By Dr. Robert Moon
As a gardener, I love to have flowering plants in my landscape and I have found that container plantings are a good way to add that color in a more controlled setting. Container plantings can add interest and color throughout the year. Containers to be the most effective should contain a thriller, filler and spiller technique of planting. Containers need to have good drainage and an organic potting soil. Once you have that, your imagination can be your guide when using the following plants in your container garden.
Thriller Plants – These plants give height to the pot adding drama and a vertical focal point. These plants can be flowering plants, foliage plants, ornamental grasses or shrubs. These plants should be placed in the center of the container or on one side of the container if the container is to be viewed from one side. Thriller examples are hibiscus, purple fountain grass or foxtail fern.
Filler Plants – These plants fill in around the center planting, they are shorter in height, have rounded or mounded growth and can be several different varieties depending on the size of the container. These plants are planted halfway between the edge of the container and up to the thriller planting. Filler examples are caladiums, scaevola, periwinkle or angelonia.
Spiller Plants – These plants are trailing plants that grow over the side of the container and add depth and interest. These plants are planted around the edge of the container and can be different varieties depending on the size of the container. Spiller examples are potato vine, creeping Jenny, trailing lantana or golden oregano.
Shown are some examples of container plantings for summer. Use your Harvest BioSol fertilizer to fertilize your containers. Don’t be afraid to try many combinations of plants. If one plant dies, it is easy to replace with another plant without replanting the entire container.
There is no down side container gardening. With little effort you can create a beautiful container. Just go for it using the Thriller, Filler, Spiller technique, a proven winner for container gardening.