Pelargonium 'Mrs Pollock' – Tricolour Zonal Geranium

Your plant arrives well-branched and ready to be potted on into a slightly larger container with good-quality, free-draining compost. In the Baltic climate, keep her on a bright windowsill through winter, then move outdoors from late May once all frost has passed — morning sun with afternoon shade gives the brightest leaf colour without scorching the variegation. Water when the top of the compost feels dry; pelargoniums actively prefer to dry out slightly between waterings and dislike wet feet. Feed fortnightly through the growing season with a balanced liquid fertiliser, switching to a high-potash feed once flowering begins. Bring back indoors in early October before the first frost. Pinch out the growing tips of young stems in spring to encourage bushy growth, and deadhead spent flowers regularly to keep new buds coming. Drought-tolerant once established, and largely disease-free.

First introduced in England in 1858, 'Mrs Pollock' was one of the original "fancy-leaved" zonal pelargoniums bred specifically for their patterned foliage — a Victorian gardening obsession that swept the great glasshouses and conservatories of the era. Nearly two centuries later, she remains one of the most beautiful tricolour varieties ever produced, and a piece of living horticultural history for the windowsill. She also takes well from softwood cuttings, so you can propagate new plants in spring or summer to share with friends — and keep this 19th-century heirloom going for another generation.