Thrillers, Fillers & Spillers

Here’s a simple recipe for eye-catching containers

by Steve Silk

For a lush container that is sure to dazzle, use three types of plants that perform different functions but work in harmony.

One of my favorite garden pastimes is cooking up new ideas for planting containers. I’ve never bothered to count just how many pots I plant each year, but the number easily tops 100.

But no matter how many pots I display, I’ve come to realize there’s no mystery in making a scrumptious container planting as long as I follow a simple three-ingredient recipe. First and foremost is what I call a “thriller,” a centerpiece plant with star quality, something big, bold, and beautiful. Then I add a few spicy “fillers,” foliage or flowering plants that will complement but not overwhelm the main player. Finally, I add a savory splash of mischief, a “spiller” that just tumbles out of the pot. As long as I use each of those kinds of plants—in various proportions—and take care to balance colors and textures, I can create a pot with pizzazz.

Thriller: Purple fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum ‘Rubrum’).

Filler: ‘Bellingrath Pink’ coleus (Solenostemon scutellarioides ‘Bellingrath Pink’).

Spiller: ‘Margarita’ sweet potato vine (Ipomoea batatas ‘Margarita’).

Thrillers are the star

As the name implies, thrillers are the big, attention-getting star players. They are usually tall, upright plants, with outstanding qualities—such as colorful foliage, intriguing shape, or dramatic flowers—that last all season long. Many thrillers are architectural: plants with structural, eye-catching form that can serve as a sturdy backbone or rugged framework for a scrim of less substantial plants. Think of the boldly colorful, paddlelike leaves of Canna ‘Pretoria’ or the bright spikes of Yucca filamentosa ‘Gold Edge’.

Thrillers work best in compositions where they are the tallest plant. For me, they are also the starting point in a container design. I select my thriller, then build around it. At planting time, the thriller goes in the center of a pot that will be viewed from all sides or at the back of a pot that will be displayed in a corner or against a wall.

More great thrillers —

1. Agaves (Agave spp. and cvs., Z 11)
2. Bananas (Musa spp. and cvs., Z 8–11, and Ensete ventricosum ‘Maurelii’, Z 11)
3. Cannas (Canna ‘Pretoria’, ‘Tropicanna’, and ‘Black Knight’, Z 8–11)
4. Purple fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum ‘Rubrum’, Z 9–10)
5. Taros (Colocasia esculenta and cvs., Z 9–11)

Agave. Photo/Illustration: Jerry Pavia

Banana.

Taro.

Fillers add mass

Next, I add the fillers—billowy, more finely textured plants that surround and weave through the thriller. Fillers add mass to the overall composition and, more important, establish a dialogue with the thriller. Fillers add a textural contrast or colorful counterpoint. In a monochromatic composition, they may simply echo the thriller, though with less saturated color or at a reduced scale. Texturally, I might use a round-leaved filler with a spiky thriller. Since fillers are usually plants with a mounded silhouette, they also do just what the name implies: They fill up the pot while embracing the thriller. Often, they help by hiding the bare knees—the less interesting stems or stalks—of their larger neighbor.

When planting a pot, I position my fillers around the thriller. I often use a mix of plants for this job: some with foliar interest, others with flowers. For flowery fillers, I avoid perennial varieties in favor of uncommon, striking annuals or tender perennials for their much longer flowering season. Since the goal of container plants is to attract the eye, these plants add an alluring unusual flavor. I like bountiful-looking containers, so I cram in as many fillers as I can.