Norma is an herbal educator, author and Master Gardener. She has completed post-grad studies in Health Communications, Management, Speech & Language Therapy and Brain Injury. 

Her ‘hands-on’ background includes an internship in public affairs at the FDA, an apprenticeship at HerbPharm, a grower of organic herbs and producer of herbal remedies in Williams, Oregon.

Norma is the originator of a cable television series, “herbsdottir.” She is the founder of the ‘Healing, Herbal Medicine and Cancer Conference,’ author of Herbal Secrets for Gardeners; Natural Hand Care - herbal treatments and simple techniques for healthy hands and nails; Henna from Head to Toe, Natural Remedies for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Herbal Hand Creams and Salves, Herbal Home Spa (this, co-authored with Stephanie Tourles).

*New* & Updated for 2021 is a ‘free’, downloadable eBook - 'Natural Hand Care in the Age of Covid-19'. This eBook offers important safety information for our heroes working on the front lines & behind the scenes of the pandemic - the Caregivers, First Responders and Essential Workers!

To view and download Norma's new book, please click/tap here to go to her Books page.

Norma is former Chair of the New England Unit of the Herb Society of America (NEUHSA) and a regular contributor to Pennyroyal Papers. Her column, The Herb Traveler, takes readers around the globe for insights into the ethno-botanical uses of a country’s varied gardens and how the plants are used for food, clothing, shelter and medicine.

In the jungle, on the west coast of Nicaragua, learning local medicinal plants from Ernesto.

Her talks and workshops expand one's knowledge about herbs, and help launch healthy lifestyles. She presents at herb festivals, garden clubs, flower shows, health spas, hospitals, schools, art and education centers, and onboard the great ocean liner, the QE2.

Norma lives in Cambridge MA and other times, on Cape Cod next to Lake Wequaquet, a windswept, 670 acre great pond formed by receding glaciers in Earth's 'early' history.

Norma is a member of the Master Gardeners in Boston and on the Cape. When she is not in either place, she is ‘on the go’ to learn more about the world's plants and how folks reap the benefits of nature's bounty. Norma nurtures a ‘hands-on’ approach to gardening, and shares the knowledge about plants and wellness with a touch of humor. She loves to link scientific research with folk wisdom relating to nature’s botanicals. 

In 2020, Norma’s Cape Cod backyard garden was certified as an (HSA) Herb Society of America sustainable ‘Green Bridges’ sanctuary. The garden is designed to promote biodiversity with: native herbs, flowers, bushes and trees attractive to pollinators and with environmentally-friendly gardening practices. Birds, bees, butterflies, and other pollinators are offered a safe corridor for feeding, mating, and migration needs.

Note: Every garden, no matter the size, is eligible for certification as a Green Bridges ^TM garden. Creating a safe garden means: eliminating pesticide use, encouraging wildlife by providing water and shelter, and choosing plants attractive to native pollinators. 

For more information and an application on how to have your garden considered a ‘Green Bridges’ beneficial space for wildlife, please contact Debbie Boutelier, Chair of Green Bridges, HSA, 9019 Kirtland-Chardon Road, Kirtland, Ohio 44094 or email her abacus@sprintmail.com

(The Herb Society of America is a 501©(3) non-profit organization). GB Application fee is $15.00 for Herb Society members, $25.00 Non-member.

It is truly a fun project and you will reap the rewards of watching new birds, butterflies and other critters enjoy your desirable green space. In addition, you will receive a lovely water-resistant GB garden certificate for display. 

If you have more questions, please contact me, herbsdottir101@gmail.com and I will be glad to advise you. 

P.S. Norma really is Herb's and Helen’s dottir (daughter)