Places are limited and each course is carefully prepared. We encourage you to review our Terms & Conditions before booking. By booking, you agree to them and to the principles that shape our courses.
Seated lunch | Afternoon tea | Small-group
Led by Chris Smith, Founder of Pennard Plants, with heritage context from Neil Crump, Founder of Asterion & Co.
Learn how to restore health, structure and productivity to top-fruit trees.
Work directly with apples, pears, quinces and established orchard forms in a productive kitchen garden setting.
Take home a fruit tree, pruning guidance and the confidence to care for your own orchard trees.
𐡷𐫱𐡸
Spend the day moving between orchard, kitchen garden and garden classroom in this immersive fruit-pruning masterclass at The Old Vicarage.
Working directly with bush, espalier and mature fruit trees, you’ll explore how careful winter pruning shapes health, airflow, vigour and cropping potential. From renovation pruning on older trees to formative work on younger specimens, the focus throughout is on practical understanding and confident intervention.
Guided by Chris Smith’s deep horticultural knowledge and clear teaching style, the day combines demonstration, theory and hands-on practice.
You’ll learn how to assess structure, recognise productive growth and make thoughtful pruning decisions that support long-term health and reliable harvests.
Asterion & Co. will frame the day with a short contextual session exploring Britain’s long relationship with orchards and fruit cultivation, from productive cottage gardens to the wider cultural fascination with gardening and collecting.
If you are unable to attend this September date, this masterclass will also be repeated on:
Tuesday 1st September 2026
Tuesday 29th September 2026
What you will learn
Understand the principles of winter pruning for top fruit
Prune apples, pears and quinces with greater confidence
Restore older trees that have become unproductive or overcrowded
Work with bush, espalier and mature tree forms
Understand the relationship between pruning, airflow and fruiting
Care for and sharpen pruning tools correctly
How the day unfolds
Warm welcome and introduction
Contextual session on orchard culture and fruit growing traditions
Guided exploration of the orchard and productive garden spaces
Demonstrations across a range of fruit tree forms
Hands-on pruning sessions with individual guidance
Secateur sharpening and tool care workshop
Seated seasonal lunch and time to pause
Afternoon garden tour and optional pétanque
Closing discussion and practical guidance for home orchards
What you’ll leave with
A fruit tree suited to your own garden conditions
Chris Smith’s Winter Pruning Guide
Greater confidence pruning and managing fruit trees
Practical understanding of orchard structure and health
Neil Crump’s favourite book on Britain’s gardening obsession
𐡷𐫱𐡸
Workshop Details
Date: Monday 28th September
Alternate dates: Tuesday 1st September 2026 and Tuesday 29th September 2026
Time: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Location: The Old Vicarage, Leigh-on-Mendip, Somerset
Price: £215 per person
Includes: Full tuition, tools overview, refreshments throughout the day, a seated seasonal lunch, a goody bag including a fruit tree and Chris Smith’s Winter Pruning Guide
Booking terms
By booking, you are entering into an agreement with Asterion & Co. in accordance with our Terms & Conditions, including our cancellation policy and course guidelines.
This masterclass combines Chris Smith’s practical expertise in orchard management with Asterion’s Heritage-Inspired Learning™ philosophy, offering a thoughtful and hands-on exploration of productive fruit growing.
About Chris Smith
Chris Smith is the founder of Pennard Plants, one of the UK’s leading nurseries for heritage and edible plants. For over two decades, he has specialised in productive fruit growing, heritage varieties and practical kitchen gardening.
Known for his generous teaching style and deep horticultural knowledge, Chris helps gardeners understand not only how to prune and grow successfully, but how to create healthier, longer-lived and more productive garden systems.
Learn more about Chris and Pennard Plants in The Asterion Journal.
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.
Places are limited and each course is carefully prepared. We encourage you to review our Terms & Conditions before booking. By booking, you agree to them and to the principles that shape our courses.
Seated lunch | Afternoon tea | Small-group
Led by Chris Smith, Founder of Pennard Plants, with heritage context from Neil Crump, Founder of Asterion & Co.
Learn how to restore health, structure and productivity to top-fruit trees.
Work directly with apples, pears, quinces and established orchard forms in a productive kitchen garden setting.
Take home a fruit tree, pruning guidance and the confidence to care for your own orchard trees.
𐡷𐫱𐡸
Spend the day moving between orchard, kitchen garden and garden classroom in this immersive fruit-pruning masterclass at The Old Vicarage.
Working directly with bush, espalier and mature fruit trees, you’ll explore how careful winter pruning shapes health, airflow, vigour and cropping potential. From renovation pruning on older trees to formative work on younger specimens, the focus throughout is on practical understanding and confident intervention.
Guided by Chris Smith’s deep horticultural knowledge and clear teaching style, the day combines demonstration, theory and hands-on practice.
You’ll learn how to assess structure, recognise productive growth and make thoughtful pruning decisions that support long-term health and reliable harvests.
Asterion & Co. will frame the day with a short contextual session exploring Britain’s long relationship with orchards and fruit cultivation, from productive cottage gardens to the wider cultural fascination with gardening and collecting.
If you are unable to attend this September date, this masterclass will also be repeated on:
Tuesday 1st September 2026
Tuesday 29th September 2026
What you will learn
Understand the principles of winter pruning for top fruit
Prune apples, pears and quinces with greater confidence
Restore older trees that have become unproductive or overcrowded
Work with bush, espalier and mature tree forms
Understand the relationship between pruning, airflow and fruiting
Care for and sharpen pruning tools correctly
How the day unfolds
Warm welcome and introduction
Contextual session on orchard culture and fruit growing traditions
Guided exploration of the orchard and productive garden spaces
Demonstrations across a range of fruit tree forms
Hands-on pruning sessions with individual guidance
Secateur sharpening and tool care workshop
Seated seasonal lunch and time to pause
Afternoon garden tour and optional pétanque
Closing discussion and practical guidance for home orchards
What you’ll leave with
A fruit tree suited to your own garden conditions
Chris Smith’s Winter Pruning Guide
Greater confidence pruning and managing fruit trees
Practical understanding of orchard structure and health
Neil Crump’s favourite book on Britain’s gardening obsession
𐡷𐫱𐡸
Workshop Details
Date: Monday 28th September
Alternate dates: Tuesday 1st September 2026 and Tuesday 29th September 2026
Time: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Location: The Old Vicarage, Leigh-on-Mendip, Somerset
Price: £215 per person
Includes: Full tuition, tools overview, refreshments throughout the day, a seated seasonal lunch, a goody bag including a fruit tree and Chris Smith’s Winter Pruning Guide
Booking terms
By booking, you are entering into an agreement with Asterion & Co. in accordance with our Terms & Conditions, including our cancellation policy and course guidelines.
This masterclass combines Chris Smith’s practical expertise in orchard management with Asterion’s Heritage-Inspired Learning™ philosophy, offering a thoughtful and hands-on exploration of productive fruit growing.
About Chris Smith
Chris Smith is the founder of Pennard Plants, one of the UK’s leading nurseries for heritage and edible plants. For over two decades, he has specialised in productive fruit growing, heritage varieties and practical kitchen gardening.
Known for his generous teaching style and deep horticultural knowledge, Chris helps gardeners understand not only how to prune and grow successfully, but how to create healthier, longer-lived and more productive garden systems.
Learn more about Chris and Pennard Plants in The Asterion Journal.
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.
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