Browse all Courses
Browse all courses / Container Gardening
Learn with Chris Beardshaw

Container Gardening

Chris Beardshaw teaches you Container gardening and gardening from pots. Perfect for urban gardeners.

Course overview

Using his own garden, Chris will use his terrace to introduce you to the delights and rewards of container gardening. There is a comprehensive review on the various styles, type and nature of containers and how they affect plant choice and plant performance. You will learn how the style and choice of container can help you achieve your desired aesthetic result.

Meet Chris Beardshaw

Over three decades, plantsman, broadcaster and designer Chris Beardshaw has become one of the most highly regarded and influential figures in design and horticulture. He is a hugely popular garden designer, having produced award winning schemes at all RHS shows - including RHS Chelsea Flower Show - and has picked up many Best in Show's and Gold medals as well as awards from other international flower and garden shows. You’ll recognise Chris as being a regular on BBC hit series Gardeners’ World, Hidden Gardens and The Flying Gardener. Chris is also a panellist on BBC Radio 4 Gardeners' Question Time - and regularly faces a live audience of gardening enthusiasts! He has lectured and taught at many institutions throughout the world and is passionate about encouraging students to fulfil their potential and ambition within the rich and diverse world of plants, gardens and landscapes.

Course description

Chris Beardshaw (RHS Chelsea garden designer and expert plantsman) teaches you the secrets of container gardening, planters and gardening from pots.

What is container gardening?

A container garden is where plants, flowers, vegetables and shrubs are grown in pots rather than directly in the ground.

Container gardens and plants in pots have become increasingly popular over the last few years - there's now a category for container gardens at RHS Chelsea Flower Show, and they're a brilliant option for people with small gardens or balconies.

Container gardens also give you more control over the plants' environment - you can control the soil type and move the container if you need to.

Choose Expert option for personal feedback from Chris on your container gardening project.

You'll be creating your own container garden throughout the course, and be able to ask Chris for feedback on your planter and pot designs and project.

You'll learn:
  • advantages of planting using pots
  • how to choose the right container for your plants
  • which plants work well in containers
  • combining plants in your pot for texture, colour and form
  • creating complex container gardens
  • maintaining container gardens through all seasons

Armed with all the inspiration and information you need; you will learn how to create your own style of container gardening.

You'll create:

By the end of the course, with the support of Chris and his team, you will have designed a series of containers and garden pots to suit your outdoor space and your design ambition - from the simple to the complex - and gained the horticultural knowledge to give your plants and containers the best conditions in which to thrive.

This course is for:

This course focuses primarily on ornamental plants and is aimed at the amateur and enthusiastic gardener.

Each lesson includes both a design and practical element.

Time to complete this container gardening course:

Every student is different but in general we think the whole course will take around 14 hours 20 minutes to complete including:

  • Video lessons: 2 hours 20 minutes in total
  • Course notes: 30 minutes per lesson
  • Assignment: at least 2 hours per lesson
  • Interactive classroom time: 15 minutes per lesson
  • tutor feedback review (Expert level): 15 minutes per lesson
The course includes:
  • On-demand video lessons - presented by Chris Beardshaw
  • lifetime access to the video, notes and interactive class
  • flexible classes - join and learn when and where you like
  • downloadable lesson notes
  • practical (optional) container gardening assignments
  • access on your mobile, PC, Mac or laptop
  • small interactive online classroom chat online to students from around the world
Ready to get started?

Just add the course to your basket above - choose the 'Expert' option for personal feedback from Chris on your container garden and plant choices.

Any questions? Contact us by clicking on the orange speech symbol - we'd love to hear from you.