Classes & Events

2026 Medicinal Herb Garden Walks
Avena Botanicals' Gardens
Led by herbalist and Biodynamic gardener Deb Soule

Join herbalist and gardener Deb Soule in exploring the lush beauty of the medicinal herb gardens at Avena Botanicals in Rockport, Maine -- just a ten minute drive from the beautiful ocean coast. Deb is the author of the book The Healing Garden, an inspiring guide to herb gardening and crafting herbal remedies. She is the founder of Avena Botanicals, an herbal apothecary that grows ingredients for its artisanal herbal products in the gardens she began creating there decades ago.

In this delightful hour-long tour, Deb will invite you into the pollinator Sanctuary Garden, where you will learn about a variety of medicinal plants that you can add to your own garden for your own beneficial use. Many of these herbs are also of benefit to hummingbirds, bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. 

We are offering only a few limited attendance herb walks in the summer of 2026. Please join us! Children ages four and under may attend the event for free. Adults and children ages 5 and older may buy a general admission ticket. No tickets will be sold at the gate on the day of the event.

Please limit your attendance to one garden walk per summer, to give others who are interested an opportunity to attend. Spaces are limited and tickets sell out each year.

If you appreciate our work, please also consider donating to support the pollinator Sanctuary Garden. 

Event Dates:

• June 17 from 3-4 pm
Buy Tickets


• June 24 from 3-4 pm
Buy Tickets


• July 8 from 3-4 pm
Buy Tickets


• July 22 from 3-4 pm
Buy Tickets


• August 5 from 3-4 pm
Buy Tickets


• August 12 from 3-4 pm
Buy Tickets

** Advance tickets are required. **

Grow A Row of Calendula
**New Date TBD**
Avena Botanicals

Come learn how to grow, harvest, and dry Calendula blossoms and make Calendula healing salves that will be donated to a few local non-profit projects serving immigrant farm workers and adults and children who have experienced domestic violence. Free. Advance registration is required and spaces are limited.

Register for Free

Weekly Morning Meditation
Fridays, May 22nd - September 18th, 2026 from 7:45 - 8:30 am
Avena Botanicals

Join us for a quiet meditation in Avena Botanicals' Sanctuary garden weekly on Fridays. Attend when you can. Come and leave quietly. For seasoned or new meditators. If the weather is cold or rainy. we will meet inside the Willow House classroom. Free. Donations to the garden welcome.

Summer Solstice Sacred Plant Initiation
June 20th, 2026 from 9:30 am - 7:00 pm
Avena Botanicals' Gardens

Join Lauren Valle and Deb Soule for an immersive full-day sacred plant initiation with the herb Lady's Mantle. This day is offered in Avena Botanicals' sanctuary garden as a retreat. It will end with a delicious and nourishing vegetarian meal.

Learn More and Register

Compassion in Crisis
June 29, 6:00 - 8:00 pm
Avena Botanicals' Gardens

Welcome authors of the newly released book, Compassion in Crisis, in Avena Botanicals' garden on June 29, 6:00 - 8:00 pm as they complete their cross-country book journey. They will share stories, answer questions, and engage with participants in an herbal mutual aid project. Hello Hello Books will be on-site to sell the book. Suggested donation $5.

Want to be the first to hear about new in-person and remote herbal learning opportunities?  Join our mailing list below: