Container gardening is all about thrillers, fillers, spillers
 Rita Randolph, owner of Randolph's Greenhouses in Jackson, Tenn., has a low-maintenance collection of the hens-and-chicks or sempervivums. (Photos by Christine Arpe Gang/Special to The Commercial Appeal) |
 Fiber Optic grass is one of Rita Randolph's favorite plants for containers. It can be used alone, as it is in this chicken container, or as a trailer in containers with mixed plants. |
Gardening in containers is an easy way to bring color and vitality to patios, porches and other spots.
Container gardening can be done by anyone, because it doesn't require the physical labor needed to grow plants in beds. And you can usually find enough sun or shade somewhere to grow the plants you really love.
The trend for several years has been to create compact landscapes in every container by filling them with several different plants. The usual formula involves a vertical plant, sometimes called a thriller, to give the tableau height; a couple of mounded plants, often called fillers, for interest in the center; and a trailing plant or two, called spillers, to soften edges and provide a focal point toward the bottom of the container.
Lately, however, I've noticed more containers showcasing a single, stunning plant. Rita Randolph, owner of Randolph's Greenhouses in Jackson, Tenn., allows Fiber Optic grass to get all the glory in a container shaped like a chicken. In another, she has a low-maintenance collection of the hens-and-chicks or sempervivums.
P. Allen Smith, the gardening guru from Little Rock, suggests putting single thrillers, fillers and spillers in pots of varying sizes and heights and grouping the pots together. As the plants grow, they will form the lush miniature landscapes we all love. But when a plant wanes, it's easy to swap it out with another potted beauty.
Randolph likes lush combinations and has an artist's eye when it comes to choosing plant partners. At her retail nursery, she makes it easy to shop by grouping plants that will work well together in containers. She also sells containers already filled, and will custom-design landscapes in containers brought in by customers.
"My first thought is always texture," she said. Wherever she travels, she looks for foliage plants to bring texture and color to containers. "I believe foliage is first, and flowers are second."
The foliage of New Guinea impatiens in the Paradise series, which have gold variegations, look great even if the flowers fall off, she said.
Tropical peperomias have many leaf variations. And don't forget the soft mounding properties of grasses, such as silver and green basket grass, Ever Gold carex that maintains its golden color all year, and Toe Tickler, a dwarf Fiber Optic and blue fescue that becomes a blue-green trailer when it is allowed to spill from a container without touching the ground.
Other foliage plants to consider are coleus in many colors and leaf shapes; caladiums, such as the purple Excalibur and the huge Red Flash; Troy's Gold plectranthus and Caramel, a heuchera (coral bells) with caramel-colored leaves and white flowers.
It's one of the few heucheras that will grow here, too.
For height, don't overlook the mother-in-law's tongue you may already own. It may not be that pretty on its own, but when it is with friends (other plants), Randolph said it shines.
She also thinks lemongrass is underused as a vertical plant for containers, as are other edibles such as burgundy-leafed beets and Bright Lights Swiss chard.
Container gardens look best when plants are crowded together. They will grow and fill in, but this isn't a garden you want to wait for.
"I like to completely cover the soil with plants," Randolph said.
She uses a fast-draining potting mix of composted cotton burrs, composted bark, peat moss, perlite, sand and composted manure. She mixes in lime and an organic plant food such as Espoma's Plant-tone. She also boosts her plants' diets with regular feedings of liquid fertilizers.
Randolph did a slide presentation on container gardening at the March meeting of the Memphis Area Master Gardeners, and will present a similar program at 7 p.m., April 2, at the Memphis Horticulture Society's meeting at the Memphis Botanic Garden.
Once you see her slides and witness her passion for plants, I guarantee you will come away full of ideas.
Roses without chemicals
Because I'm always on the lookout for disease-resistant roses that require no spraying, my ears perked up while listening to Mike McGrath's radio show, "You Bet Your Garden" (10 a.m. Mondays on WKNA-FM 88.9).
He provided tips for chemical-free rose gardening and a list of disease-resistant roses.
Dr. Tommy Cairns, past president of the American Rose Society and author of "Ortho's All About Roses," was McGrath's source for the information.
First, some general tips.
To prevent diseases, always plant roses in open areas with lots of airflow and sun.
Prune off dead, damaged and diseased canes in the spring, as new growth appears.
Clean up and discard the old mulch under your roses and add an inch of compost.
Roses with waxy leaves rather than papery leaves tend to be more disease-resistant.
Not surprisingly, McGrath's list of roses that require little care begins with the popular Knock-Out roses, but most of the others, including a couple of hybrid teas, were less familiar to me:
Hybrid teas: Kardinal, a red rose that lasts long as a cut flower; Cabana, an orange-yellow rose from Jackson & Perkins; pale yellow Elina and Ronald Reagan, a deep red rose.
Floribundas: Julia Child, a yellow with a spicy scent; apricot Amber Queen; Passionate Kisses, neon pink; and Bolero, Moon Dance and Fabulous, all white roses. Moon Dance is a 2007 ARS winner.
Grandiflora: Wild Blue Yonder, a deep purple with a citrus fragrance.
Shrub roses: Roses in the Easy Elegance series, especially Fiesta, with its "explosion" of pink and white blooms; Macy's Pride, creamy white with a hint of pink; Snow Drift, white flowers with 50 petals on each;
Climbers: Showtime, a clear red with bright gold stamens and Eden Rose (also called Pierre de Ronsard), a medium-pink climber with old-garden-type cabbage roses. (From the photos I saw by Googling Eden Rose, it could be my new favorite.)
Source: Commercialapeal.com
