Gathering Thyme--formerly in San Rafael--moved to its new location in Petaluma, roughly across from Pinky's Pizza. This place has top-notch, high-quality products, including Mighty Lung for cough and bronchial issues. I have found this product to be the best EVER for treating these kinds of conditions. Dana created a situation-specific tincture for me while I waited. If you're into health and wellness at an elevated scale, this is the place to come. They carry so many excellent products. I can't even begin to list them. Dana offers consultations and situation specific remedies that are powerfully effective. Plenty of parking in front of the building. Petaluma is so lucky to have Dana here! read more

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Terrific, informative class on making facial serums and masks with herbs for healthy skincare.

Very friendly and knowledgeable about all the products in this wonderful shop. Highly recommend

What a gem Gathering Thyme is for San Rafael. Cheryl and Judy bring deep expertise in herbalism, plant cultivation and conscious living. This store can not only supply your medicine and kitchen cabinets, they can also educate you on how to augment your healing journey, naturally. You'll be shocked at all the little, fun surprises that await in store from workshops, to infused oils to delicious chocolates. read more

I came here looking for deodorant, and as I walked in thought, "wow what a great little shop, how have I not been here before?" Unfortunately the customer service leaves a lot to be desired. I can't say that I have ever been met w/ such hostility whilst supporting a local business. I didn't even understand what was happening and meekly said "I think I should go, sorry" and ran out as quickly as possible. Went to Good Earth instead where the staff is always friendly. read more

Love this store and my 1:1 work with Judy, who is a gifted, wise healer from another another dimension! I feel lucky & grateful to have begun the spiritual-physical healing work with her and the medicines she offers! read more

The staff at Gathering Thyme is knowledgeable and professional. The reasonably priced herbs have been researched to be organic and from a reliable source. This is one of the few stores still selling herbs locally. Their customed made herb teas have been carefully blended. I have found one in particular very helpful. I drink it on a regular basis for the last 4 years. Their yearly local fair in Petaluma where they have a wonderful small garden is worth attending. They also have herbal classes thru the store. One can sign up for notifications of events at the store. read more

Enter with your shields and force field UP! Yes, it's decently stocked, it's bright and cheery but sadly that bright and cheery vibe DOES NOT extend to the owner nor any, and I do mean ANY of her staff. I think I've popped in there 7 or 8 times. Not once, not even one time mind you, were they friendly, engaging, hepful - in fact they are down right rude. And of course they'll treat you like you are a complete know-nothing - I've been tempted to hand over my herbal essential oil therapy resume . . . . The last time I was there I asked if they had an Ayurvedic line called Ayush which has a fantastic product called Carditone ( if you are worried about your heart and high blood pressure - one of these per day is what I take) Anyway, Miss Snootty Pattootty (the owner no less) sniffed at me and said "We DO NOT carry Ayurvedic herbs, we ONLY carry North American" Yikes, I needed to duck and cover so her words and tone wouldn't blast a hole in me and send me all the way to Sonoma County! OUCH. Getting back to local-ish herbs, this is great, I love herbs from our continent and our locale, but hello toots, could you possibly express yourself better and in a matter that makes people want to shop here? May I suggest you take plant medicine that creates happiness and kindness? Perhaps a homeopathic - Rude-icum 200c might be appropriate. None of these people are poster children for herbs etc as being fabulous for a bright healthy joyful vibrant beautiful life style. Quite the opposite. To close: "I will NOT have what she's having!" read more

I love this place! They are so kind and knowledgeable. I really like the personal touch and they give you. read more

I really love gathering thyme and go there regularly. I find the staff to be friendly and helpful and I love there powdered kava to help with my sleep problems. Love ya gathering thyme read more

What a fantastic little gem and such a kind welcoming. Great location too. Cause right about now, I think we could all use a little healthy happy & hippie read more

Was surprised by the poor customer service. The lady working at the counter made me feel like I didn't know much and acted put upon. Very rude. read more

I totally agree with others with all the 1stars. I found the woman working there, rude and I was made to feel that I was an annoyance to her. When I called for information, again, rude, hung up the phone on me. I know she was busy, but there are nicer ways to say goodbye. read more

I think we all have someone in our lives who is our "go to" person for questions about this or that. Well, Cheryl is mine when it comes to all things holistic. Her knowledge is vast and very impressive. She's very caring with her knowledge, but never pushy or judgy. She simply answers my questions and lets me make my own decision on the route I want to take. She has an extensive line of supplements/vitamins, lotions, potions, books, candles, tea accoutrement, WONDERFUL epsom salts, etc., etc., etc. I especially love her homemade tea blends (great gifts). If you ask her what she recommends for "X", she may suggest a custom tea blend to help what ails you. She has really created a wonderful resource for people who are interested in a more holistic approach to their health that complements their western medicine care. This one's a no-brainer. Convenient, incredibly knowledgeable and kind. read more

I love going to the now even more convenient location on 4th Street. They have really high quality, sustainably harvested herbs, teas, lotions, essential oils and tinctures. They do consultations, make their own tinctures...custom for your particular needs AND offer wonderful classes. So whenever you develop a list of stuff you need from a pharmacy, think of checking out what they have that's on your list. A very small business deserving of our support and gratitude. read more

This is a hidden gem! The staff are knowledgeable and kind, answered my questions and made recommendations. I was able to pick up my phone order in a few minutes, and they provided excellent service. I appreciate their focus in keeping everyone safe and healthy during the midst of this pandemic. read more

I've been getting products here for about 2 years and have found them to be very helpful and customer oriented. I find the tea to be fresh and of excellent quality. read more

It took me a while to build up the nerve to go to this shop. I had an idea of what I was looking for as an end-result (of products), but not well-educated in the area of herbal concoctions. It is a lovely shop, but I felt intimidated going in. Judy offered to help me, asked me questions about what brought me in, then patiently talked me through understanding different options. I also loved the fact that what she ultimately recommended was to go with an option that was less than half price of what I suggested. I will give business to a place that doesn't fixate on upselling, and I am free to make my own informed choices. I expected to be there 15 minutes at most, and stayed almost 40. I really appreciated the experience, and will be back for sure. From my personal experience, there is a lot of wisdom and sincerity to be found here. This review is solely based on *in-store experience*. I'm hoping the products work, too! read more

This is a great herbal store and education center. There are great classes to learn more about herbs, making your own cosmetics and so many others. The herbs are of high quality and the curated selection of toiletries, teas, and supplements are of great quality. The owners Cheryl and Judy are very experienced herbalists. read more

Wow. Cheryl is the poster child for bad customer service and the reason people are forced to shop online. The first time I was in her store she was oddly condescending and short with me as I was trying to learn about home made salt scrubs with my small children in the store. (A project we are doing to learn how to be entrepreneurs and help our community by donating part of our proceeds to charity). Figuring everyone has an off day and always willing to give people the benefit of the doubt, I tried again today to patronize her store and learn more about her products. She literally said to me, " We are not here to educate anyone." What?!?&@$ this after a bunch of other off putting interactions. Such a rude and small minded person and 180 degree difference from the fabulous experience I had just had down the street at Le Comptoir learning about French cheese and wine and spending $150. That's what happens when you "educate" people. They buy your products. Duh. I will never darken her doorway again and encourage others to find other sources. In fact, that's what she'll tell you to do, go buy a book or go online. Guess what, I will happily!! So much for shopping local. read more

This place is amazing. They have a wide variety of high-quality stuff, pretty much anything you could want if you're in to herbs/natural medicine. I will be patronizing them heavily from now on because their "tummy tamer" custom tea blend is really helping my boyfriend's stomach issues. We know for sure that the tea is helping because as soon as he misses a couple days drinking it the problems come back, then go away when he starts it again. I picked out that tea by talking for a few minutes with the lady working there who was really helpful and thoughtful. Thank you Gathering Thyme, please stay open forever! read more

This is truly my favorite one-stop-shop for wellness needs. The staff are so knowledgeable and I've learned so much from coming here over the past couple of years. From supplements to herbal teas to educational workshops to bath, body and gifts - they have it all. I am a lifelong customer for sure. I have also completed their first year herbal studies program and am currently enrolled in second year. I have learned a tremendous amount and continue to learn more each week. If you have a passion for herbalism or just want to pick up some tea, this is the shop for you. So grateful I found Gathering Thyme! Thank you Cheryl and Judy for all you do for your community - we are truly lucky to have you read more

This woman is incredibly knowledgeable! Thank you for creating a place to learn more and make natural products accessible for everyone!!!

A wonderful place of medicine and the magic of healing. Whether you are looking for an emergency remedy for a panic attack or a wrist burn, or desiring to learn more about western herbalism and ways to treat yourself with plant medicine, Gathering Thyme is for you. read more

Cheryl is an extremely knowledgeable botanist. She is insightful and kind, a valuable resource to our community.

Best herbal store ever! The Owners are extremely helpful and knowledgeable. This is my new go to for natural medicine!

A wonderful, supportive community of very knowledgeable and skilled herbalists. Gathering Thyme offers an assortment of great classes for every budding or seasoned herbalist and is a very valuable resource for the Marin community. I've learned so much from Cheryl and Judy already and am thrilled to have found this place. They've both studied with the best of the best and are eager to share their wealth of knowledge with everyone around them. Their store offers an incredible selection of top-quality wellness products and bulk herbs and they have truly taken the time to find the absolute BEST sources and suppliers. read more

Fun place to gather herbs and what nots. I especially like the crystals (I believe they are from Kelly who used to own the crystal shop in Fairfax and has a great eye for quality crystals). They also have make up and beauty products that smell great and have good ingredients. read more

I was heading into San Francisco and wanted to pick up some flower essence as a gift to myself for my birthday only to find out the shop I was going to was closed. I looked on Yelp and found a person in San Rafael who makes flower essences for dogs and suggested gathering thyme to find flower essences for humans. Heading from the North Bay I've proceeded to San Rafael and found this location to be easily accessible off the freeway. It was very clear from entering the store but I would need to be masked and clean my hands. Take a note that they only let one customer in at a time and they were serious about this. I found a sales person to help me to be very friendly and extremely knowledgeable. We chatted briefly and I was able to pick up a few more items than I intended. The person who helped me was Judith and she was helpful and patient. Also Judith shared with me many many resources to help me along my studies of herbalism. We had a nice chat at the doorway and overall, the experience was great ! read more

Although I'm grateful there is an herb shop in Marin, I have repeatedly experienced an uncomfortable interaction each time I go to shop there. I have found the women working there cold and unfriendly overall. I don't get it. I would think herbalists, healers would be kinder, more warm or at least understand the need for good customer service but they don't. If it's any consolation, most herb shops are the same. You can read about the Herb Room in Santa Cruz, it has similar reviews only worse. There are new owners so things may have changed but still, I saw the same thing at Scarlet Sage with the old owners...again new owner so maybe things have changed. Snobby, impatient and cold. Put out even! Why is this? Is there a snobbery in the herbal world? Either way, I love herbs and make my own so sometimes I need to get something from Gathering Thyme but dread going there because I'm going to be looked and treated like a nuisance. As if ME buying something from them is a bother. Weird stares as if I've done something wrong. Huffiness when waiting on me. I don't get it? Perhaps herbalism is too full of introverts who arent comfortable around people, either way it's disheartening and wish there was a better alternative. After reading a few other reviews, I see I'm not the only one. The prices are steep at times and the customer service could be friendlier and more efficient. I appreciate that they supposedly give one-on-one customer attention but I have not found that to be the case but opposite when I get up there; although they are focused on my needs, they are seemed bothered by the task of, well, doing their job-serving me. There is an air of huffiness and impatience as well as condescension. It makes me sad to be there, as if I have done something wrong? Perhaps these people were so used to being at home in the quietude of making herbal formulas that they didn't realize what customer service actually entailed when they got into the retail end of things, because they really aren't good at it. It's an art, a dying art at that. Sadly. Anywho....just wished they'd be kinder, warmer and less snobby. I'm glad some people get benefit from their help. I tried to be fair, I'm glad they exist but want them to be nicer. read more

Judy and Cheryl have created this beautiful herbal refuge in San Rafael. They are both very skilled and knowledgeable about herbalism and health. They answer my questions and are insightful. They truly do serve the community by their wonderful offerings that promote wellness. I have purchased some incredible herbal teas, tinctures and baskets that have brought me a lot of joy. I have also gifted some of their teas that were truly loved.I highly recommend their shop. read more

The staff are great and the owner is a lovely person. I took an herbal medicine field class and she graciously let me bring my nephew who was with me for the summer. I've bought lots of herbs from them and the quality is high and the recommendations are always spot on. Long live Gathering Thyme. read more

This should be called more than an herbal store. Gathering Thyme offers an array of courses to educate you from good nutrition, making lotions and a good foundation herbal program. The retail staff often times are the teachers of these amazing classes so they are knowledgeable about the product carried in this store. It is an intimate setting where I felt comfortable asking questions and getting educated answers. They were very accomodating when I had to special order some product and contacted me when it arrived a week later. I highly reccomend this store for all your various herbal and nutritional needs. They have great raw chocolate by the way!!! Mary read more

A wonderful sekection of herbal and other natural products, many hand crafted. Helpful and knowledgeable staff. Best of all, they have excellent classes in herbal medicine, taught by some of the wisest and most respected experts in the country. For instance, I'm going to a class, "Herbs for Animals and People" taught by Matthew Wood & Cheryl Schwartz there tonight. read more

Love the selections of classes offered here and am really enjoying the 9 month Western Herbalism program! Great selection of herbs and products and I feel good knowing they are researched and sustainably sourced. The owner, Cheryl, is really knowledgeable and helpful, especially for someone like me who doesn't know much...yet. read more

I was so excited to stumble upon such a nice selection of ingredients sold unpackaged, I specifically got out of my way to buy from them and support their business. But when I called to add their address to my worldwide map of bulk locations (something I am offering for free and paying out of pocket) so the zero waste community could find their business and support them too, the person that answered the phone (presumably the owner) was extremely rude and hung up on me! No one should ever be treated this way. From the reviews, it sounds like the staff knows a thing or two about the products they sell (they were clueless about the one I bought), but they sure have a lot to learn about manners and decency. I will make sure to avoid that store next time I need to buy in bulk. I should not have strayed from Good Earth! read more

Gathering Thyme in its new location has taken on a breath of air. The spacious location offers the customer products and services. I am impressed with the class offerings for winter 2015/16. You'll find all of your usual favorites from the San Anselmo store such as herbs, and salt. This store has the same plus so much more. read more

What a joke! This owner is crazy and rude and condescending. Note that none of these products are ever evaluated or cleared by the FDA, so pushing "expertise" about medical conditions is wrong. I was open to supplements but not from someone that thinks she knows more than anyone else and disdains the whole medical community. Avoid this place! read more

Love it here! Great products and great prices. I was expecting super high prices but it is so reasonable. A lot of local and organic stuff!

I started out as a customer at Gathering Thyme about a year ago, coming in with basic questions on alternatives to dealing with XYZ in regards to my little one (teething, rashes, etc.). The shop always felt so welcoming, cozy, and beautiful in its simplicity- the folks who run it are insanely knowledgeable and caring. The high quality of their herbs and medicines are noticeable right off the bat. I was amazed at the effectiveness of the remedies time and time again and I asked myself "what is this magic?!" In my journey to answer just that I enrolled in the 9-month intensive herbalism course that the shop offers, which is run by the masterful Cheryl Fromholzer- one of the shop owners. I have LOVED taking this course and everyone that I've met through it. The information is in-depth, to the point, comprehensible to the herbal novice and tons of fun. I have learned so much applicable information, techniques and new ways of thinking in such a short time. As my 1st year student curriculum wraps up I'm excited to continue my journey to the next level, which includes diagnostic! Yippie! read more