

Herb Gardening Workshop Series Part 4
May 17 @ 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
$40.00 – $45.00
Herb Gardening Workshop Series
Part 4
with Susan Quinlan
Saturday, May 17th, 2025
9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Enfield Shaker Museum
447 NH Route 4A
Enfield, NH 03748
Join us for a five-part comprehensive workshop series on becoming an herb gardener!
Each session delves into essential skills and knowledge for planning, sowing, growing, maintaining, harvesting and using herbs in the home garden.
Starting with an introduction of Medicinal and Culinary herbs grown in our Museum Garden. Participants will learn herb garden basics. We’ll cover plant selection, planting, and maintenance. Then we’ll explore seasonal care techniques. This is perfect for beginners or seasoned gardeners looking to deepen their herbal expertise. All sessions will be hands-on, and participants will grow a tray of herbs ready to plant in their home garden.
Who is Susan Quinlan?
Susan is a retired registered nurse who has been creating and caring for gardens and people for fifty years. As a self taught and dedicated organic gardener, she is a recent graduate of the NH Master Gardeners program and holds a Native Plants for the Pollinators Certificate. Susan manages the 7000 square foot Herb Garden at the Enfield Shaker Museum, where she teaches hands-on herb gardening and herbal crafting. Her passion is to create a community that connects plants and people in celebration of the natural world.
May 17th, 2025 – Part 4
Planting, Care and Maintenance
In this workshop you will learn the best techniques for bed preparation, propagation by division or layer and how to transplant your plants into their growing bed. We will explore the many tasks needed to nurture and protect young plants during this vulnerable time.
Site preparation
- Watering and fertilizing schedules
- Transplanting and planting
- Pruning and caring for herb plants
Garden Maintenance
- Weed control
- Mulching
- Irrigation
- Compost
June 14th, 2025 – Part 5
This final workshop focuses on maximizing the herb harvest and preserving it for futrue use. Topics include harvesting techniques for leaves, flowers and seeds, as well as drying, freezing and creating herbal infusions or oils. Participants will learn about storage methods to extend shelf life. The hands-on activity involves creating an herb bundle and infused vinegar to take home and discussing individual garden plans, identifying and managing pests.
Pinching, Pruning and Harvesting Herbs
- Proper harvesting techniques
- Drying and storing herbs
- Creating your own meateria medica
*Advanced Registration Required. Limit of 10 people per class.
Cost:
Individual Class:
Members $40
Non-Members $45
All classes: (only available before first offered class)
Members $190
Non-Members $215
*All proceeds go to the educational mission of Enfield Shaker Museum.
Coming from a distance? Stay at the historic Great Stone Dwelling! Accommodations.
First Class:
February 22nd, 2025 – Part 1
Introduction to Herb Gardening
Participants are introduced to the basics of herb gardening, including types of herbs and their culinary, medicinal and aromatic uses.
Topics covered include selecting a suitable site, understand light, soil, and water requirements and choosing between indoor and outdoor gardens. Participants learn about basic gardening tools and explore annual, biennial, and perennial herbs.
Introduction to Herbs and Garden Planning
- Basics of Herb Garden design and planning
- Gardening intentions
- Gardening space
- Gardening energy
- Garden Journal
Overview of Popular Culinary and Medicinal Herbs
- Introduction to commonly used Shaker medicinal and culinary herbs
- Best medicinal and culinary herbs to grow for home gardeners
- Choosing your herbs to grow for wellness and joy
- Herb seeds and transplants
- Annuals, perennials and biennials – what is the difference?
March 22nd, 2025 – Part 2
Site Selection, Seed Sowing and Soil
This workshop focuses on learning the principals of site preparation, seed sowing and soil. Participants learn about preparing soil for optimal growth, including pH, drainage, and organic matter.
Site Selection and Soil Preparation
- Soil, sun, water, drainage, air
- Garden format, raised beds, mounds, containers
- Soil testing, soil types and amendments for herb cultivation
Indoor Herb Gardening
- Choosing suitable herbs for indoor cultivation, preorder plants
- Container selection and preparation
- Essential care tips for indoor herb plants
Herb Propagation Techniques
- Seed starting indoors
- Sow a tray of your herb selection
- Cuttings and division methods
- Potting soil vs seed starting soil
April 19th, 2025 – Part 3
Growing and Maintaining Your Herbs
Participants learn essential maintenance techniques, such as watering and fertilizing, pruning and encouraging new growth to seedling and young plants. The workshop covers tips on growing success, companion planting and transplant preparations.
Herb Seedling Maintenance
- Sowing more herbs
- Potting up seedlings, growing young plants and care tips for success
- Planning for spring planting
- Companion planting
- Harding off