How to achieve the look

I fell in love with Pelargonium ‘White Boar’ when I spotted it outside the front door of a Cotswolds vicarage. To complement the dark-patterned foliage, I combine it with Plectranthus ciliatus, pinching out the tips of the shoots regularly to prevent it from flowering. Pelargonium ‘Blandfordianum Album’, helps to link the colour of the planting with the pot. Glandularia Aztec Silver Magic (= ‘Balazsilma’) provides more depth with its dark-green, divided leaves, and the flowers provide additional interest in shape and colour. The old terracotta pot was whitewashed with greenhouse shading paint and after one season was colonised by algae and moss. The container will spend the summer on the terrace, with a lot of sun and attention. A layer of crocks provides good drainage and an equal mixture of John Innes No.2 and high-quality, multi-purpose compost will give it a good start. Deadheading is essential and I feed all containers weekly with a balanced liquid fertiliser to make sure plants flower well into the autumn. I also weave shoots through the display to ensure balanced development. Some staking may be necessary, especially in an exposed position. There is always a plant that wants to take over and one that is happy to retreat, but by the end of summer this should be an interesting display.