In collaboration with Pennard Plants.
Join us at The Old Vicarage in Leigh-on-Mendip for a dedicated midsummer masterclass exploring the shaping, health and flavour potential of stone fruit. Set within our kitchen garden, the session draws on the rich plant collections established here in collaboration with Pennard Plants over the last six years. With mature examples and younger additions side by side, guests can see exactly how stone fruit behaves at each stage of development and learn how to care for trees in a range of real-world situations.
This course runs on Thursday 25th June, if you cannot make this date the course is repeated on Saturday 27th June 2026.
Led by celebrated plantsman Chris Smith of Pennard Plants, this one-day workshop blends clear theory in the classroom with hands-on practice in the garden, glasshouse and polytunnel. You will explore why summer is the only safe moment to prune plums, cherries, apricots, peaches and nectarines, how pruning influences flavour and airflow, and what to do through June, July and August to support healthy growth and reliable cropping. Expert tuition is suitable for complete beginners as well as those wishing to refine their pruning skills.
The day includes a session on sharpening and caring for your secateurs – please bring your favourites and a pair of gloves – along with a practical review of the different tools available for pruning and where each excels.
Every guest will leave with a goody bag and a stone fruit plant of their choice, selected to suit their own garden conditions.
Spaces are limited to eight guests and tend to book quickly, especially in midsummer when the garden is at its most productive.
What You Will Learn
Why summer is the only moment to prune plums, cherries, apricots, peaches and nectarines
How stone fruits respond to heat, water and sunlight
The physiology of summer pruning and how it improves flavour, colour and future cropping
How fan-trained and free-standing stone fruits behave in summer
How to net stone fruit safely and effectively
Under-cover management for peaches, nectarines, apricots, figs and grapes
Watering and feeding strategies that prevent split fruit and support ripening
Diagnosis of common summer problems and how to know when to intervene
How to manage canker, silver leaf, bacterial gumming and brown rot
A guided assessment of pruning tools and how to sharpen and care for secateurs
Practical hands-on sessions across plum, cherry, apricot, peach, fig and other undercover-grown fruit
Who This Course Is For
Ideal for gardeners of all levels. Whether you are new to growing stone fruit or keen to refine your approach, this course gives you the confidence and practical understanding to get the best from your trees.
Masterclass Details
Date: Thursday 25th June 2026
Time: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Location: The Old Vicarage, Leigh-upon-Mendip, Somerset
Pricing: £210 per person
Includes: Tuition, tools overview, all refreshments, seated lunch prepared from the garden, goody bag including vegetable seeds from Pennard Plant’s heritage range that you can sow in June and July for cropping summer 2026, and a stone fruit plant to take home.
Need accommodation nearby?
Click here for a list of places to stay overnight before or after your course that we know well and would recommend.
In collaboration with Pennard Plants.
Join us at The Old Vicarage in Leigh-on-Mendip for a dedicated midsummer masterclass exploring the shaping, health and flavour potential of stone fruit. Set within our kitchen garden, the session draws on the rich plant collections established here in collaboration with Pennard Plants over the last six years. With mature examples and younger additions side by side, guests can see exactly how stone fruit behaves at each stage of development and learn how to care for trees in a range of real-world situations.
This course runs on Thursday 25th June, if you cannot make this date the course is repeated on Saturday 27th June 2026.
Led by celebrated plantsman Chris Smith of Pennard Plants, this one-day workshop blends clear theory in the classroom with hands-on practice in the garden, glasshouse and polytunnel. You will explore why summer is the only safe moment to prune plums, cherries, apricots, peaches and nectarines, how pruning influences flavour and airflow, and what to do through June, July and August to support healthy growth and reliable cropping. Expert tuition is suitable for complete beginners as well as those wishing to refine their pruning skills.
The day includes a session on sharpening and caring for your secateurs – please bring your favourites and a pair of gloves – along with a practical review of the different tools available for pruning and where each excels.
Every guest will leave with a goody bag and a stone fruit plant of their choice, selected to suit their own garden conditions.
Spaces are limited to eight guests and tend to book quickly, especially in midsummer when the garden is at its most productive.
What You Will Learn
Why summer is the only moment to prune plums, cherries, apricots, peaches and nectarines
How stone fruits respond to heat, water and sunlight
The physiology of summer pruning and how it improves flavour, colour and future cropping
How fan-trained and free-standing stone fruits behave in summer
How to net stone fruit safely and effectively
Under-cover management for peaches, nectarines, apricots, figs and grapes
Watering and feeding strategies that prevent split fruit and support ripening
Diagnosis of common summer problems and how to know when to intervene
How to manage canker, silver leaf, bacterial gumming and brown rot
A guided assessment of pruning tools and how to sharpen and care for secateurs
Practical hands-on sessions across plum, cherry, apricot, peach, fig and other undercover-grown fruit
Who This Course Is For
Ideal for gardeners of all levels. Whether you are new to growing stone fruit or keen to refine your approach, this course gives you the confidence and practical understanding to get the best from your trees.
Masterclass Details
Date: Thursday 25th June 2026
Time: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Location: The Old Vicarage, Leigh-upon-Mendip, Somerset
Pricing: £210 per person
Includes: Tuition, tools overview, all refreshments, seated lunch prepared from the garden, goody bag including vegetable seeds from Pennard Plant’s heritage range that you can sow in June and July for cropping summer 2026, and a stone fruit plant to take home.
Need accommodation nearby?
Click here for a list of places to stay overnight before or after your course that we know well and would recommend.
