DRAMATIC SIMPLICITY

The background for this planter is a long row of grey-leaved hostas and a wall covered in climbing roses. I chose purple-coloured leaves to stand out against the backdrop and white flowers to add interest, without being overpowering. This scheme has to work when you catch a glimpse of it from afar, but still be interesting when you walk right past it, and the chosen plants will provide this until the first frost.

How to achieve the look

There are some places where you don’t need much colour to make an impact. In this case, I’ve used only white, purple and green, but the shape of the leaves and flowers make it an interesting combination. I have chosen two begonias to fill the space between the other plants. Their dark-green leaves give some breathing space between the purples around them and grey leaves below.

This lead planter has a suitably theatrical flourish, but needs care when being handled, as the metal is relatively soft and it is easy to leave marks. I covered its drainage hole with crocks, used some gravel for drainage, and used a mixture of good-quality compost and John Innes No.2 as the growing medium. Sambucus nigra f. porphyrophylla ‘Eva’ produces pink flowers in summer and when used in partial shade its leaves are not too dark. Ipomoea batatas ‘Sweet Caroline Sweetheart Purple’ is an invaluable foliage plant and its heart-shaped leaves add some gravitas to the scheme. The two begonias might seem old fashioned, but I think they earn their place. To connect the display to the border, I used Glechoma hederacea ‘Variegata’, but it will need to be contained to keep the urn visible. Deadheading and a weekly liquid feed will ensure a good performance. Additional staking in summer will keep all plants in place and help the begonias reach a good height.