Course Container Gardening

Sustainable Container Gardening with Dinner

Learn to grow vegetables and herbs in pots, boxes, and buckets, from balconies to patios.
This 5-week course guides participants in setting up their own vegetable and herb garden using containers. Whether you're working with a balcony, terrace, or small courtyard, container gardening offers a flexible and sustainable way to grow fresh food at home.

Container gardening means growing plants in pots, raised beds, buckets, or any kind of container rather than directly in the ground.
It’s ideal for small spaces and urban environments, and allows for a low-impact, climate-friendly approach to gardening.
Each session begins with a seasonal plant-based dinner, offering a chance to slow down, connect with others, and build community around gardening and good food.

Access to private online platform

Our private Scoby platform provides a digital community hub, free from distractions, that extends the offline learning experience. Course participants have their own personalized space where they can access resources and exchange information with each other. The platform is accessible on both desktop and as a mobile app.

Start your garden, step by step

Growing vegetables and herbs in containers is a practical and rewarding way to garden, even in limited space. This course is designed for beginners who want to start gardening sustainably and affordably, using thoughtful techniques and repurposed materials. It offers structure, community, and hands-on guidance to help participants build confidence and take meaningful steps in creating their own edible garden.
From choosing the right crops and understanding their growing conditions to maintaining a healthy garden over time, each step is covered in a supportive, community-based learning setting. Each session builds on the last, helping you steadily grow both your skills and your garden.

In this course, participants will

Set up a functioning vegetable and herb garden in containers.
Build confidence working with soil, seeds, and plants.
Learn how to garden sustainably, even in limited space.
Connect with others who are excited about growing their own food.

The Sustainable Container Gardening Course covers

Basic plant knowledge: plant families, seasonal rhythms, crop rotation, companion planting, crop spacing, annuals and perennials.
Seeds and planting: seed starting, transplanting, direct sowing, and caring for young plants.
Garden planning: how to choose crops and design your container garden layout.
Climate- and cost-friendly infrastructure: evaluating your space, selecting low-impact materials, and exploring different container types (e.g., self-watering pots, ceramics, raised beds, DIY options).
Watering: efficient and sustainable watering techniques for containers.
Soil and compost: understanding healthy soil in containers and how to adapt composting to small spaces, from Bokashi to worm bins.

Materials We Provide Participant

Seasonal seedlings and seeds to get you started
A Bokashi bin to borrow and try during the course
A container gardening book to borrow as a shared reference
A sense of community, and perhaps even new friendships formed around shared goals

Course Format

The course meets every two weeks across 5 sessions.
Each session is 4 hours long from 17.30 - 21.30 and includes a shared dinner (1 hour).
Every evening includes both a theoretical and practical component.
Participants are encouraged to implement what they’ve learned in their own gardens between sessions.

Course Details

Location: Kaskantine, Handbalstraat 1, 1062 XK Amsterdam
Language: English
Course Size: Limited to max. 15 Participants
Dates & Times: Wednesday,
Cost: 300 Euros

How to Register

How to RegisterWe’re happy you’re interested in joining the Sustainable Container Gardening Course with Dinner!
You can register in two ways:

Not sure yet?
Come to our free Information Day to learn more, meet the course instructors, and ask any questions. It’s a relaxed and friendly way to see if this course is the right fit for you.
You can register for the course after the info day if you’d like to join.
Already know this is for you? Wonderful!

Register now and save your spot.
Use the form below to sign up—we’ll send you a confirmation and an invoice by email.
Your place is secured once we receive your payment.

De Kaskantine: an off-grid learning environment

De Kaskantine is an experiment in going off-grid, relying on solar energy and rainwater. Participants will learn about alternative resource management methods from upcycling building materials and collecting rainwater to producing solar energy.

While the course focuses on what participants can do on the household level (their very own urban homestead), de Kaskantine serves as an example of a modern homestead and gives you an idea of how sustainability and self-sufficiency can be on a community level.

As you'll see throughout the year, we are as a result highly dependent on nature. For instance, we need solar energy to generate electricity, and we need to collect rainwater for most of our water supply.

Instructors

The founders of De Kaskantine, Menno and Betty, will lead this course. With the help of volunteers, they have moved and rebuilt the project three times including the restaurant and transformed a former football field into a thriving garden, all the while with the aim to build knowledge and expand community-based projects.

While they believe that we need a system change, they understand that empowering individuals and communities with knowledge and skills is crucial in combating climate change. Their passion for climate-based solutions and learning is at the heart of their desire to create a hands-on, practical course for city dwellers to take tangible actions, both personally and in their community.

Sign Up for Our Introduction Day: February 15, 2025, 11:00–12:30

FAQs

What can I grow in a container garden?

It depends on the season and total available space but quite a lot! You can grow herbs like basil, parsley, thyme, or chives year-round. In warmer months, you can plant tomatoes, beans, peppers, or zucchini. Leafy greens like lettuce and spinach work well in cooler months too.
You’ll get guidance during the course on choosing crops that suit your space and the time of year. Everyone will go home with a seasonal seedling and seeds to get started.

Who is this course for?

This course is for city dwellers who are looking to make changes towards a more sustainable lifestyle in a supportive community, with a focus on gardening, cooking, and composting.

is this course suitable for advanced gardeners?

No, this course is designed for beginner gardeners to gain the skills for their first years of gardening.

Do i need to be a vegan to be in this course?

This course is for vegans and non-vegans alike. During the course, we will be cooking plant-based meals that do not feature animal products, however during the course, we will discussing the Planetary Health Diet, developed by the EAT-Lancet Commission, which does feature a small amount of animal products, should you want to consume them.

Do i need to have access to a garden currently to join this course?

It would be beneficial to have some space to garden, whether at home even in a few containers, or in a rented plot elsewhere, so that you can apply what you are learning on a daily basis and observe your garden throughout the seasons. However we do understand that there may be some people who would like to first learn theory in preparation for when they one day have a garden. That is fine too, and they may find it then beneficial to apply their newly gained knowledge during our optional volunteer workdays. Kaskantine however does not offer garden plots for participants.

Is this a permaculture course?

No. While we will give an overview of different gardening philosophies, we are not a permaculture course.

Question 6

Answer to question 6