Patio Pots (gouache style)

Growing plants in pots is nothing new. Grand houses of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries built orangeries to shelter citrus trees in tubs over winter, wheeling them outside for summer. The Victorians filled stone urns with bedding. The 'geraniums' on most patios are really pelargoniums, brought from South Africa. Pots let gardeners grow almost anywhere, on a patio, balcony or doorstep, and they can be moved to follow the sun or changed with the seasons.

Use peat-free compost and pots with drainage holes. In summer, pots dry out much faster than borders, so water most days and feed weekly from June with a high-potash feed. A lemon tree can stand outside from late May to September in a sunny, sheltered spot, then move to a bright, frost-free room before the first frost, with citrus feed through the year. Bring pelargoniums under cover in October. Sow nasturtiums in May, and don't feed them, or you'll get leaves instead of flowers.

A town patio is crowded with terracotta pots of geraniums, herbs, a lemon tree and nasturtiums. There's no border in sight, which is the point: it shows how much can grow in a small paved space. The mix of flowers, kitchen herbs and a fruit tree makes it feel lived in and well used.