Container garden synergy: Thriller, Filler and Spiller

Kelly Tarbox of Springvale Nurseries,right, assisted by SMGC Member, Joy Walz, speaks to club members about container gardens. (SMGG photo)

No, they're not random Pop albums but a no-fail recipe for creating a stunning container garden. Southern Maine Garden Club (SMGC) met recently at Springvale Nurseries Inc. located at 1280 Main St, Sanford, Maine, (www.springvalenurseriesinc.com), where one of the owners, Kelly Tarbox, warmly greeted the 35 or so SMGC members interested in learning the tips for a successful container garden. 

Kelly showed us many examples of the types of containers available today from the classic terra cotta pots, bronze or cast iron elaborate planters or ceramic pots to attractive resin and other plastic component planters that can fool the eye with their classic shapes.

Kelly felt very strongly that the secret to healthy container gardens was to clean containers thoroughly before beginning to plant and use a soil-less mixture that includes bark, peat, vermiculite, a soil-wetting agent and fertilizer.  It is also important to have good drainage in the planter so the water can seep through and not sit in the planter causing mold.  If the planter sits flat on a hard surface, she advised using little planter feet to lift the container off of the ground to allow the important drainage.

Now the delightful part – the aforementioned Thriller, Filler and Spiller that lend the container garden the look of drama and fullness. The Thriller is usually the tall, center plant; you can use a fountain-like plant like dracaena, a tall coleus or a cone flower. The Filler is the surrounding flowers (usually shorter than the center plant) like petunias, geraniums, impatiens, pansies, ageratum, lobelia or a combination of any and all. The Spiller is a vining plant like sweet potato vine, variegated or regular ivy, morning glories, nasturtium, cardinal vine and they spill or cascade down over the planter for a pleasing, full look. You are encouraged to visit Springvale Nurseries and the staff will happily assist you in the suggestion and purchase of plants for your container garden.

SMGC meets throughout the year at the Springvale Library on the third Wednesday of every month beginning at 6:45 PM (unless otherwise noted). The public is invited to attend to sample our meetings to see if you would like to join us. The next scheduled meeting on the third Wednesday of the month will be on May 21and a representative for Wentworth Gardens will make a presentation on creating enchanting Fairy gardens; the lecture will take place at the Springvale Library at 443 Main Street, Springvale, Maine at 6:45 p.m. and all are invited.  FMI about future meetings, please contact in ME – Mary Stewart-Dore at 207-490-1833 or in NH – Donna Claveau at 603-332-4860.