DOWN TO EARTH

A longtime pet project of talented chef and author Raymond Blanc, Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons ( 44-1844/278-881; belmond.com) is a fairytale vision of the English countryside. Surrounded by 10 hectares of lush, organic gardens in the Oxfordshire village of Great Milton, the hotel occupies a 16th-century manor, with a two-Michelin-starred restaurant and cookery school to boot. Its latest in-house educational facility is certainly unique—and aimed at keen horticulturalists or simply those with a botanical bent. Starting in July, half- and full-day courses will be offered at the Raymond Blanc Gardening School, in subjects that run the gamut from growing organic produce and cultivating mushrooms to understanding medicinal herbs. It’s all the more reason to go and get your hands dirty. —JL