Gaia's Garden Organics:
Student Business Spotlight

Gaia Devi Stillwagon, clinical herbalist and owner of Gaia’s Garden Organics, offers seed-to-bottle plant medicine grown in her garden in Southwest Arkansas.

An Interview with Gaia Devi Stillwagon of Gaia’s Garden Organics

Are you called to craft plant medicine from seed to bottle? To grow remedies with your own hands and guide others through emotional and physical healing with integrity and heart?

Gaia Devi Stillwagon (she/her) is a clinical herbalist, grower, and founder of Gaia’s Garden Organics, where she creates organic medicinal teas, tinctures, and flower essences from her family-owned garden in Southwest Arkansas. What began as a mother’s search for relief for her young son’s severe allergies and eczema blossomed into a lifelong devotion to plant medicine. Today, Gaia grows, harvests, and prepares clinical-grade herbal remedies designed to support emotional wellness, anxiety relief, and natural health for both people and pets.

Gaia recently shared an interview with us for our Student Business Spotlight—a series featuring Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine graduates, their work, and the wide variety of professions herbalists pursue. Gaia is a graduate of our Online Herbal Immersion Program—1,200 hours of our personal training in bioregional herbalism and heart-centered herbalist businesses. To learn more about the spectrum of herbal careers available, see An Herbalist’s Salary and Career Opportunities and Learn How to Become an Herbalist.

A sunny day in Gaia’s organic garden.

My journey into herbalism began as a mother searching for answers. My son experienced severe eczema, asthma, environmental allergies, and anaphylactic food allergies. Conventional medicine offered little relief, and by the time he was one, he was taking eight different prescribed medications multiple times per day.

I began exploring plant-based remedies to bring him comfort and healing, and that exploration quickly became the turning point and primary purpose behind the birth of Gaia’s Garden Organics. What started as desperation transformed into devotion—a calling to work in partnership with the plants, to listen deeply, and to help others rediscover the natural medicine growing all around us.

What inspired you to study with us here at the Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine?

I was drawn to the Chestnut School because of its heart-centered approach and deep respect for the plants as living teachers. The curriculum blended science and spirit beautifully—honoring both the traditional and clinical aspects of herbalism. I knew I wanted to be a clinical herbalist who could guide others through both the physical and emotional layers of healing, and Chestnut offered that perfect balance of wisdom, structure, and soul.

Roses blooming in the foreground of Gaia’s Southwest Arkansas garden, where many of her seed-to-bottle remedies begin.

What are three herbs that are essential to your herbal practice, and why?

Tulsi/Holy Basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum): Tulsi is a cornerstone in my practice. It strengthens the body’s resilience to stress, lifts the spirit, and restores balance to the nervous system.

Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata): I often call passionflower “nature’s exhale.” It quiets the racing mind, calms the heart, and helps bring a deep sense of peace during times of tension or emotional heaviness.

Rose (Rosa spp.): Rose medicine softens the heart and restores harmony. It teaches compassion, self-love, and gentle strength—qualities that guide both my personal path and my practice.

Tell us more about Gaia’s Garden Organics and what your herbal business offers the world.

One of my most touching experiences happened early in my herbal journey while vending at an event. I had just begun selling the tincture formulas I had curated, one of which was my Calm Spirit Tonic—a blend designed to ease anxiety and calm the nervous system. A woman stopped by my table, visibly stressed and overwhelmed, and she felt drawn to the tonic. She purchased a bottle and, not even half an hour later, returned with to my booth smiling and uplifted. She shared that after taking a dose, she had a deep, releasing exhale and felt a wave of peace wash over her—the first relief she’d felt in weeks.

That moment changed everything for me. It validated the potency and purpose of the medicine I was creating, affirmed the energy and care I put into each blend, and reminded me that these plants truly meet people where they are—offering healing in ways words can barely describe.

Gaia’s Garden Organics best-selling Calm Spirit Tonic.

How did you know this was the right career move for you?

I knew this was the right path the moment I began witnessing real transformation—both within myself and in the people I was helping. Herbalism never felt like a “career move” in the traditional sense; it felt like a calling that kept guiding me home. Each time I crafted a formula, connected with a plant, or saw someone’s pain ease through natural medicine, I felt that deep sense of alignment that only comes when you’re living your purpose.

The validation came in small, sacred moments—like when a client found peace through a tincture I created or when I watched my own family’s health blossom through plant medicine. Those moments reminded me that I’m exactly where I’m meant to be—serving as a bridge between people and the healing power of the earth.

How has your herbal education, especially the business training inside our programs, supported your business?

The herbal and business training I received through the Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine has been the foundation for everything I’ve built. The program didn’t just teach me about plants—it taught me how to share their medicine with the world in an intentional, sustainable way. The business modules helped me understand how to bring my vision to life, from designing my dream garden to product development and ethical sourcing. I felt fully supported and ready to begin my herbal business.

Because of that training, Gaia’s Garden Organics was born from both passion and structure—a balance that allows creativity to thrive while honoring the integrity of the plants and the people they serve. The business education gave me the confidence to step forward as a professional herbalist, to create offerings that truly help people, and to build a brand that reflects my values of healing, accessibility, and love for the earth.

Gaia in the garden with roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa), one of the many plants she grows, harvests, and transforms into medicine.

What are the most challenging and/or rewarding aspects of running your business?

For me, one of the most rewarding aspects of running my herbal business is witnessing the full cycle of creation—from planting a tiny seed and nurturing it into a thriving, vibrant plant, to harvesting it and transforming it into powerful, healing medicine. There’s something deeply fulfilling about being part of every stage of that process. It’s a reminder of the intimate connection we share with the plants and the earth, and it’s a privilege to bring that energy and healing into the lives of others.

How do you engage with your local or online community through your business?

Community engagement is the heartbeat of Gaia’s Garden Organics, though my focus has shifted from in-person events to cultivating both my garden and my online presence. I’m dedicating my time to growing more medicinal plants so I can continue offering pure, potent remedies. I also share the wisdom of plant medicine through my blog, The Plant Medicine Path, where I publish in-depth articles about herbal remedies, flower essences, and natural wellness practices. My goal remains the same: to empower people—both locally and globally—to take charge of their health using the gifts that nature provides.

Breathe Better Tea, an organic blend for respiratory wellness by Gaia’s Garden Organics.

What has surprised you most about being an herbal entrepreneur?

What surprised me most is that the wonder never fades. Every spring, every new bloom—whether it’s a flower I’ve grown for ten years or something I’m cultivating for the first time—it still takes my breath away. I thought that feeling might become routine, but it hasn’t. There’s this beautiful rhythm to it: the anticipation of watching buds form, the morning you walk out and see petals finally unfurling, knowing that this flower will become medicine for someone’s healing journey.

The garden constantly gives me something to look forward to—preparing beds, watching pollinators arrive, harvesting at peak potency, planning what I’ll grow next season. It’s cyclical, but never repetitive. Each plant teaches me something new. Each bloom feels like a gift. I think that’s what surprised me most: that after all this time, I still get genuinely excited checking on the passionflower vines each morning or seeing the first rose buds swell. The medicine-making is sacred work, and the growing feeds my soul in ways I never expected. It’s a privilege that never grows old.

One of Gaia’s thriving garden rows, where food and medicine grow side by side.

Do you have any words of wisdom for those just starting their herbal education who are interested in starting a business?

Remember the tortoise and the hare? Slow and steady wins the race—especially in herbal entrepreneurship. Don’t rush to scale or offer everything all at once; instead, start small and deep, master a few formulations, tweaking them as you go, and focus on the relationship that develops between yourself and the land. Every new plant incorporated into your practice is a brand new relationship blooming; it will grow and evolve, as will many aspects of your herbal journey. Be open to that evolution and you will be awestricken by the limitless possibilities and plant partnerships that arise.

What is next for you on your herbal journey?

I’m continuing to grow Gaia’s Garden Organics, where I craft small-batch tinctures, teas, and flower essences. My goal is to expand education and accessibility—offering donation-based wellness services, hosting herbal workshops, and sharing knowledge through my online community. Ultimately, I hope to help more people reconnect with nature’s medicine and find healing within themselves.

“Healing happens when we slow down enough to listen.” — Gaia Devi Stillwagon

Is there anything else you’d like to share?

Herbalism is more than my work—it’s my way of living. Each plant teaches patience, presence, and reverence for life’s cycles. I believe healing happens when we slow down enough to listen—to our bodies, to the earth, and to the quiet wisdom within. My hope is that my story inspires others to trust that calling and walk their own path with the rhythms of the earth as their guide.

We’re so proud of our students!

We hope this interview inspires you to check out Gaia’s Garden Organics and support a small, earth-centered herbal business. Perhaps you’ll find some inspiration for your own herbal business.

Connect with Gaia via her website or Facebook.

To see what our other graduates are up to, and the wide variety of businesses they run, check out our Student Herbal Business Directory.