PERFECT PELARGONIUMS

My interest in scented-leaved pelargoniums began while looking after a client’s collection. I discovered lots of new plants perfect for containers and have been experimenting ever since. One of my favourites is Pelargonium ‘Brilliantine’, with its dainty, pink flowers held aloft above neat, glaucous foliage that smells of eau de cologne. It works well as a specimen plant grouped with other individuals or in a mixed container. But be warned, pelargoniums are addictive.

How to achieve the look

Here I’ve made a display combining three different pelargoniums with two other plants with similar growing habits. I’ve used some ceramic pots I bought at the Chelsea Flower Show to unite them as a collection of loose, trailing plants. These small planters with their distressed glaze come in a range of soft pastel colours that enhance the mounds of delicate flowers. Plain terracotta pots could be used instead, coated with several layers of chalky paint in a favourite pastel hue.

Scented-leaved pelargoniums are tender perennials that need to be kept frost free in winter. They like a sheltered spot in full sun and require well-drained, loam-based compost, which I’ve finished off with a top dressing of grit. They respond well to a fortnightly high-potash feed and regular deadheading, and are easy to propagate from cuttings. I’ve chosen some of the more delicate cultivars with smaller leaves and a profusion of flowers. One of my current favourites is Pelargonium ‘Brilliantine’, with its dainty, bright-pink flowers held in neat sprays above glaucous foliage. It works equally well as a specimen plant grouped with other individuals or in a mixed container. It’s shown here as part of a larger display with two other favourite pelargoniums, and partnered with a lovely alpine snapdragon and the blue-flowered Monopsis.