True beauty lies not in clinical perfection, but unique imperfection, as reflected in the constantly growing trend for upcycling, retro and vintage-looking interiors and garden styling. The traditional Japanese aesthetic concept of wabi-sabi has also taken root on UK shores. With its serene acceptance of transience and imperfection, wabi-sabi appreciates beauty that is “imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete”.
The realisation that less is often more, and not everything has to be immaculate, is well established in our post-pandemic, deconstructed world of fluid boundaries and blue sky thinking. Reusing old items is not only a sustainable choice, it allows you to bring a more personalised look to indoor and outdoor spaces. The experts at Pelargonium for Europe (PfE) have reimagined geraniums with this in mind, celebrating the imperfect in décor as well as the shabby-chic beauty of this hardy and versatile plant that brightens up homes and gardens nationwide throughout late spring and summer.
Floral-Patina Contrast
Scuffed, tarnished, with peeling paint or a rough, weathered surface; these planters with plenty of patina look as if they’ve seen better days. That is precisely why they have such a special aesthetic appeal. The bare wall in the background and the spartan décor emphasise the austere charm of this still life and highlight the natural beauty of the geraniums.
Upcycled geranium wall displays
With a wide variety of flowers in warm, vibrant colours, geraniums are the quintessential choice for pots and balcony boxes and also make great wall displays. You can showcase geraniums to perfection with creative upcycled features made from refound objects, such as the old spades pictured above. As well as making use of old equipment which has outlived its original purpose but still has vintage charm, these rustic ideas offset the delicate freshness of the geraniums, which make an attractive contrast to the rusting metal and weathered brickwork.
You can also beautify a boring bare wall with a pretty vertical garden based on an old picket fence. Fixed to the top of a weathered stone wall, the wooden fence hangs down loosely and provides space for pots and baskets. They are attached to the wooden strips with hooks, and planted with easy-care geraniums and herbs. A perfectly imperfect homemade wall display for anyone who likes the unconventional and also values sustainable garden design.
Window to the World
The wall display below, made from an old wooden window frame, is a tribute to the beauty of the ephemeral. The fresh geranium flowers stand out against the old window and create a living accent against the ageing wall, which is a more interesting feature than the container on its own would be. A string of lights wound round the window frame provides atmospheric light on warm summer evenings.
Upcycled geranium display stand
If you’ve ever wondered what to do with all those old side tables, stools, pots, boxes and other paraphernalia that clutter up floor space but have sentimental value, why not stack it all together into a fascinating floral feature that you can also use to display ornaments, books and the rest of your knick-knacks?
The more contrasting the furniture, the better this will work and the more unique the result. Shown here is a homemade display stand consisting of three very different tables, which offers plenty of space in a bright conservatory for easy-care potted geraniums in a variety of colours and sizes. A lush trailing geranium takes pride of place on the top table.
Tip: When choosing a location for your stand, bear in mind that geraniums need plenty of sunlight and warmth to flourish.
