Albert Graves

Give him three pots, three gerberas and some moss and Albert Graves can make a landscape come alive. The landscapes of floral artist Albert Graves, are often on table tops, in entryways, and lobbies. But what works inside, can also shake up a humdrum landscape outside.

"This water feature is so much fun. It looks great indoors, but I've also been putting them on decks and balcony gardens," says Graves.

The tight confines of the balcony garden seen to inspire Graves. "Symmetry and simplicity, that's why I aim for in a balcony garden. I like the pots to all be the same, and the same colour and in the pots just one plant. Put three pots together with the same plant and it's a strong design."

It's an interesting theory, because you don't need gobs of plants to make an impact. For indoors, Graves will put together three Gerberas, and three black pots with moss, and the effect is cosmic. For outdoor gardens of course, adjustments must be made, black pots can fry plants, but the theory works.

"It's just like cooking," says Graves, "You improvise and you make substitutions."

Hostas for instance are great plants for going solo in a pot. One monster hosta in an elegant container makes a rich image.

Graves, who trained in Holland in agriculture and horticulture before floral design, travels a lot to keep up with trends. Twice a year he goes back to Holland to see the latest in plants and design. "I get my ideas from everywhere, from fashion, from car design, from art. I try to teach people to unleash their creativity. Most people are too timid to try new things, they always ask me, "Is this ok?"

It's all pretty much ok for Graves. Tumbled glass as a mulch? Go for it. Pasta noodles in a flower arrangement? Why not. Copper pennies as edging? Works for me.

And those students at Humber, they can be terrified of colour combinations, he says "Colour is so personal, I tell them to try anything, if they like it use it."

And what about Graves' colour preferences? In his displays he's using brilliant colours, orange and greens splashing together. "I still like lime green, it's like spring, it's refreshing, it's young, it's funky." The carnival colours of florist plants are easily found in hardy perennials now. Go to any good garden centre and look at the breathtaking selections. Bleeding hearts with leaves the colour of celery, or columbines with leaves like a marble cake.

Lately Graves has been popping lime green roses called 'Jade' and 'Limbo' into designs. Just a few, after all less is more in the world according to Graves.

But perhaps we better enjoy the uncluttered Zen style while we can. The next trend Graves predicts will be "folklore", a turbulent mixture of patterns, shapes and textures. Get ready to jump on the Marrakesh express.