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.
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
Propagation
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
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 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, 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 share a lodge, while solo guests are placed with another attendee of the same gender for the stay.
Light, airy and thoughtfully furnished by owner Irene, the cabins offer Wi-Fi, fully equipped kitchens and a calm, friendly atmosphere that encourages a real feeling of camaraderie across the group.
Your Hosts
This course is hosted by Neil Crump (Founder, Asterion & Co.) at The Old Vicarage in Leigh-upon-Mendip, a beautifully reimagined 16th-century farmhouse surrounded by a richly varied garden created in collaboration with experts including Pennard Plants.
Our guest team and gardening staff will be on hand throughout the day to offer guidance, hospitality and insight, bringing Asterion & Co.’s heritage-inspired learning philosophy into every corner of your visit. You will also meet our much-loved House Ducks, Daedalus and Xenodice, who add gentle mischief and charm to daily life here.
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.
For anyone wishing to carry the spirit of the day back into their own garden, Pennard Plants’ beautifully curated mail-order range is available to explore at here.
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.
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
Propagation
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
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 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, 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 share a lodge, while solo guests are placed with another attendee of the same gender for the stay.
Light, airy and thoughtfully furnished by owner Irene, the cabins offer Wi-Fi, fully equipped kitchens and a calm, friendly atmosphere that encourages a real feeling of camaraderie across the group.
Your Hosts
This course is hosted by Neil Crump (Founder, Asterion & Co.) at The Old Vicarage in Leigh-upon-Mendip, a beautifully reimagined 16th-century farmhouse surrounded by a richly varied garden created in collaboration with experts including Pennard Plants.
Our guest team and gardening staff will be on hand throughout the day to offer guidance, hospitality and insight, bringing Asterion & Co.’s heritage-inspired learning philosophy into every corner of your visit. You will also meet our much-loved House Ducks, Daedalus and Xenodice, who add gentle mischief and charm to daily life here.
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.
For anyone wishing to carry the spirit of the day back into their own garden, Pennard Plants’ beautifully curated mail-order range is available to explore at here.
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