Have you ever wondered how those beautiful mixed planters are made? We’re here to tell you ALL the secret ingredients! And let’s be honest, everyone loves a good recipe, right?
To begin the journey of making your own planter, you’ll need to understand how a planter is designed. From this general layout, you can then pick your ideal plants to use and know where to put them in your pot. To make your very own mixed planter, you’ll need a Thriller (A), a Filler (B & C) and a Spiller (D). (See the diagram below for placement).
The Thriller (A) will be your center piece, booming above the other plants! We recommend using a plant that has an upright growth habit that provides lots of drama. Great plants to use would be Canna Lilies, Cyperus Prince Tut™, or Roses that can grow on a stake like our Rose Apricot Drift®!
The Filler (B & C) is a type of plant that will fill up empty areas left in the pot. Many gardeners will chose a plant that has a mounding habit like Euphorbia Diamond Snow® or a shorter upright growing plant like Gaura So White that is smaller than the Thriller so it will not compete with their Thriller. If you are concerned that your Filler will overshadow your Thriller, any Petunia Supertunia® is a great option to fill in space while adding striking color.
And you guessed it, the Spiller (D) should be a plant that creeps, or spills over the edge of your container, adding that extra beauty. Think about using a plant with ground covering or trailing habit. Sedum Lemon Coral® is a fantastic option and is one of our favorites to use at Johnson Nursery because of its bright vivid yellow-green color and has amazing versatility.
If you want your combination planter to explode with flowers, using Petunia Supertunia® as your Filler and Spiller is the perfect way to add size, dimension and color to your beautiful planter!
Check out a few examples of award-winning mixed planters that we carry at the Garden Center at Johnson Nursery and how you can recreate them for yourself! If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to one of our garden center experts!
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