Who are you and where did you come from? How did you get involved with herbs?
I've always stood out from the crowd, I was the weird girl whose intuitions were spot on and who looked at reality through a different filter than her contemporaries. My name is Lili Ludányi, the embodiment of a real dreaming artist, forest witch and free spirit. It was also evident during my career choice, that I was somehow calibrated differently. Most of my classmates applied for marketing, finance and management majors. Meanwhile, I knew that I wanted something very different, something with which I could make the world a better place, with which I could help and serve a noble purpose. Since childhood, I have loved nature, plants and animals, so I chose to study nature conservation engineering at Gödöllő University of Agriculture.
During my courses, I realized that I was really interested in plants, and within that, medicinal plants also tugged at my heart's bell. The point came in 2019 when the preoccupation with medicinal plants became a daily part of my life, and since then there has been no stop, nor will there be. It is a profession whose secrets a person learns for the rest of his life. I started studying phytotherapy at a Traditional Medicinal Plant School and immersed myself in the effects of plants on the human body. Then I approached the topic from another aspect. I enrolled in Gyöngyös University's vocational training in medicinal plants and herbs, where I mostly mastered the processes of growing, collecting and processing medicinal plants. I got to several excellent herbal medicine farms as part of my internships, and that's how I got to Vadvirág Teahouse for the first time, the rest is history.. 🙂
In 2023, having experienced and considered the depths and heights of life, I decided to change my way of life. I followed the socially expected norms, I worked for several years at a multinational company, I was part of the fast-paced city life. However, deep inside I felt that this was not my path. Then, mustering all my courage, I quit my job, gave up my sublet in Budapest, packed up my personal belongings and set off for the Hungarian countryside to pursue my passion: herbal medicine. The Vadvirág Teahouse, in the village of Bér in Nógrád county, and its unique natural environment, and its lovely owner, captured my heart. Dániel, who founded, renovated and operated the tea house with his persistent work, is now my fiancé.
Strengthening our strengths, helping and supporting each other, we walk our way together. We collect fragrant plants, walk through the forest and cultivate the garden. We appreciate the simplicity of life and want to show as many open-minded people as possible that it can be different. But first we have to pass the test of life. In the season from early spring to autumn, we collected and dried herbs, we reached October, when we have already mixed our unique tea mixtures and it is time to deliver them to your cups. In summary, this webshop, where you are currently browsing, is a kind of life's work for us.
What is your goal, what motivates you, what moves you?
I want to show people how they can improve their quality of life with the help of herbs. We live in a degenerate world, we have forgotten our roots, where we came from. Just as we have completely distanced ourselves from food and medicine. We go to the grocery store for food and the pharmacy for medicine. Hey, it's an outlaw's life! My goal is to show you the wonderful treasure, the medicinal plant flora that surrounds us, with the knowledge of which we can find solutions to most of our problems, we can use them to strengthen our bodies, thereby becoming more resistant and healthier. I get my constant motivation and inspiration from the magnificence of nature. The sunshine, the rain, the earth, the breeze, the storm, the proximity of plants are all elements that fill my soul. Among flowers, but it's hard to be demotivated anyway!
What is important to you when you make tea?
For me, drinking tea is equal to caring. About body and soul. If I make the tea for myself, it is one of my favorite forms of self-care, because in this process you connect with all the elements at the same time, while taking care of protecting your own health. The whole process of making tea is a kind of meditation for me, a little ritual in everyday life. Of course, I make tea not only for myself, but also for my family, friends and guests. In such cases, I like to feel them sipping their tea, a kind of peace fills their souls. Every cup of tea is full of stories and memories, so tea will add a little more charm to everyday life.
