About our School
Our History
We've been growing herbalists since 2003. Read more about our evolution here.
Our Onsite Facilities
Check out Big Moon Bee Farm and Botanical Sanctuary east of Austin and our campus locations in Central Austin. Click here to read more
Our Instructors & Staff
Want to know more about who's teaching. Click here to read about our our Founder and Director Nicole Telkes and the rest of the herbalists at the Wildflower School click here
Donations
If you'd like to support our work in underserved communities, and/or give to our scholarship fund that goes towards providing accessibility to those who would not otherwise be able to attend, please click here
Are you ready to dive in deeper?
Testimonials
The Wildflower School is exactly what I was looking for. I enjoy exploring all senses while learning about herbal medicine. Nicole is an informative well spoken instructor who energizes each class by sharing her experiences and resources. She is very encouraging and believes in her work as well as her students. Her gestalt method of teaching brings along the class and keeps everyone engaged and excited about the material. I strongly encourage anyone interested in herbal medicine and herbal traditions to take her courses.
Ivy http://hillcountryherbalist.com
As a massage therapist, I had used arnica on my clients for years. I picked up Aches & Pains Balm and began using it on clients and myself. The knots and aches started relaxing with just Aches & Pains topical and requiring much less work from me. The results were so extreme I did not believe them at first. Once I was convinced, I called Nicole because I had to know what she was doing.
She described the organic growing process for her herbs and that she only harvested true arnica which grows high in the mountains, among other things.
I also use Moon time Menstrual salve habitually. It has eased symptoms for myself or clients of PMS, fibrocystic breasts, endometriosis, & aches caused by menstruation.
Nicole is to my mind an alchemist and her products are the best I have ever tried. I have tiny containers of her products made up for Christmas presents.
Tracy Firsching http://www.austinmassage.org
Nicole has a casual style of teaching that is well informed, interesting, and a pleasure to hear. She generously shares her passion and knowledge of herbalism and offers many options for furthering your education on the subject. She is conscientious and respectful in regard to harvesting and wild crafting and emphasizes its necessity in the future of herbalism. I wasn't sure about taking the entire series of intensives until the first day of class and decided without reservations that I would be remiss not to take advantage of having such an enthusiastic, knowledgeable and dedicated teacher as Nicole.
Nancy Eldridge
There's been a lot of dynamic shifting and work in my life these past two weeks.
Thank you for such a awesome learning experience !Anne Kaufer
Thank you so much for such an incredible opportunity to participate in this class. It was fortuitous that I happened upon Tumbleweed Botanicals website located here in Lubbock, read Suzanne' bio and saw your school. And to think that once I looked up your information this class was starting the next day! After the first class I felt as if I had found my spirit again. I got into gardening about 4 years ago after I lost my job and spent time working for a local nursery at minimum wage, but it was the best time of my life. I watered plants and flowers all day and talked to many people about landscaping their yards. I then began my own vegetable garden and fell in love with watching my own food grow from seed to my table. I then decided to go to nursing school since I felt I needed a career to start supporting my family again. I strayed from the gardening during a hectic 1 year 2nd degree nursing program and felt that my spirit was lost. After I graduated another year was lost due to learning the ropes in a new career at a busy hospital. So when I found your website it was like the universe was speaking to me again in a way only I could understand! Thanks so much for the foundational information you provided in such a short time! I truly want to be apart of the other programs you offer.
Thank you again for helping me down a new and exciting journey for wellness and health for myself and my family. I truly believe this will enrich my knowledge and education especially with a holistic approach to medicine! As a nurse, it only adds to my passion for serving others!
Thanks so much! I am eternally grateful!
Veronica Lujan
Lubbock, TX
Foundations 2017Veronica Lujan
Nicole Telkes is an amazing and inspiring story teller. Her passion for herbalism as a peoples medicine shows through in her energetic and enthusiastic teaching style. It is so important to get familiar with the roots of our passions and honor those who came before us; honoring their struggles as well as their successes! Nicole brought to life the stories of herbalists who are no longer here to tell their own as well as nurturing the love and curiosity i feel for the modern herbalists whose shoulders i stand upon. I am so excited for the next time we cross paths!
Sheryl Ana
My intake was great! It was a very welcoming and safe space and I felt very comfortable with the group. William was kind and knowledgeable and we were able to cover a lot of my concerns in a short period of time. I've already started following his suggestions! Thanks so much!!
Best,
SandySandy
"I had a wonderful experience at the Wildflower School's clinical theater. Nicole made me feel at ease and comfortable talking about intimate aspects of my life and health. She patiently gathered a complete picture of my lifestyle and made recommendations tailored to my needs and preferences. She made connections between different issues I had and suggested holistic ways to address them. I was particularly happy that she discussed my preferred method for taking herbs - baths, teas, powders, tinctures, etc. It really demonstrated that she was working to find solutions that would fit into my life. I would definitely recommend a meeting with Nicole to anyone interested in botanical medicine."
Thanks again, Nicole!
Casey Newbegin
Texas Medical Association
Casey Newbegin
Nicole and her team are kind and welcoming from the start. You can easily see the passion for their school, but also above all else they were very professional. I felt as ease by their friendliness but also impressed by the way in which they conduct business. From the moment I met Nicole and Jim I knew the Wildflower School would be a place of joy and an immense amount of knowledge for my journey with herbalism.
Off record, I am so thrilled that I get to take this journey with your school! From the bottom of my heart, thank you for giving me this opportunity! It was awesome to get to meet you, Jim and Lauren yesterday, and I have been a ball of happy energy since!
Best wishes,
BaileyBailey Tucker
I am really enjoying the classes. I have taking many classes online and in person just because I have worked in and out of the field for almost 30 years.
I enjoy your easy manner and attention to detail but without the pretentiousness I find in many instructors. It is always more fun listening to someone in real time and having the ability to ask questions and get a response.Pat Kriener
Foundations Online Course
Pat Kriener
Nicole is a very supportive practitioner, and shows lots of care. It is easy to talk to her, and her calming nature makes it a very safe and secure healing environment. She not only addresses the situation that I'm seeking support with, but also the underlying imbalances which are creating or exacerbating the issue.
I'm at a place in my life where I need more of a comprehensive approach to my health; and, I left our session feeling confident that my current needs would be addressed and supported though herbs and nutrition, but also had a plan of what I could work on to create more balance and better health. She also made great suggestions for a "health care team" approach where I can get support in other ways, and I trust her referrals. I am looking forward to our continued work together. Thank You Nicole!
JR
Jen Reinhardt
Great experience. At first, I was seeking a quick fix-it cure for my problem with acid reflux with the use of a tea. I walked away with more than that. After discussing my lifestyle which includes my food intake on a daily basis, I receive knowledge that is life changing. Considering that I had an idea that I would have to change something but it is more than just one thing, it is breaking some habits I did not realized that I had developed over 20 years. Nicole explained that the process will take some time but not impossible towards a better health. Growing up in a family where there is cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, strokes, and congestive heart failure exist, I am now hopeful and determine to break the cycle by have a better health mentally and physically by making changes naturally. Thanks Nicole for your help. I am planning to continue this journey with guidance from Nicole.S. Hughes
Shandra Hughes
I am in the middle of my second program at the Wildflower School. All teachers and plant walk leaders are practicing herbalists with a variety of professional backgrounds, making for a very rich experience in class. I am very impressed with the quality of the teachings and of the instructors that we have. It is easy to understand why fellow students actually commute from Dallas and Galveston. This is not just a school but rather a true community that Nicole’s passion and dedication have inspired. I am so delighted to be part of this healthy-living, life-long learning and giving community.
Nancy Ball
"I took my first class at Wildflower this weekend and I can't believe how content-rich it was! Two days later, I have already made my first medicinal syrups. I already feel like my and my family's health are in my hands in a whole new way. I can't wait to learn more!"
Ellen Stansell, PhD, RYT
Mary Ayodele's class on River Jordan work was riveting. Her insights on restless ancestor spirits were somehow nothing new but more a reminder of a deep truth that I've always known. The new part was that there can be a resolution for these confused spirits. The most unsettling part was the realization, the acknowledgement of how all this relates to my own beingness.
Obviously I have more work to do.
Many thanks for this incredible opportunity.
Nancy
The consultation last night was amazing. Never before have I experienced meeting with a health provider who listened so extensively and asked so many deeply insightful questions. It was very empowering; before I felt guilt for my condition, like maybe it was my fault that it had gone on so long, but after leaving the consultation last night, I felt like I had permission to heal. I am very excited to receive the plan that Stefanie and the students have put together. The best thing about the consultation was that I left feeling like I had a chance to fully explore my health issue and leave with knowledge that I can use to heal. I am very thankful to Stefanie for allowing me an opportunity to meet with her, and appreciate the chance to help the herbalist students on their paths to helping and healing people with herbs.
All the best,
Dana