If you have walked into a big retail nursery and looked at the price of already planted pots and baskets you know the price is steep. With a few little tips you can design lovely containers yourself and save up to 50%. Designers have a little saying that boils down to three simple terms: The Thriller, The Filler, and The Spiller. This combination is fool proof.
Thriller – a plant used to give height to the container and garner attention. A thriller is generally tall, 12″-24″ and tends to be narrow and upright. Here are a couple good examples of thriller plants:
– Sun: lilies, ornamental grasses, sunflowers, daisies and tropical houseplants
– Shade: cannas, large begonias and nile lilies
Filler – a plant or multiple plants that take up the medium space, filling up the middle height. These plants tend to be wider vs. taller. Here are a couple examples of filler plants:
– Sun: there are many options here, be sure to look for plants that handle the sun and grow 6″-12″ and have long blooming times
– Shade: hostas, begonias, calla lilies and impatiens
Spiller – plants that cascade or drape over the side of the container. Most are sold as groundcovers, spreading plants or vines. Here are a few examples:
– Sun: creeping Jenny, ivy and cascading petunias
– Shade: creeping Jenny and ivy
These are just a few examples. We recommend you pick out annuals that look the best to you and follow our guidelines for placement. To help your annuals reach their full potential, remember the one-two punch: high quality soil and slow release fertilizer.