Online Course: How to grow your own fresh vegetables, fruits and herbs in containers.
Grow Anywhere | Harvest Anytime
Transform your balcony, patio, yard or rooftop into a green edible space.
And harvest delicious and nutritious food whenever you want.
This course is for beginners or anyone who wants to master the basics of growing successfully in containers. It will give you the knowledge and the confidence to grow strong, healthy plants. From planning to essential growing skills, you will learn everything you need for success.
The Course is in Two Parts.
Part 1 is the core of the course and consists of four lessons over four weeks. This is followed by monthly 'Get Growing Sessions' from May to September - for more informal and ongoing support as you need it.
Part 1: Master the Essentials
Four weekly lessons and projects from mid March to mid April, where you will learn everything you need for a successful growing season. In these lessons you will:
Plan What to Grow
Learn what grows best in containers, how much sun and what container size each need, and when to sow them.
Learn The Essential Skills
Including how to water and feed your plants and how to grow healthy seedlings from seed.
Design, Plan, Prepare
Design and sketch an initial plan for your container garden - and get everything you need ready for the growing season.
Grow Healthy Plants
Learn how to grow strong, healthy plants and minimise pest damage using organic techniques.
Part 2: Bonus Get Growing Sessions!
Monthly lessons and Q&As from May to September (not August)
Additional live sessions to provide you with seasonal tips, support and encouragement as you start to grow! Join as many or as few as you like or listen to the recording. If you don't have time to join these extra sessions, you can still ask me questions in our online forum.
Grow some of the best crops
Sow and grow potatoes, tomatoes, courgettes / zucchini, rocket / arugula; lettuce; French beans; mint; spring onions / scallions, and herbs.
Develop Your Growing Skills
Including how to pinch out tomatoes, how to deal with different pests, and how to support plants in containers.
Ask Questions / Get Support
Share your progress (successes and challenges) and ask Mark questions from April to July.
Key Elements of the Course
- Eight Zoom lessons over seven months for ongoing support. Join live or listen to the recordings anytime.
- Additional 'how to' videos filmed in my container garden.
- Practical activities and projects: plan, design and grow!
- Ask Mark your questions on the Course Website at any time or in the live Zoom sessions.
- Meet others and share your progress on the course website.
Online Course: How to grow your own fresh vegetables, fruits and herbs in containers.
Grow Anywhere | Harvest Anytime
Cost: £120 or three monthly payments of £40.
Enrolment closes on 18 March
Course Details and Dates
Below is a more detailed outline of each lesson. The live lessons are supplemented with videos made in my container garden.
Recordings of each lesson will be available within 48 hours, and can be downloaded onto your phone or tablet if you choose.
Part 1: Mastering the Basics
Weekly lessons from 18 March - 12 April. Each Zoom lesson runs three times (and is recorded to listen to anytime).
- Tuesday at 1pm GMT / 7am CT AND repeated on
- Tuesday at 7pm GMT / 1pm CT, AND repeated
- on Saturday at 3.00pm GMT / 9.00am CT
Tuesday 18 March, repeated on Saturday 22 March
- Overview of course.
- The Eight Steps to Success Summary.
- How Sun Determines what you can grow.
- Planning your container garden - key questions to consider.
- The most worthwhile - and easiest - crops for containers.
- Exercise: Observe your space.
Tuesday 25 March & Saturday 29 March
- How do you know what to sow when?
- What type & size of container?
- How to Select a Good potting mix.
- How to grow healthy plants from Seed.
- Exercise: Decide what you want to grow and when you will sow it.
- Sow pea shoots.
Tuesday 1 April & Saturday 5 April
- How to design your growing space
- Exercise: Draw an initial plan of your garden.
- When & how to water and why drainage is important.
- How to move plants from pot to pot successfully.
- Exercise: repot a supermarket mint plant.
Tuesday 8 April & Saturday 12 April
- How and when to feed your plants in containers.
- Common pests and diseases and how to manage them.
- How to grow healthy plants & recap of the eight steps.
- Grow: sow rocket / arugula, lettuces, potatoes, spring onions / scallions outside and tomatoes inside.
Part 2: Bonus Get Growing Sessions!
Monthly sessions and additional short videos for seasonal tips and ongoing support as you need it. The optional live sessions are all at 7pm BST / 1pm CT on Mondays. If you are unable or don't have time to join live you can ask in advance and watch the recording or simply ask any questions on the website. There will also be a short email each month to summarise the key points.
Each session will include plenty of time for general Q&A and also cover:-
Monday 12 May
- How to grow courgettes / Zucchini and French / Green beans or Runner / Pole beans.
- How to support tall plants in containers (important or the stems break!).
- Harvesting tips.
Monday 2 June
- How to grow herbs.
- How to grow from cuttings (now is the time).
Monday 7 July
- We review how your growing has gone and answer your outstanding questions.
- Sow kale and chard for Autumn
Monday 8th September
- What to grow in winter.
- We review what you have learnt and how to apply it for next year.
Meet Mark, Your Tutor
I have been running container gardening workshops for over 14 years, and teaching online for over 10. I have learnt what people find difficult about growing and how to explain it in clear, simple ways. I also understand the challenges of growing in the city, not least lack of space, lack of sun, and lack of time!
I have extensive experience of growing in containers at home, including on a balcony, window sills, in various rental properties, and currently in a front yard. I've also learnt a lot from professional food growers, and the Vertical Veg community of container gardeners, who grow in cities all over the world.
My book, the Vertical Veg Guide to Container Gardening, won the 2023 award for the Best Practical Gardening book. The judges praised it as 'very accessible' and the 'most comprehensive' guide they had seen.
I adore growing at home in containers, and it makes me very happy to share my learning with others - and I'd love to help you make a successful start!
Frequently Asked Questions
These are some of the questions people most frequently ask:
How much sun do you need to grow food successfully?
You need at least three hours a day in the summer. While it's possible to grow some crops in less than that, the choice is more limited. If you have less than three hours sun, I recommend taking my microgreens course first as these are a good option in less sun.
How much time do I need to do the course?
You'll need about two hours a week for Part 1 - one hour to watch the lessons and one hour for the follow up work. If you choose to participate in the Bonus sessions in Part 2 you will need one to two hours a month. You'll also want to allow a day or two to create your container garden, at least an hour each month for sowing and tending, as well as a few minutes each day for watering.
Can I grow inside?
Yes you can, and many of the principles I teach in this course will apply. However, you may be better off looking for a course that is tailored more specifically to indoor growing (this one isn't).
How much experience is needed to take the course?
The course is designed for complete beginners and all those who have had difficulties growing successfully. That said, feedback from more experienced gardeners is that they often learn lots from my introductory courses, too!
What 2024 Course Participants had to Say
“I absolutely loved the course. I've been a beginner gardener for over 10 years but I'm still continually learning and making mistakes (as well as having successes!). The course was an excellent and very comprehensive overview of everything you need to know to start up a thriving container garden, wherever you live and whatever size outdoor space you have.
Thoroughly recommend this course to anyone needing a bit of confidence and will power to 'get started' with container gardening or if you've taken a break and need some renewed motivation to get going again.”
Nynke
2024 Course Participant
“Mark’s helpful knowledgeable ’down to earth’ style without assuming prior knowledge from the participants should put your mind at rest and encourage you to join no matter what your level of experience- there is always something new to learn about gardening and that’s why it is a wonderful activity- this course gives you information tips and ideas to develop your skills and knowledge ”
Phil
2024 Course Participant
Online Course: How to grow your own fresh vegetables, fruits and herbs in containers.
GBP 120.00
“Mark is very enthusiastic, generous with his knowledge, experience and really encourages participants. Mark gave me confidence and the information to expand my container growing.
This year I put the course knowlege to good use to grow fruit bushes, strawberries, mini munch cucumbers, spring onions, lots of indeterminate toms & some kale, all in containers. ”
Sharon
2024 Course Participant
Online Course: How to grow your own fresh vegetables, fruits and herbs in containers.
Grow Anywhere | Harvest Anytime
Cost: £120 or three monthly payments of £40.
Enrolment closes on 18 March