We all seem to have tricks to help us remember things. “Lefty Lucy, Right Tighty’ pops into my mind each and every time I am using a screwdriver. My kids have all done really well on their eighth grade constitution test simply because they know the words to the School House Rock songs. Acronyms, such as NEWS (North, East, West and South) are also really helpful when trying to remember a series of words.
When planning which flowers to plant in your containers this year, it may be helpful to remember the phrase “Thriller, spiller and filler.” These are three categories that annual flowers can be grouped into. When you combine one or more from each group into a container, the results can be spectacular.
Thrillers are plants that add a bit of height to a group of annual flowers. Usually they are planted in the center or back of the container. Thriller plants can either be plants with great foliage or flowers. Some examples of thrillers would be King Tut Grass and Sky Blue Angelonia,
Filler plants are chosen to complete the container with gorgeous flowers. They tend to be mound-shaped plants. Diamond Frost Euphorbia and Electric Orange SunPatiens are two examples of filler plants.
Spiller plants are those that as the name implies; they tend to hang over the edge of the containers. Sweet potato vine and Dark Knight lobularia make great spiller plants.
A combination of these makes for a great group of plants that contains several different design elements.
Here are a few specific annual flower varieties that you may want to plant this year.
Lanai Vintage Verbena: Verbena flowers attract butterflies, adding a touch of beauty to your garden while promoting pollination and plant growth. This variety is also resistant to deer. It will grow to a height of 4-10” and a width of 12.”
Intenz Classic Celosia: This very low maintenance plant has a bright purple flower and attractive foliage. It does best in full sun and is very easy to care for. It will grow about 18” tall.
Flamethrower Chili Pepper: Coleus. This annual grows best in full shade to full sun. The distinctive purple and chartreuse leaves add color to any container. It has an upright habit and can grow to about 18-24” tall.
Compact Electric Orange SunPatiens: This unique variety of impatiens does as well in full sun as it does in full shade. It is disease resistant. The bright orange blooms are beautiful even from a distance.
Angelonia Serenita Sky Blue: This is one tough plant. It is drought tolerant and rabbit resistant. It is extremely easy to grow and very low maintenance. The gorgeous blue flowers will grow to about 12-14” tall in full sun to part shade.
Easy Wave Burgundy Velour Petunia: The fast-growing plants bloom freely all season in landscapes and containers without cutting back, and tolerate both heat and cooler conditions very well. Flower-filled plants grow a little more mounded than original Wave, with a more controlled spread. Grows best in full sun.
Blue My Mind Evolvus: Blue is hard to get one’s hands on in the garden, but Blue My Mind™ evolvus fills the void! This Proven Winner heat-tolerant beauty makes a stunning addition to containers and NO dead-heading! It will grow 8” tall in full sun to part shade.
Kathleen Carr is the owner of The Growing Scene, Inc., a garden center and landscaping company. She can be reached by calling 815-923-7322 or kathleen@thegrowingscene.com Have a gardening question? Please contact her. She will address it in an upcoming column.
