s practice
“We can regenerate the Earth's flora and unlock remedies for diseases and ailments if we protect heritable knowledge from Indigenous People and decide to get curious about the plants growing in our backyards, on our hikes and walks, and along the periphery of our sidewalks and streets.”
Healing Through Nature’s Wisdom
In addition to teaching, Christina crafts small-bath remedies and spell jars from her garden that she sells at a variety of locations and online. In all of her workshops, Christina reminds people that healing starts with community and a single plant; and she puts care and attention into crafting time-honored remedies from her years of being mentored by healers from Peru to California.
Christina is a graduate of Middlebury College and lives between Amagansett, Long Island and Westport, Connecticut with her husband, two children, and her best assistant, Blixen, a four-year-old German Wirehaired Pointer (her 3rd). She is also a backyard beekeeper; and along with her remedies, you can purchase her small-batch honey, harvested every summer.
Dedicated to fighting climate change, eliminating plastic pollution, and protecting our ocean, waves and beaches for all to enjoy Christina is also an active Board member of the Surfrider Foundation.