More than the other two elements of a well-designed mixed container, the Thriller and Filler, the Spiller gives a lush look to your finished planter. ... Use this list as a start to browse dozens of easy to grow perennials. Sometimes called pennywort, creeping jenny spills a wispy trail of chartreuse drops when you tuck it into the rim of a container. Complete your succulent container with echeveria Fillers and agave or paddle succulent Thrillers. Window boxes are just another variation on a container, with the same requirements: high quality, well-draining soil, and regular feeding and watering. And, some spillers are edible like oregano and some types of thyme. This year, expand your options with stems of Supertunia flowers trailing over your containers. A common way to design container gardens is by using plants designated as thriller, filler, and spiller plants. Start with a potting soil like Miracle-Gro Potting Mix. They are usually placed closest to the rim of the container so they will tumble out of the pot. They grow 2-4” high and trail 12-20” long in full to part sun, well-drained soil and regular water to establish plants. Since soil and climates conditions vary in this vast state, perennials that do well in northern region may not necessarily flourish in the south, although the perennials listed here suit most parts of Texas. It’s a tough perennial, thriving from zones 2 to 10. While you can use one variety as a spiller throughout your pot, it is often effective to alternate, two or if your pot is large, or even have three varieties of spiller plants. Pot sizes larger than 18″ many require additional plants to fill out the container. Perennial plants that appreciate well-drained soil are a great choice for containers. It’s a tough perennial, thriving from zones 2 to 10. There are many types of plants that can be used as spillers. A spray of an ornamental grass or a grass-like plant makes an attractive addition to a mixed container. Its frothy blue flowers add both color and texture. Fuchsia (Fuchsia spp.) Introducing "One Thing": A New Video Series. Use perennial plants for your hanging basket for lasting value, since they start to grow again in spring. Spillers can be as thrilling as thrillers and can even be used in a pot by themselves. If your entire garden is made up of containers, do not use this technique for everything. Herbs can be used as a good filler for you. Container flower gardening need not be intimidating to those new to the garden world. While growing perennial plants, place the short varieties (like dianthus and phlox) in the front row and tall plants (like peony and iris) at the back. When planting pots in thriller spiller filler style, care to grow plants with similar growing requirements. About Perennial Flowers & Perennial Plants. They are usually a taller plant that adds height and drama to the your container. Thrillers are generally taller plants and are often used in the center of design; they are like the focal point. Plants in this container role: Showing 1 - 15 of 296. Spiller Plants. Thriller plants – Thrillers are the big, bold focal point of your container plant designs. You can place the grandest and tallest container towards the center-back of the group, the middle-sized containers can be surrounding or in front of the large thriller, and the smaller containers with spiller plants can be in the front and cascading to the ground. Keep scale in mind Planting the right combination of thrillers, fillers, and spillers creates a lush, intriguing composition rich … Yes, you can grow perennials in raised-bed gardens. Rest assured, when you buy perennials online from Wilson Bros Gardens we safely ship the highest quality container-grown specimens that are ready upon arrival to plant and thrive for years to come in your gardens - Guaranteed! TRAILING PLANTS IN CONTAINERS Trailing plants are worth their weight in gold when it comes to planting up containers. The ‘ Spiller Plant ‘ is the plant that will tumble out of the pot, softening the edges. Brighten up your patio or porch with container-friendly perennials Many perennial plants feel just as at home when potted up in containers as they do planted in the ground. To create an idea board, sign in or create an account. There are many types of plants that can be used as spillers. Use trailing plants to hang over the side of the basket and add foliage plants as a green background to bright colored flowers. Ivies make great spillers. Forms a cascading clump of narrow, creamy yellow leaves with dark green edges. Cold hardy down to zone 3. This element makes even a seasonal container look like it’s been growing for year after year. Perlagonium geraniums are classic container plants. If you're looking or shopping for perennial plants that will grow in part sun or part shade we offer a large selection. Spillers are placed close to the edge of the container. Another common flowering spiller is lobelia. Spillers can be flowering or foliage plants and can be used to add a pop of color or texture that can be a counterpoint to both the filler and thriller plants. This gives a full, mounded look to the completed display. They come in a wide array of leaf shapes and sizes and colors from bright to almost black. Spiller. Spillers are trailing plants that hang over the edge of the planter. Thriller Plants are used either in the back or middle of a container. Choose different varieties of plants for volume and interest. Sometimes called pennywort, creeping jenny spills a wispy trail of chartreuse drops when you tuck it into the rim of a container. Use of this site is subject to certain Terms Of Use. In fact, a simple method for ensuring beautiful focal points in the home or garden includes the use of thriller, filler, and spiller plants. Refer to our perennial bloom calendar to help you plan a year full of perennial color. All of the sun Thriller, Filler and Spillers will thrive in full sun but some can perform well in partial shade as well. Kerry Michaels is a writer and photographer with several years specializing in gardening and landscape design. No. © 2000-2020 Home Depot Product Authority, LLC. Finding perennials that grow well in containers can be difficult; however, if you can find a good mixture of plants that are easy to grow, you can make a colorful display. At last, plant the spillers (trailing plants) near the edges of the container so that they’ll grow naturally across the sides of the container. Like the name says, spiller plants are there to spill or drape over the side of the container planting, breaking up the straight lines to produce a more natural or organic appearance. Garden varieties of creeping phlox are gentle evergreen spilling perennials that flower in pinks, light blue, lavender and white. Basil. Basil gives you the choice to fill the garden with … Also, some plants can be both fillers and spillers—if they are mounding and trailing—verbena, bacopa, oregano, and some varieties of sedum. Most consider this tropical a vine suitable only for trellises, but this trailer also makes a … Donkey’s tail is the classic cascading succulent, with characteristic bunches of bean-shaped leaves. 'Sllver Mound' is a popular named cultivar of Artemisia schmidtiana, one species within the large Artemisia genus of hardy shrubs and perennials The genus includes more than 200 species, including plants that go by the common names of wormwood, sagebrush, and mugwort. Here’s a tip when creating your container: Lay the Supertunias on their sides so the flowers drape over the edge of the container and the soil-covered roots are sideways. When it comes to container gardening, designers use a technique called THRILLER, FILLERS, AND SPILLERS.Thrillers serve as a focal point, Fillers are often mound forming plants that compliment the focal point without stealing its luster. Miscanthus species, tall grasses often used as ornamentals, thrive in containers and in full sun. Cover with potting mix and complete your arrangement. Perennials come back year after year, bringing seasonal color to your garden. First, a word about thrillers and fillers. The Best Flowers for Pots in Full Sun 15 Photos The Best Houseplants to Make a Stylish Statement 10 Photos 25 Shade-Loving Plants for Containers and Hanging Baskets 25 Photos It's an old-fashioned favorite that has few rivals for its color display and light, sweet fragrance. The fillers are the plants that fill in the middle; these are usually between the pot and the thriller and may be a mounding plant that adds texture. Plant perennials in your Texas garden, and watch them come up and bloom year after year. They are a somewhat structured plant and can be used to give texture, draping down the side of a pot. Drought tolerance, hardiness and evergreen foliage are still more reasons to include ivy in your containers. Sweet potato vines are classic spillers. Light: Full sun or part sun These plants require little attention and little maintenance to thrive year after year. If it survives the winter where you are, trim it back in spring for another season of color. If the container is going to be viewed from all sides, Spillers should be placed on all sides. A good spiller like licorice plant (Helichrysum petiolare ‘Variegatum’, Zones 10–11) can end up being a mini-thriller, just growing down instead of up. Cascading stems of ivy add a classic touch to window boxes and containers. Most perennials bloom for a two to three month period, with a handful of long season bloomers out there. Ivy geranium will spill over the edges of your container. They can add fragrance, attract wild life and create rhythmic change. Often referred to as SPILLERS, these are the plants that are placed close to the edges of your container. Design your garden to have a section that uses the thriller, filler, spiller formula, but then do something different in another section. You can include 14 – 18 inch tall flowers in the front section, 1 – 3 feet tall varieties in the middle portion and 3 – 5 feet perennial flowers at the back. The ivy form has smaller flowers but blooms just as abundantly as the upright form. These plants thrive in well-drained soil (potting mix works perfectly), are easy to grow, and will add color and texture to the areas where you entertain. Mandevilla. Q.Can perennials be planted in a raised-bed garden? Similarly some annuals are more drought tolerant or water loving than others. Your garden’s color will pop with stunning flowering perennials. For something different, you can think of the group of containers like a class picture. Learn tips for creating your most beautiful (and bountiful) garden ever. Sweet potato vine can handle shade or sun. Container Gardening with Perennials & Shrubs. Container plantings need well-draining, moisture-retaining soil to survive the summer. Then, there are the spillers. These sweets, by the way, are not edible. Please call us at: 1-800-HOME-DEPOT (1-800-466-3337), Please enter in your email address in the following format: you@domain.com. Look for newer varieties in purple for a dramatic element in your container. Or the perennials can be divided and re-planted back into the same pot with fresh soil-less mix. In this guide, we're going to take a look at some options to plant if you live in Texas. Some are annuals, some perennial, some are chosen for their foliage and texture, others for flowers and color. In this guide, we are going to look at several options that grow well in containers, so you will be able to find plants that you can easily grow together in your indoor or outdoor space all year long. A. Desert plants, like agave, and heat-tolerant perennial flowers, like lantana, are other good choices. This versatile sedge is beautiful as a spiller in containers, rock gardens, and landscapes. 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