History
Established in the 1960s in a small community farm nursery in Yamhill County, Oregon, we have grown from humble beginnings into a cherished community institution. Our founder, Geri, discovered her passion for greenhouse gardening at the tender age of 16, a love that has only deepened over the decades of nurturing both plants and community connections.
What began as a youthful interest has blossomed into a multigenerational family legacy. From previous generational farming to her profound love for plants and sustainable gardening practices has inspired her son and daughter-in-law, along with her entire family, instilling in them the foundational belief that PLANTS ARE THE MEDICINE TO OUR SOUL. This philosophy from Parkrose Greenhouse and Geri's passion has become a cornerstone of Ariella and Chris's new business that started in 2026: Beyond the Seed Traditional Botanicals.
As we continue to grow and evolve, we invite our community to join us on this lifelong journey of exploration and appreciation for the healing power of botanicals. We're not just cultivating vibrant flora; we're nurturing a meaningful connection between people and nature that spans generations, honoring traditional knowledge while embracing sustainable innovations in plant cultivation and care.
More about our founder
Geri’s heritage is rooted in generations of farming as far back as the 1800s. Geri grew up on a dairy farm, where she developed her earliest memories of tending to the family garden. These foundational experiences sparked a lifelong devotion to the land and its many gifts .
Geri officially initiated her horticultural career in 1960, mastering professional greenhouse cultivation on a local farm nursery in NW Oregon. Throughout her extensive tenure, she has shared her vast expertise with both colleagues and clients. Ms. Grieve has pursued formal education in floristry and botany, including specialized training in plant evaluation for prestigious regional events.
Ms. Grieve's passion for horticulture has evolved into a community-oriented initiative that is continuing to build community through the love and spirit of growing botanicals in the Historic Parkrose District within Multnomah County Oregon. She annually hosts public garden tours, promoting horticultural appreciation and providing local consumers with the opportunity to purchase plants from her garden and greenhouses each spring to sustain her non-profit endeavors.
Her engagement extends to regular attendance at master gardener plant clubs, advocacy for sustainable urban agriculture, and contributions of time and plant specimens to community outreach events in Portland, Oregon. Geri's extensive experience in greenhouse plant propagation and seedling cultivation techniques has been instrumental in developing Beyond the Seed Traditional Botanicals protocols for spring starts, indoor plants, and landscape plant propagation.
She has cultivated an extensive network of master gardeners, whom Chris and Ariella love to consult and invite to participate in events requiring specialized greenhouse, plant, or general nursery expertise. Ms. Grieve also provides introductory to advanced training classes in terrarium cultivation, focusing on tropical plants, ferns, African violets and begonias.
During Ms. Grieve's observation and terrarium care, she witnessed a rare biological event known as a plant mutation, resulting in variegated leaves growing on a normally green leaf plant. Through propagation, she successfully reproduced this mutation, effectively producing her own variety of variegated purple streptocarpella. This, along with many other exceptionally mature indoor and outdoor parent plants, has been provided to Beyond the Seed Traditional Botanicals to continue offering Geri's legacy of botanicals to inspire the following generations of gardeners.
Continuing the Legacy
Arie & Chris Bauer are owners of Beyond the Seed Traditional Botanicals operating and registered in the state of Oregon, and continuing to do business as Parkrose Greenhouse Nursery assisting Geri with her community outreach while Chris and Arie expand business operations in Columbia County. The company represents the thoughtful merger of two established entities:
Parkrose Greenhouse
&
Dragona Serpentine
This union creates a holistic enterprise where traditional plant cultivation meets metaphysical healing through ancestral agricultural practices and Traditional Mexican Medicine. The business is co-owned by the couple, who bring complementary expertise to create a unique botanical enterprise that honors traditional wisdom while embracing sustainable innovation.
Our mission is to cultivate, preserve, and share ancestral botanical wisdom through sustainable horticultural practices that honor both environmental stewardship and traditional healing methods. We are dedicated to bridging generations of traditional knowledge with contemporary wellness applications, creating a sanctuary where plants serve as medicine for both body and soul. Through our careful cultivation of rare, medicinal, and heritage plants, we maintain biodiversity while providing our community with botanical resources that promote holistic well-being.
As we continue to carry the legacy of our Parents we measure our success not only through business growth but through the flourishing of our community's botanical knowledge, the preservation of endangered plant species, and the revitalization of traditional healing practices.
Each seed we plant, each plant we nurture, and each person we teach represents our commitment to a future where traditional botanical wisdom enriches modern lives.
Introduction of Beyond the seed Traditional botanicals
BTSTB represents the thoughtful merger of two established entities: Parkrose Greenhouse and Dragona Serpentine. This union, born through careful consideration and spiritual guidance, creates a holistic solution where the plant world meets the metaphysical through Traditional Mexican Medicines, herbalism, and ancestral agricultural practices.
At our core we remain focus on community empowerment, education, and land sovereignty. Geri continues as the nurturing spirit of Parkrose Greenhouse, while Arie serves as the beating heart of Dragona Serpentine, enriching the community's soul through traditional healing practices. Chris, carries forward his ancestral passion for innovation, agriculture and education. Together, Chris and Arie have created a blend of ancestral knowledge, combining their passion for botanicals, education, and community building.
Ariella
Ariella Sadie Bauer serves as Lead Clinical Herbalist and owner, bringing a unique blend of formal education and traditional wisdom to the enterprise.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Digital Arts with emphasis in marketing and graphic design, complemented by certifications in business management, botany, agriculture, and clinical herbalism. As an active Traditional Health Worker for the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) she is a trusted community individual who has shared socioeconomic ties and lived life experiences with health plan members. She is community-centered by bridging communities and the health system that serve them, advocates for marginalized communities, provides supporting adherence to care and treatment plans, empowers individuals to be agents in improving their own health.
She is the Spirit of Dragona Serpentine, as a neurodivergent she works with the energies of Quetzalcoatl-Ehecatl, and Mictlantecuhtli. These cosmic energies allow her to understand community, agriculture and botany at a different level. They represent fertility, death, renovation, seasons, and transformation. Through this understanding, she offers spiritual guidance, shares wisdom that supports individual well-being: mental, and physical health, and provides mentorship and education in traditional medicinal practices.
As an ordained minister through Universal Life Church, Arie offers exclusive Curanderismo spiritual wedding ceremonies—deeply rooted, sacred unions that weave together traditional Mexican and Indigenous elements to honor balance, intention, and spiritual connection between partners.
Arie blends Western practices with ancestral knowledge from Traditional Mexican Medicine (Curanderismo), working in harmony with the cycles of the moon and the changing seasons. Her mission centers on restoring access to heritage plants that have been used for centuries but displaced by pharmaceutical alternatives, bridging ancient traditions with the wellness needs of today. An example of how this looks like: She collaborates with community members' western providers to bring in spiritual and traditional ways of healing the body as a whole.
She is dedicated to empowering individuals through education that transforms plant knowledge into practical tools for wellness. Through workshops, seasonal gatherings during the solstice and equinox, and a three-year apprenticeship program, she creates opportunities to share traditional botanical wisdom in accessible and engaging ways that inspire environmental stewardship and personal health sovereignty. By fostering a community that is trauma-informed and health-conscious, she cultivates meaningful relationships between people and plants—connections that extend beyond conventional understanding and encourage deeper respect for both personal wellbeing and the natural world.
Ariella's vision encompasses both the cultivation of medicinal plants and the preservation of traditional healing practices that have sustained Indigenous communities for generations.
Chris
Christopher Bauer serves as General Manager and co-owner of Beyond the Seed Traditional Botanicals, he brings a passion for horticulture that began at childhood and expanded in 2005 under the mentorship of his mother, Geri Grieve, the founder of our Parkrose Greenhouse nursery. What started as learning at his mother’s side quickly grew into a deep commitment to nurture plants and community through mentorship, education, and sustainable growing practices.
Chris holds a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology and an Associate of Science in Hardware, along with certifications in mechanical engineering and business management. His curiosity and passion for learning continue to guide him as he expands his knowledge through greenhouse mentorships, botanical clubs, and advanced business training.
Inspired by nature, botanical science and technical innovation, Chris approaches growing with a problem-solving mindset. He blends traditional horticultural wisdom with experimental observation, modern tools, technology, and product innovation to create more efficient and thoughtful growing systems.
Through this approach, Chris continually looks for ways to reduce waste, reuse and upcycle materials, and improve sustainability practices. His goal is to cultivate plants using organic methods that enrich the soil, restore ecosystems, and contribute to a healthier environment for future generations.
Guided by this spirit of discovery, Chris helps lead Parkrose Greenhouse’s year-round propagation efforts, garden starts, and innovative growing practices. He also manages data-driven botanical management with a plant tracking system that helps ensure each growing season is more productive and resilient than the last. When visiting you may find him assisting in the farmer markets on Saturday or Sunday, observing botanicals in the garden, caring for plants, managing greenhouse operations, teaching volunteer staff, or sharing growing knowledge with fellow gardeners or dreaming up the next living art display.
In 2019, Chris expanded upon his mother’s traditional nursery techniques by introducing modern methods such as soil blocking, an approach that significantly reduces plastic use in seedling production. This transition also introduced biodegradable container growing options that have become a favorite among both new and experienced gardeners who visit Parkrose Greenhouse for garden starts.
Chris’s vision is to preserve ancestral agricultural knowledge while making it accessible and meaningful for today’s communities whether someone is growing food in a city backyard, apartment patio, a community garden, or on a traditional farm. His work continues the family tradition of sharing knowledge, inspiring gardeners, and cultivating connections that go far beyond the seed.
