Workshops
I have taught herbal medicine for many years and at many different levels. I am passionate about helping people develop the knowledge and confidence to use plants as foods and medicines.
​I run a number of workshops at Dilston Physic Garden and also at The Peace Garden (Minsteracres). They cover many aspects of herbal medicine including wild foods and medicines , Plant Spirit Medicine and seasonal retreat days. I also teach on a 10 day, seasonal in depth herbal medicine course called the foundation in plant medicine
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Details of courses for the coming year are given below.
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Spring Retreat Day
Sunday 27 April 2025
Location: The Peace Garden , Minsteracres, DH8 9RT
Retreat facilitators: Katrina Padmore and Ross Menzies
​​A shared day of reflection, exploration and nourishment as we deepen into community with each other and the rest of the natural world.
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Come and join us for a spacious day in the tranquility of the Peace Garden. We will have time to reflect, nourish ourselves and to seek guidance.
An opportunity to enjoy poetry and spiritual texts, meditation, reflective writing, working with intuition and simply bringing mindful awareness to being in nature.
Led by Ross and Katrina Menzies of Let's Get Growing, a gardening therapy project at Minsteracres, which helps people find healing and meaning through connecting with nature. Ross is a practising medical herbalist. Both Ross and Katrina are ordained as interfaith ministers
Booking info: Cost for each day is £60, to include seasonal, home-cooked lunch provided by us. (£30 deposit to be paid at time of booking please).
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PLANT SPIRIT MEDICINE -2 day workshop
​Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th June
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Venue: Dilston Physic Garden (between Hexham and Corbridge)
Tutors: Ross Menzies and Katrina Padmore
Working with plants as living, evolved, intelligent beings and coming to them from a place of reverence, allows access to a deeper medicine that was familiar to our ancestors. In this way plants can can act as our allies and be profoundly helpful, not only for physical ailments, but also on our personal spiritual journey.
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We invite you to treat this weekend as a retreat which will offer you the space and opportunity to awaken and develop your subtle senses. We will explore a medicine that is based upon our relationship with specific plants and an opening to the teachings they have to share with us.
The weekend will include meditation, developing the ability to perceive with the heart , journeying to the beat of a drum, journalling and spending slow, spacious time with some of our wonderful native medicinal plants and trees.
You will find your own plant ally to work with at this stage in your life’s journey and will prepare an essence from this plant to take home and use.
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Please bring a packed lunch; hot drinks will be supplied. You will also need a notebook and pen. Please also bring waterproofs and something to sit on if it is wet, as the course will still run.​
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Cost: £120 for the 2 day course (deposit £60 on booking).
To book, please email rossherbalist@gmail.com
Wild Medicine, Wild Food
​Saturday 18th May and Sat 24th August
10am - 4.00pm
Venue: Dilston Physic Garden (between Hexham and Corbridge)
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A walk in the countryside will never be the same again!! Discover how to identify, harvest and use many wild plants for medicine and food.
Recognising plants when out in nature, and working with them to make medicines and foods can be a wonderful journey of deepening your connection to the natural world.
Becoming more aware of the meaning of symptoms and understanding which herbs can be used to help restore balance is a life affirming adventure.
This day will provide the skills, knowledge and confidence to start treating many minor ailments with plants and to begin using them to help stay healthy and vital.
We will learn how to identify medicinal plants, which time of year to harvest them, which parts of each plant to use and and how to process them in order to make a range of medicines. In each of the courses we will focus on those plants that are most relevant at the time of year.
You will make an ointment and a tincture to take home as well as several other preparations and we will also explore some of the delicious and nutritious foods to be found in the wild.
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Ross has been a practicing herbalist for 25 years, he has a clinic in at his home in Hexhamshire (map and directions are on the location page of web site). He is an experienced teacher and is passionate about sharing his enthusiasm and experience with others.
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Booking – The course costs £60 - and a £30 deposit is required to secure a place, the full balance being paid on the day. ​
To book please email rossherbalist@gmail.com
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