In collaboration with Pennard Plants.
Join us for an immersive two-day workshop celebrating herbs at their summer peak. Held in the productive kitchen garden at The Old Vicarage in Leigh-on-Mendip, with its extensive ornamental herb beds. This hands-on course is ideal for anyone who wants to deepen their knowledge of herbs — how they grow, how they taste, how they scent a garden, and how they can be used beautifully in cooking, design and daily life.
Across two structured days of demonstrations, garden sessions and sensory workshops, you will learn how to understand herbs at their seasonal peak, harvest them well, use them creatively in the kitchen, and design a garden filled with scent, flavour and year-round interest.
This course runs on Monday 8th and Tuesday 9th June 2026.
Led by renowned plantsman Chris Smith of Pennard Plants, with culinary sessions guided by the chefs of a local inn, the course blends expert horticultural knowledge with Asterion & Co.’s warm, welcoming approach to Heritage-Inspired Learning. You’ll leave with new confidence, a deeper sensory understanding of herbs, and practical skills you can apply immediately at home.
What the two days cover:
Understanding herbs at their summer peak
The differences between Mediterranean, native and shade-loving herbs
Understanding scent families and how to read plants at their most aromatic stage
Designing with herbs and regenerating your herb garden
How to structure a herb garden for year-round interest
How to use texture, scent and form in mixed borders and containers
Herbs for structure, edging, contrast and height
Choosing varieties for colour, scent and longevity
Regenerating herb borders through cutting back and layering
Cultivating and caring for herbs
Watering, feeding and pruning in high summer
How to prolong growth and manage vigorous herbs
Propagation
Seed sowing and taking softwood cuttings
Culinary uses and chef demonstrations
How and when to harvest herbs for peak flavour
Herb oils, vinegars, syrups and compound butters
Making finishing salts and herb-rich dressings
Blending and tasting fresh herbal teas
Drying, storing and preserving
Air-drying, oven-drying and desiccant methods
Preparing herbs for long-term storage
Hosted by Asterion & Co. at The Old Vicarage, Leigh-on-Mendip – a beautifully reimagined 16th-century home with a three-acre garden, productive kitchen beds and fragrant borders. Guests will enjoy seated garden lunches on both days, with refreshments and home-made treats throughout, where Asterion & Co. will give a short informal talk on ‘The culture of herbs - from monastery gardens to modern kitchens.’
Take-home items
A set of fresh herbal teas and salts blended during the workshop
Herb samples for cooking and drying
A planting guide and seasonal herb calendar
Cuttings with propagation notes and recommendations on varieties for your home garden
Masterclass Details
Date: Monday 8th and Tuesday 9th June 2026
Time: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm each day
Location: The Old Vicarage, Leigh-on-Mendip, Somerset
Pricing: £475 per person (for the two days)
Includes: Tuition, all materials, daytime refreshments, seated lunches, take-home teas, herb samples, salts, blends, propagation notes and growing guides.
This two-day workshop is timed to match the height of early-summer herb abundance, and places are intentionally limited to keep the group small and hands-on.
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 for an immersive two-day workshop celebrating herbs at their summer peak. Held in the productive kitchen garden at The Old Vicarage in Leigh-on-Mendip, with its extensive ornamental herb beds. This hands-on course is ideal for anyone who wants to deepen their knowledge of herbs — how they grow, how they taste, how they scent a garden, and how they can be used beautifully in cooking, design and daily life.
Across two structured days of demonstrations, garden sessions and sensory workshops, you will learn how to understand herbs at their seasonal peak, harvest them well, use them creatively in the kitchen, and design a garden filled with scent, flavour and year-round interest.
This course runs on Monday 8th and Tuesday 9th June 2026.
Led by renowned plantsman Chris Smith of Pennard Plants, with culinary sessions guided by the chefs of a local inn, the course blends expert horticultural knowledge with Asterion & Co.’s warm, welcoming approach to Heritage-Inspired Learning. You’ll leave with new confidence, a deeper sensory understanding of herbs, and practical skills you can apply immediately at home.
What the two days cover:
Understanding herbs at their summer peak
The differences between Mediterranean, native and shade-loving herbs
Understanding scent families and how to read plants at their most aromatic stage
Designing with herbs and regenerating your herb garden
How to structure a herb garden for year-round interest
How to use texture, scent and form in mixed borders and containers
Herbs for structure, edging, contrast and height
Choosing varieties for colour, scent and longevity
Regenerating herb borders through cutting back and layering
Cultivating and caring for herbs
Watering, feeding and pruning in high summer
How to prolong growth and manage vigorous herbs
Propagation
Seed sowing and taking softwood cuttings
Culinary uses and chef demonstrations
How and when to harvest herbs for peak flavour
Herb oils, vinegars, syrups and compound butters
Making finishing salts and herb-rich dressings
Blending and tasting fresh herbal teas
Drying, storing and preserving
Air-drying, oven-drying and desiccant methods
Preparing herbs for long-term storage
Hosted by Asterion & Co. at The Old Vicarage, Leigh-on-Mendip – a beautifully reimagined 16th-century home with a three-acre garden, productive kitchen beds and fragrant borders. Guests will enjoy seated garden lunches on both days, with refreshments and home-made treats throughout, where Asterion & Co. will give a short informal talk on ‘The culture of herbs - from monastery gardens to modern kitchens.’
Take-home items
A set of fresh herbal teas and salts blended during the workshop
Herb samples for cooking and drying
A planting guide and seasonal herb calendar
Cuttings with propagation notes and recommendations on varieties for your home garden
Masterclass Details
Date: Monday 8th and Tuesday 9th June 2026
Time: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm each day
Location: The Old Vicarage, Leigh-on-Mendip, Somerset
Pricing: £475 per person (for the two days)
Includes: Tuition, all materials, daytime refreshments, seated lunches, take-home teas, herb samples, salts, blends, propagation notes and growing guides.
This two-day workshop is timed to match the height of early-summer herb abundance, and places are intentionally limited to keep the group small and hands-on.
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.
