Layer-up colour

This simple formula works every time if you want a professional-looking container. It’s an easy way of building up different levels of colour.

Choose an eye-catching plant with some height to be the showpiece ‘thriller’, such as the towering spires of delphiniums, lupins or hollyhocks in intense shades of blue, purple or crimson. Then use ‘filler’ plants to add depth to the container such as clouds of pink and red cosmos, verbena, heuchera or pelargoniums. Finally, add a tumble of trailing lobelia, achillea (yarrow) or petunia as the ‘spiller’ to scramble over the edges and soften the look. It’s as easy as that. The result is three levels of lush colour in one pot.