The Life of Herbs: A Two-Day Summer Course. RESIDENTIAL.

In collaboration with local five star Inn and 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.

This course is fully residential, with guests staying for one night at Hollybush Lodges — a set of beautifully kept log cabins just a few minutes’ walk from The Old Vicarage. Each lodge has two comfortable bedrooms and shared living spaces, offering a relaxed and friendly place to unwind after the first day before returning refreshed for day two.

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.

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

• 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 Neil Crump (Founder of 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, and a herb-focused dinner at a local inn on day one, where Neil 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: 11:00 am – 4:30 pm on day one followed by rest time and a herb-focused supper at 7:00 pm, then 10:00 am – 4:00 pm on day two (breakfast served at 9:00 am)

Location: The Old Vicarage, Leigh-on-Mendip, Somerset

Pricing: £765, with a 10% discount on two or more guests booked together

Buying this as a gift? Let us know on the registration form at checkout and we can create a gift package for you, either emailed or posted to you directly.

Includes: Tuition, all materials, daytime refreshments, seated lunches, one night accommodation at local lodges, a three-course supper at a local Inn (with transportation provided), cooked breakfast the following morning, 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.

Your Overnight Stay at Hollybush Lodges

Guests stay at Hollybush Lodges, a set of beautifully kept log cabins within a few minutes’ walk of The Old Vicarage. Each lodge has two comfortable bedrooms, a shared bathroom, and a spacious open-plan kitchen and lounge — a relaxed, welcoming space to unwind after the first day.

Guests booking together may share a lodge, and solo guests are paired with another attendee of the same gender.

Light, airy and thoughtfully furnished by owner Irene, the cabins offer free Wi-Fi, fully equipped kitchens and a calm, friendly atmosphere that encourages a real feeling of camaraderie across the group.

About Pennard Plants

A specialist nursery rooted in Somerset, known for its extensive collection of herbs, edimentals and heritage varieties of edible and ornamental plants. From ancient culinary herbs to rare scented-leaf pelargoniums, the nursery champions biodiversity, traditional knowledge and confident home growing. Through expert-led courses and collaborations, Pennard Plants helps gardeners of all levels reconnect with the sensory pleasures of working with plants from garden to table.