Experts recommend their favorite upright, textured stars for containers in the Southeast
The formula for creating marvelous container does n’t need to be difficult . First , find complemental plants you like that match your growing conditions . Next , recall of each plant ’s raise habit and combine contrasting habits together . There ’s a reason multitude say that great containers havethrillers , fillers , and spillers , or upright works , midsize plant life , and cascade down works . This compounding always influence . involve proof ? agree outthis lot of simple container designs that habituate only three plants .
Upright container plants anchor the design
Let ’s just block the makeweight and spiller plants for a moment and focus on the thriller . These erect plants draw your middle to the container . They hold out the overall height of your arrangement and bring form and social organisation to the design . For me , these are the plant life that the sleep of the container will be anchored around . I always choose the thriller first and work up the residue of the container around its color and social system .
When I worked retail at an sovereign garden heart , I remember that one of the container questions I was ask most was about suggestions for aspiky industrial plant . Shoppers were look for the erect thrillers in their container that would add elevation to their arrangements . I have n’t worked retail in many days , so for this article I reached out to a few wondrous independent garden center for their top thriller plant . Here are a few of their suggestions .
The Graceful Grasses®series of Egyptian papyrus has bold, textured grasses of all shapes and sizes
Cyperus papyruscvs . , Zones 9–11
Baby Tut ® , Queen Tut ™ , Prince Tut ™ , and King Tut ® are all member of the Graceful Grasses ® collection of plant by Proven Winners . Each is a cultivar of Egyptian papyrus ( Cyperuspapyrus ) with a unlike size of it or look . These grasses are not hardy plants for most , but they make marvelous yearbook . They put up good and play perfectly with other plants in a container . Beth Glaser ofIvy Nurseryin Charlottesville , Virginia , said of this series of Mary Jane , “ We are constantly assisting our customers with their outdoor and indoor containers , class - circular . For outside thrillers , we have several trace , but our consistent dearie are the Tut series Egyptian paper rush grasses . These grasslike flora love full to part sun and humidity , and they can endure in water garden as well as container . ”
Milledge Peterson fromBedford Greenhousesin Augusta , Georgia says of Prince Tut ™ , “ We love the grain of this plant life . The ethereal nature of the bloom provides a sharp-worded dividing line to the leaf shapes and size of the most commonly used container plant . It grow 18 to 24 inch tall , which make a dramatic vertical presence in medium to large containers . ” I have been impressed that the grasses in this series can handle occasional teetotal geological period , as well . These plants deserve a stead in any container design .
Blue Suede Shoes™ salvia pops at the back of a container with its long, tubular blue blooms
Salvia‘BBSAL01301 ’ , Zones 9–11
Salvias in world-wide are always container favorites . In theSoutheast , we can grow many unlike mintage , and several are hardy or half - hardy in the garden . When I asked Abby Stanley fromStanley ’s Greenhousein Knoxville , Tennessee , about her favorite unsloped container plant , salviawas the first affair that come to mind . She said , “ I would have to say my favorite thriller plant at the moment is Blue Suede Shoes ™ salvia . It ’s an surpassing plant with great energy and striking deep blue blooms that are heavy to find in many plants . ”
I totally agree with her ; the deep shade ofbluecomplements a variety of colour schemes , from ardent colour ( red , orange tree , yellows ) to cool people of colour ( pinks , purples , whites ) . Dark stem sharpen the dividing line between the salad days and leaf . And for gardeners looking for apollinator - attracting plant , this is one of the good .
Adding texture and height all year long, pink muhly grass produces excellent pinkish red color in fall
Muhlenbergiacapillaris , Zones 5–9
David Manger , owner ofRoots and Shoots , a native flora greenhouse in Charleston , South Carolina , threw me a curveball with a smashing native - forage option for a container . I asked David what he care about pink muhly grass . He told me , “ This upright native grass will load up your container with spiky and shining Green that ’ll complement any flower you choose . In the fall , it really bursts into action with a wild plume of pink cum that sway in the jazz . ” Well said , David !
pinkish muhly skunk , the most lauded of all Southeasternnative grasses , rightfully deserves consideration as a main component in your containers . As a group , muhliesare easy to grow and disease insubordinate . The good drainage qualities of a container can be a asset for them as well as for most other skunk . If you have found pink muhly Gunter Grass intemperately to grow , perhaps seasonal containers are the answer .
Muhlies can also be a season extender for a container . They flower relatively late in the time of year , usually when other flora in your container might start wait tired . Mixed with other full - sun plants that like similar condition , they are great choices for container .
Keep looking for new, unusual plants
I am thankful for the diversity of plants that nurseries and sovereign garden centers now provide for gardeners . Over the last 20 years , the popularity ofcontainer gardeninghas set off . When I first started to explore horticulture , the most pop container combination was by far ruddy geraniums ( Pelargonium×hortorum , Zones 9–11 ) with a Indian corn plant life ( Dracaenaspp . and cvs . , Zones 7–11 ) in the shopping mall . Many a nurseryman has used this combination , and I do n’t desire to brush off its impingement . I ’m certain many multitude experience their start in gardening by institute corn plants in the nitty-gritty of zonal geraniums .
Of naturally , there are many container plant to choose from . A plant life with a bounteous , bold texture often works as the upright element in a container . Think about grabbing abig - bequeath houseplantor other out - of - the - box plant and growing it as the star of one of your containers this class . My go - to container plant has always been an upright elephant ’s pinna ( Alocasiaspp . and cvs . , Zones 9–11 ) . I ’ve also experiment quite a bit over the last several years using ‘ Warrior ’ bunching Allium cepa ( Allium‘Warrior ’ , Zones 5–9 ) in containers . This plant grow blue spike like rhinoceros ’s horns and will often overwinter . Once you have your container all potted up , be sure tomaintain it properlyfor best final result .
— Andy Pulte is a faculty fellow member in the plant sciences section at the University of Tennessee .
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All containers need a “thriller,” or an upright plant that provides height and anchors the design. Spiky plants like this Prince Tut™ Egyptian papyrus add much-needed texture while fulfilling this purpose.Photo: Proven Winners
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The textured foliage of Prince Tut™ Egyptian papyrus elevates an already beautiful container design to the next level.Photo: Alyssa Simpson Photography
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Blue Suede Shoes™ salvia’s flowers look like little spikes floating over a dense habit of dark green foliage.Photo: Proven Winners
While pink muhly grass fits the “thriller” description to a T, it can also act as a spiller, gently cascading over the sides of a container or raised bed.Photo: Lynn Felici-Gallant
