Container Planting Made Easy: The Thriller, Filler, and Spiller Magic!

Love the idea of growing your own little garden, but you don’t have a big backyard? No worries! Container planting is a fantastic way to get your green thumb working without needing acres of soil. 

Whether it’s for your balcony, porch, or just a corner in your garden, you can create stunning arrangements with some of our favourite planting combos!

The secret to a knockout container garden? Planning — and specifically, the fun and easy thriller, filler, and spiller technique. This method helps you build balanced, eye-catching containers by mixing different plant types: “thrillers” add height and drama, “fillers” bring fullness and texture, and “spillers” cascade beautifully over the edges.

Don’t forget to plan your colours carefully and consider how much sunlight your container spot gets; matching the right plants to the right light is key!

Here are some of our top picks to get you started:

• Thrillers: Canna lilies, Cordyline, Euphorbia, Lemon Cypress

Canna Lilies Canna lilies, although not true lilies, boast bold, tropical-looking leaves and vibrant flowers that shoot up like little garden fireworks. Their height and bright colours instantly grab attention and set the stage for the whole arrangement. They're fast-growing and stately. 

Cordyline (also known as Ti plant, dracaena spikes) features striking, sword-shaped leaves that come in eye-catching shades of red, pink and green. Its bold, upright form adds height and drama, instantly turning your container into a stylish showstopper!

Euphorbia spurge is a perennial powerhouse with bold, architectural shapes with vibrant, chartreuse-green foliage that really stands out. Its striking height and unique texture instantly give your container garden that extra wow factor! Additionally, their flowers are quite unique. 

Lemon cypress is a bright, evergreen beauty with vibrant chartreuse needles that smell like a burst of fresh citrus. Talk about a mood booster! It’s a stellar thriller plant because its tall, spiky shape will bring height and a fresh pop of colour that instantly livens up any container design. Wilma is a particularly good variety of Lemon Cypress, which can be planted in the garden and grown as a small tree in future seasons. 

• Fillers: Lantana, Marigolds, Coleus, Dahlias

Dahlias - gorgeous, showy flowers that come in a crazy variety of colours and sizes, adding tons of personality to any garden. Its lush blooms and bushy growth help fill in gaps and create a full, vibrant look. Dahlias are also wonderful for pollinators. 

Lantanas - cheerful, colourful blooms that attract butterflies and bees, making your garden buzz with life. Their dense, spreading habit fills in the space beautifully while adding nonstop colour and pollinator action. They have a striking tropical feel to them, and mesh nicely into all sorts of colour schemes. 

Coleus – these shade-loving plants boast a spectacular splash of bold, patterned leaves that can turn even the shadiest corner into a vibrant paradise! They’re the go-to filler for containers in part-shade spots in your garden. They're also incredibly easy to make cuttings of, adding pops of welcome colour all over the shade garden. Some awesome varieties include 'Bourbon Street' and 'Flamingo.'

          Spillers: Creeping Jenny, sweet potato vine, bacopa, calibrachoa                and dichondra. 

Feeling inspired? Swing by Vandula Farms Garden Center to explore our wide range of bedding plants perfect for your container, or simply just browse our potted arrangements for some instant inspiration for your next container project!