Seed to Harvest
A hands-on seasonal workshop series cultivating medicinal plants through three full weekends in the gardens of one of Vermont's most celebrated botanical sanctuaries.
June through October 2026
In these challenging times, learning to care for healing plants and wild landscapes is both a personal gift and a service to community resilience.
Seed to Harvest is an immersive gardening series curated across three carefully timed weekends, following the arc of the growing season - from spring awakening through autumn harvest.
This hands-on program provides a complete and embodied understanding of caring for perennial medicinal plants, learning through practice with your hands in the soil in one of Vermont's most beloved medicinal gardens under the guidance of an experienced garden steward.
Hosted within the gardens of the renowned Sage Mountain Botanical Sanctuary in Orange, Vermont, this comprehensive three-weekend workshop series offers aspiring herbalists, gardeners, and plant stewards the opportunity to develop essential skills in perennial garden management with a focus on native and medicinal plant species.
Under the expert guidance of Joann Darling, garden steward for Vermont Center of Integrative Herbalism and Sage Mountain Botanical Sanctuary, you'll gain practical experience working directly in one of Vermont's most treasured botanical collections. This is not a passive learning experience - you'll be working shoulder-to-shoulder with an experienced garden professional, learning through doing while contributing to the ongoing stewardship of this living sanctuary.
Why this program?
✿ Seasonal Learning Arc: Three carefully timed weekend sessions spanning the full growing season provide a complete understanding of garden rhythms and seasonal care requirements
✿ Hands-On Immersion: The majority of class time is spent working directly in the gardens, learning techniques through practice rather than lecture
✿ Living Classroom: Learn within a mature, established 600 acre botanical sanctuary featuring diverse native and medicinal plant collections
✿ Small Group Attention: Limited enrollment ensures personalized instruction and meaningful hands-on experience
✿ Ecological Focus: Emphasis on working in harmony with wild landscapes, supporting pollinators, and sustainable garden practices
✿ Practical Skills: Leave with confidence to manage your own medicinal herb gardens and native plant landscapes
Who should join?
This workshop series is ideal for:
✿ Aspiring and practicing herbalists seeking to grow their own medicinal plants
✿ Home gardeners wanting to transition to native and medicinal species
✿ Permaculture enthusiasts and ecological gardeners
✿ Anyone interested in sustainable, pollinator-friendly garden practices
✿ Plant lovers seeking deeper connection to seasonal garden rhythms
✿ Those wishing to support their communities by growing healing plants & pollinator-friendly species
Three weekend sessions, one complete growing season:
Awakening the Garden
June 6 & 7
- Spring ephemeral identification & ecology
- Early-season weed management strategies
- Compost tea brewing & application
- Perennial planting techniques
- Early pest & disease monitoring
- Sustainable body mechanics for garden work
The Abundant Garden
August 8 & 9
- Natural pest management at peak season
- Invasive species at the forest edge
- Pollinator ecology & garden design
- Identifying native bees, butterflies & beneficials
- Pruning to extend bloom periods
- Garden health assessment & vigor
Harvest & Rest
October 3 & 4
- Seed collection, cleaning & storage
- Plant division & transplanting
- Nutrient replenishment & soil health
- Fall weed management strategies
- Putting the garden to bed with intention
- Reflection, community, & completing the cycle
Sessions run Saturday and Sunday, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM with a break for lunch
Class size is intentionally small. Early registration is strongly encouraged.
Program Tuition
Tuition, Sliding Scale, and Work Exchange opportunities are designed to ensure education is accessible for all.
Sustaining
$950
Standard
$750
Accessible
$600
Payment Plan Available
with the balance paid in installments.
Contact us confidentially if cost is a barrier.
Garden Internship
About your instructor, Joann Darling
Joann is a native Vermonter practicing and teaching skills in traditional arts. She has been connected to the land of Vermont for generations, closely tied to the plants, animals and people through the seasons. Her knowledge and wisdom includes the myriad ways of knowing the plants, from flower growing and arrangements to dyeing, felting, weaving and growing flax for fibre.
Joann has been growing medicinal plants for many years, opening her nursery and flower farm, Gardens of Seven Gables in 1994. Currently, Joann is garden manager at Vermont Center of Integrative Herbalism and steward of the Sage Mountain Botanical Sanctuary medicinal gardens. A real down-to-earth entrepreneur, she also owns a soap company, Green Sylk Soap Company.
Beyond the gardens, Joann has spent decades bringing plant wisdom into communities — teaching children's herb camps, growing food at affordable housing sites, and helping plant the first vegetable garden on the Vermont Statehouse lawn. She completed teacher training with Rosemary Gladstar, earned her Interpretive Guide certification through the National Association for Interpretation, and carries a deep gratitude for what the natural world offers when we pay attention.
You'll be working directly beside Joann throughout each weekend, learning by doing.
Follow the arc of the seasons in the garden...
36 Contact Hours
from June through October
Small class size
for personalized instruction
All levels welcome
No prior experience needed