Send us Fan Mail Cultivating Wichita So THIS Happened — Wichita's local culture and personal growth podcast, hosted by Jen Cole and Rachel Chappelle — traded wine glasses for teacups this episode. Recorded live at Mulberry Gallery inside Revolutsia (the shipping-container creative hub on Central Ave), Jen and Rachel sat down with Naquela of Planted Tea Shop, a Wichita-based tea and herbal education business, to talk tea culture, community, and how to build a life around slowing down. 🍵 Meet Naquela of Planted Tea Shop Naquela moved back to Wichita from Thailand about five and a half years ago looking for a place to sit with a good cup of tea and get some work done — and couldn't find one. So she built it herself, starting with blending her own herbs and sharing them with curious friends. What started as pop-ups grew into educational workshops, a clinical herbalism education, and now Tea Fest — her biggest event yet. 🎲 This or That: Tea & Herbal Ritual Edition Herbally and tea-themed for the first time ever on the show. A few highlights: Loose leaf vs. tea bag — loose leaf won in a landslide (fewer chemicals, more surface area, and it's just prettier)Morning ritual vs. afternoon wind-down — Naquela leans morning, with something that has "a little bit of perk" in itHot brew vs. cold brew — depends entirely on the herb: roots need heat, mucilaginous herbs like slippery elm need coldJen may have been quietly outed as a bag-tea girl. We're not naming names. (We're naming names.) 🌱 Building Tea & Herbal Knowledge in Wichita Naquela's mission has always been education first — not just selling tea, but teaching people what it actually does. Her favorite surprising fact: lavender isn't just for aromatherapy, it's a genuine pain reliever, especially for cramps. Her biggest myth-buster for beginners: you don't need a 10-herb blend to get started. Pick one herb, learn how it makes you feel, and build from there. 🫖 Communi-Tea, Not Just Customers Naquela's newsletter is called Communi-tea (yes, the pun is fully intended), and it's where she shares behind-the-scenes stories — like the stack of herbal books passed down from her grandfather. It's part of a bigger philosophy: tea education as something shared and passed down, not gatekept. She remembers regulars by name and by what they came in looking for — real community, not just transactions. 🔥 Workshops & Fire Cider Season Naquela's next workshop is a Fire Cider make-and-take — an herbal oxymel of roots, herbs, and vegetables infused in vinegar over several weeks, perfect for immune support heading into cold season. Sessions are September 13 and October 3 at Old Espresso To GoGo, across from Naftzger Park at St. Francis and Douglas. Everything's provided — just show up. Register on her website or social media. 🍃 Tea Fest — Saturday, September 12 Free and open to the whole community, 11 AM–3 PM at Naftzger Park. What to expect: ~25 vendors — tea and herbal makers on one side, wellness and artisan makers on the otherA community art installation, "Leaves of Wichita" — paint a leaf and leave some encouragement for the cityA kids' painting station, live music at 1 PM, and food trucksFirst 50 visitors to the Planted Tea Shop booth get a Tea Fest passport — collect stamps around the park for a shot at prizesPresented with support from Downtown Wichita, the Wichita Area Arts Council, and Festive ICT. 🥕 Old Town Farm & Art Market This is Naquela's first season as a vendor at the Old Town Farm and Art Market — Saturdays, 8 AM to noon, in Old Town Square. She calls it one of the most wholesome small-business communities she's found in Wichita, and yes, she leaves with something every single week. 🌿 Easy Ways to Start Naquela's advice for anyone intimidated by tea or herbs: don't overthink it. Pick one moment in your day — a morning routine, a wind-down before bed — and build one simple ritual around it. Start with a single herb before you jump into a blend, so you actually know what's working for you. 📣 Before You Go Find Naquela and Planted Tea Shop on Instagram and Facebook @plantedteashop, or at plantedteashop.comCatch Naquela's blends in person at Mulberry Gallery and at Sunflower Cafe and Collective on the west sideMark your calendar for Tea Fest — Saturday, September 12, 11 AM–3 PM, free to the communityThank you to Mulberry Gallery at Revolutsia for hosting us this episodeWant to be a guest on the pod? We're always open — reach out! So THIS Happened is a lifestyle and personal growth podcast hosted by Jen Cole and Rachel Chappelle, based in Wichita, Kansas. Each episode explores the moments, people, and ideas that shape how we live — from local Wichita stories to conversations about identity, community, and becoming. New episodes drop weekly. Find us everywhere you listen. Our podcast is proudly sponsored by Vu Events, Colour Thairapy and Backspace Media. Support the show
