Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: The ‘illers of container planting
It’s Memorial weekend… and I’m still hoping (I’m writing this a week before) that I can start really planting without having to worry about covering my plants!
One thing I DO know is that I will be out plant shopping for my containers! With that come the 3 ‘illers… Thrillers, Fillers and Spillers for easy plant combos. This helps avoid plant love overload!
Thriller – big, bold and beautiful. This plant is the tallest and is your main accent. Could be outstanding foliage, fantastic flowers or both. btw, you can cut the flowers off of coleus… they don’t really add much!
Filler – complimentary to your thriller, these plants are generally smaller flowers that can be monochromatic or contrasting flowers.
Spiller – the trailing plants that tumble over your container to soften it. Great trailers include sweet potato vines, vincas and ivies.
First rule, make sure you choose plants that like the same conditions, in particular sun/shade preferences. Watering requirements are not quite as critical in containers.
Here’s a recipe I created for a 14 inch pot at Wagners Greenhouse in Minneapolis: 1 plant Purple Millet, 2 orange (purple eye) Osteospermum, 1 purple Osteospermum, 1 purple sweet potato vine, 1 Swedish Ivy and 1 ‘White Nancy’ lamium (which is a perennial here and can be planted in the ground this Fall).
More container fun – you don’t have to follow any “rules”, except for sun/shade. The rest is really up to you. The ‘illers are simply a guide!
