Mixed Planter

On this page you will learn the different kind of plants that should go into creating a planter. You will learn what good thrillers, fillers, and spillers are.
Click here for a link to a PDF that has recipes for planters on our website.
We also have a link to Proven Winners website that gives you great ideas for pots and baskets. Click here for planter garden recipes. Their website is full of good information and tips to help garden as well. We used their site for inspiration of the below information to create a beautiful container.

First Choose A Planter

There is really only one requirement that you should not overlook. Your planter should have adequate drainage holes so soil doesn’t remain too wet. Once you’ve have that, the rest of the features are up to you. A suggestion is to look for a larger planter, since this helps make it easier to keep up with watering.

Second Picking Your Plants

Before you buy the plants, figure our how much sun each planter will be getting everyday. This will determine if you need sun or shade plants. Other than this requirement of plants the rest is up to you.
Some things to think about when choosing your plants:
  • Purchase the right amount of plants for your planter
    (10-12" planter can hold 3-5 four inch pot sized plants)
  • Choose a color scheme or be whimsical and pick colors that look good together
  • Choose a plant that will add some height to your planter (Thriller)
    Below is a list of good plants to consider for Thrillers
  • Choose 2 or more plants depending on size of planter that will trail over the planter's edge (Spillers)
    Below is a list of good plants to consider as Spillers
  • Choose 2 or more plants depending on size of planter to fill in between the Pillar and Spillers (Fillers)
    Below is a list of good plants to consider as Fillers

Third Get Good Potting Soil

Potting Soil isn’t the most compelling subject in gardening, but using a good, quality and lightweight potting mix will make success much more likely. Do replace potting soil each year, as it is healthier for your plants.
If you would like to learn more on Potting Soil and the benefits of a proper soil please click here
We recommend our potting soil. It is the potting soil we use in our greenhouse for all of our plants. It is lightweight. It has the proper ingredients. The ingredients include: Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss, Processed Pine Bark, Coir, and Perlite.
If the soil that you use becomes too saturated by water, then it can cause the plant to be wet too often and cause root rot. Our potting soil helps plants grow and become beautiful by allowing the soil to get wet by water and dries out when the plants absorb the water.

Fourth Watering Needs

When your planter is all planted up you have to monitor your watering. When the soil is dry to a depth of about an inch, is when you should give your planter a drink of water. This may mean watering once a week, once a day, or even two times a day. As the plants grow and get bigger in your planter and the weather gets warmer, then you may need to water more frequently than at the beginning of the season. Watering on a schedule is tempting and convenient but it is always best to water your plants when they need it.
Always check your planter at least once a day, rather than waiting for the plants to wilt. When a plant wilts that means that they are quite stressed, so watering before the soil gets that dry is better for your plants in the long run.

Fifth Feed Regularly

It is easy to let this step slip from time to time but it is one of the more important steps. Like all living things good nutrition is a must. We like using the water soluble Jack's Classic. Here is a link to their products. We do sell it in our store and recommend it to every plant lover. Having a good quality food is the BEST thing to help your plants thrive and look their very best. The water soluble fertilizer is exactly what is sounds like. You mix the fertilizer in with water and give this mixture to your plants.

Sixth Trimming or Pruning

You could go all summer not trimming or pruning your planter but it may looked unkempt and needing to be tidied up a bit. To trim a planter that has mounded and/or trailing plants, start by cleaning a sharp pair of scissors or pruning shears with soap and water. If the planter just looks a bit open and untidy, all you need to do is trim off a few inches of plant material all over. Don't trim too hard--you don’t want to remove more than about ¼ of the volume of the plant. Think of it like you were heading to the salon to get an all over trim to get rid of split ends.  You want to give it a trim, not a full haircut.
Your planter might also just have a few stems that are long or sticking out at weird angles. If this is the case, just cut back the specific stems that are problematic and call it a day. Deadheading blossoms that are spent are a good idea at this time too. Deadheading is taking any bloom that is past its time and cutting or picking it off. Some plants need deadheading to promote new blossoms in the future.

Last But Not Least Enjoy The Planter

Enjoy the beauty of the planter. Whether you planted it yourself or purchased one premade, you are taking care of this living thing and it needs you to survive. You put the work into it and so enjoy the beauty and soulful fulfillment that it produces. Enjoy life and all its beauty.