MILTON – Here’s a way to think about choosing plants for hanging baskets and other containers. Choose thrillers, fillers, and spillers.
Some plants are great for tumbling over the edge of a container – the spiller plants. Some plants are big and bold and showy and should be the centre of attention. These are the thriller plants. Some plants are the right size to fit in-between the spillers and the thrillers and those are the fillers.
Thrillers are plants with height that add drama and a vertical element to the combination. They can either be flowering or foliage plants or ornamental grasses. Thrillers are generally put either in the centre or at the back of the container. Place it in the center of the container if it will be viewed from all sides and in the back if it will be viewed from only one side.
Some examples are: Angelface, angelonia, Butterfly argyranthemum, and graceful grasses.
Once you’ve chosen your thriller, then come the fillers.
Fillers tend to be more rounded plants and make the container look full. They are generally placed in front of, or around, the thriller variety. Examples include euphorbia, calibrachoa, and petunias.
Spillers are trailing plants that hang over the edge of the planter. They should be placed close to the edge of the container. Some examples are bacopa, lobularia, and the sweet potato vine.
Once your container is planted and positioned, give it plenty of water. And don’t forget to water regularly. Containers dry out much quicker than flowers planted in the ground.
– Article courtesy of Landscape Ontario
