Local herbal school to serve teas, tonics, and coffee at half-acre garden oasis in west St. Pete
/The Acupuncture & Herbal Therapies and Traditions School of Herbal Studies on Central Avenue | st. pete rising
A once dusty, fenced-in daycare yard in west St. Pete has been transformed into an herbal garden oasis, now featuring a unique coffee and tea cart that serves drinks with a healing twist.
The half-acre garden, which features a walking path winding through hundreds of medicinal and edible plants, sits behind the Traditions School of Herbal Studies and its sister company Acupuncture & Herbal Therapies at 6340 Central Avenue.
“I want the outdoor teaching garden to be a place where people can gather to sip tea, meditate, converse, and relax,” said founder Bob Linde in a discussion with St. Pete Rising.
The clinic has over 2,000 herbs with different medicinal properties | st. pete rising
Founded by Linde in 2005, the Traditions School of Herbal Studies offers weekly classes on topics including herbal medicine-making, anatomy and physiology, Chinese medicine, Ayurvedic medicine, and more.
The school also houses the largest apothecary in the Southeast with over 2,000 Western and Chinese herbs used to treat everything from simple headaches to more serious ailments, including cancer.
As the outdoor garden continues to expand, Linde is introducing a new feature this weekend: a cart serving coffee and tea infused with herbs and house-made syrups.
Named Traditions: Teas, Tonics & Coffee, the cart will make its debut at the school’s 19th annual Herb Day celebration on Saturday, May 3rd. Each year, the event draws hundreds of herbalists, plant enthusiasts, and local vendors to honor the importance of plants.
A water feature in the lush garden | st. pete rising
“We have many great coffee shops in the city, and we don’t want to just serve coffee, but also teas crafted by an herbalist,” said Linde.
The cart’s tea menu will offer five selections, such as The Golden Yogi, a blend of cinnamon, ashwagandha (known to relieve stress and boost mental performance), turmeric, Solomon’s Seal (used to ease inflammation), bacopa (used to improve memory), cacao, and molasses.
Another option, Bliss Tea, is infused with orange peel, rose, fenugreek (which supports blood sugar regulation), and mulungu (known for its calming, sedative effects).
The neon green coffee and tea cart located behind the school and clinic | st. pete rising
Also on the menu is Traditions’ Koffee, a robust blend of cacao, maca (to boost energy), Siberian ginseng, reishi (to stimulate the immune system), lion’s mane (to enhance cognitive function), roasted chicory (a staple in New Orleans–style coffee), and other functional ingredients.
Seasonal teas will rotate throughout the year, such as blends formulated to support the immune system during allergy-prone spring months.
The use of herbs and roots for natural healing has been a lifelong passion for Linde, who began studying herbal medicine at the age of 10, inspired by his mother, a medical writer. Together, they traveled from New York to the Bahamas, where they studied traditional medicine with a local shaman.
The outdoor garden with plants from around the world, including several that are edible | st. pete rising
Since then, Linde has forged a unique path—working as a wilderness instructor, a nomadic fisherman and sailor, and serving as an infantryman in Desert Storm.
“I’ve always wanted to help people discover natural medicine and how we can live off the land,” Linde said.
“The new cart offering coffees, teas, and tonics will be open to the public and will hopefully help educate people, especially those who might not otherwise visit, about the medicinal properties of herbs.”
Bob Linde, owner of Traditions School of Herbal Studies at 6340 Central Avenue in west St. Pete | wmnf
The coffee cart will operate throughout the Herb Day festival on May 3rd, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Linde said the cart may eventually offer pre-packaged snacks, including gluten-free and vegan options.
Follow Traditions: Teas, Tonics & Coffee on Facebook for the latest menu updates. You can also find the Traditions School of Herbal Studies on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date on upcoming events and classes.
