Garden Design Series Episode 5
Fall & Winter Planters
Planters play a big part in the landscape, especially in winter when they can add structural elements as well as pops of color. Follow a few simple guidelines for choosing plants to create fall and winter planters, and you’ll be on your way to a beautiful winter landscape.
General Tips about Designing Planters
Design Pots with Thrillers, Fillers, & Spillers
Generally, it is a good idea to stick to the Thrillers, Fillers, and Spillers playbook when designing an arrangement. This formula is almost guaranteed to give you a balanced arrangement of plants.
In general, thrillers are tall, fillers are mounding, and spillers trail over the sides of the pot. Keep in mind, though, that these rules aren’t hard and fast. A large filler can function as a thriller…and vice versa. A lot depends on the size of your planter. More information about each of these follows…
Save Money by Planting Evergreen Perennials
Planting pots can be costly. To cut both costs and the work involved in replacing all the plants in a planter each season, I use evergreen perennials wherever I can. That way I can just pull out the annual color and replace it seasonally.
For example, I planted the the pot in the featured photo a year ago using perennial hard rush as a thriller, American Wintergreen as the filler, and variagated English ivy as the spiller. While I had hoped that this pot would be a year-round feature, the wintergreen only lived until July when it died of heat exhaustion. But the rush and the ivy continued to provide a nice looking arrangement. Now that its’ fall again, I planted a hardy cyclamen for a pop of color for fall, and when those stop blooming, I’ll add some sprigs of berries.. Nice, yes?
One of my Dooryard Planters right after planting in October 2023 features hard rush as the thriller, American Wintergreen as the filler, and English ivy as the spiller. All three are perennials, although the Wintergreen is probably not going to make it through the summer. (Too hot here in zone 8b.)
The same planter in August after the Wintergreen died. The rush and the ivy have grown to the point where I have to trim them back from time to time, but they still make a nice arrangement that is hardy even in the South Carolina heat.
In October of 2024, I dug out the rootball of the wintergreen and planted this gorgeous hardy cyclamen in its place. Hardy cyclamen will bloom through fall and then provide gorgeous foliage all through the winter. I’ll probably stick a few sprigs of berries in at that point. In spring, I’ll move the cyclamen to the shade garden.
More about Thrillers, Fillers, and Spillers
Thrillers
Thrillers form the backbone of an arrangement and are usually tall and structural. They can offer color, an interesting shape or texture, or flowers or berries that last through the season. If your planter is to be viewed from one side, place your thriller at the back. If it is to be viewed from all sides, place it in the center. I like to start with my thriller and plan around it (although sometimes I go looking for a thriller last).
Fillers
Fillers do just what they say—they fill up the pot with foliage and flowers depending on what you plant. These plants often have a mounded silhouette while a thriller is usually more upright. Quite often in my winter pots, my fillers are flowering plants, like violas and petunias, but sometimes they are colorful foliage plants.
In a pot that will be placed against a wall or column, plant your filler in front of your thriller. In a multi-dimensional pot, place your fillers around the thriller.
Spillers
Spillers also do what they say…these are trailing plants that spill over the side of the pot and tumble toward the ground. They have the effect of softening the edges of the pot and anchoring it to the earth. Often, I have to poke a hole with my fingers and squeeze these guys in.
Look for spillers that offer textures and colors that play off your fillers and thrillers. Several of my favorites for winter pots can be left in the pot come late spring when you replace your winter filler with something that will bloom through the summer.
Fall & Winter Plants: Ideas for Planters
My Entry Planters were planted in October of 2023 with hard rush as the thriller, Ascot Euphorbia and pansies as the fillers, and Creeping Jenny and Wave Violas as spillers.
The same planter in December. Look how it has filled out! Pansies and violas are heavy feeders so keep them fed (but not too much water) and they will reward you with lots of color throughout the winter. In very cold zones you may have to cover them when the weather is below 20°.
Fall & Winter Plants
What follows are ideas for fall and winter plants organized by type of plant, whether a thriller, a filler, or a spiller.
In each of the images, I included icons for USDA zones, sun/shade needs, and size. These are based on the plant’s needs during the winter, grown in a pot. So, for example, here in South Carolina, many of the plants on these lists will need shade when the weather gets hot, but they can take some sun during the winter. A few will die back entirely. As for size, pot-grown plants are unlikely to reach their full height. In fact, some plants don’t grow at all during the winter. So take that into consideration.
Winter Thrillers (and sometimes fillers)
Carex
There are many, many varieties of Carex, commonly known as sedges in the plant universe. I am a little crazy about Japanese Sedges as they are gorgeous, evergreen, perennial, and extremely easy to grow; actually pretty hard to kill. Eversheen is a beauty; I have another variety that is white and green that has thrived in their planters through the winter and our blistering hot summer. This also works great as a filler.
Another Carex
Howei, or Howe’s Sedge is another favorite. It is great in mass plantings in the garden, and also a stunning thriller in any pot. It is more upright than its Japanese cousin.
There are over 2,000 species of Carex, all grass-like plants that grow all over the world. A look around your local nursery will probably reveal several different varieties.
Prairie Dropseed
I have not grown this, but I am intrigued by it. Native to central North America, it grows wild from Texas north into Canada and east to the Atlantic coast in a number of states (not SC). While it is not an evergreen like carex, it provides gorgeous fall and winter golds and browns. It recommended that you cut it back in very early spring before it starts to grow again. It makes a striking year-round thriller all by itself!
Dwarf Evergreen Shrubs
Grown by themselves or with a spiller, dwarf evergreens are great in winter planters. Boxwoods, hollies, crytomerias, cedars, and so many others. Visit your nursery and read the hang tags to find something that sings to you. Then plant it in a pretty pot and enjoy until you move it to a home in the ground.
Christmas Fern
While most native ferns die back each year, this one is evergreen. The Christmas fern is native to eastern North America from Nova Scotia south to Florida and west to Minnesota. It could easily be used as a filler or a thriller adding year-round color and texture to any large planter. In the south, Autumn ferns and Holly ferns are also evergreen but die back in colder regions.
Reeves Skimmia
Skimmia japonica is native to Japan and Asia. It grows well in zones 7-9 of the US where it is considered noninvasive. With its beautiful evergreen foliage and red berries, it makes a striking impression in a winter planter alone or with the underplanting of a spiller.
Ornamental Kales
There are so, so many of these out there in all different colors, shapes, and sizes. They are such a happy thing to see in the garden or in a pot in the middle of winter. Hardy from zones 2 – 11 (how’s that for hardy?) these gorgeous inedible kales are worth trying in your winter planter! Use as a thriller or a filler…some of these they tend to get tall and leggy as winter wears on.
Winter Fillers
Coral Bells (Heuchera)
There are many, many varieties of heuchera in a range of colors. The foliage is the main event in my opinion; the flowers that bloom in spring are sweet, but the foliage is the show-stopper. This plant is evergreen in zones 7-9, and might be grown in 6b in a sheltered location, especially if you are willing to throw a cover over it when it gets really cold. What do you think about a conical evergreen underplanted with heuchera and Creeping Jenny? Deer resistant.
Floralberry St. John’s Wort
Hardy and evergreen from zones 4-9, this is a workhorse of a small shrub. Bred for the cut-flower trade, its long-stemmed berries are perfect for winter flower arrangements. It requires plenty of full sun, light, sandy soil, and infrequent deep watering. It flowers on new wood, so prune it back in early spring before new growth appears. Deer and rabbit resistant.
Hens and Chicks
Commonly known as houseleeks, its Latin name, Sempervivum, means live forever or forever alive. This perennial groundcover spreads through offesets–the chicks–that take root, grow, and give birth to new offsets. The result is a mat of plants that does well in sunny, rather dry conditions in zones 3-8. The offsets are easily separated from the parent plant and rooted on their own, so propagation is a snap.
Lenten Rose
Hellebores, also known as Christmas roses, are not roses, but members of the Ranunculaceae family. There are a number of different varieties suited to various regions of the US. These mounding plants offer flowers in a variety of colors which bloom in late winter/early spring with a drooping habit
Mahonia aquifolium
Dwarf or compact varieties of this plant do well in planters. This evergreen shrub features spiny foliage with yellow flowers in spring and grape colored berries in fall. It is easily grown in tight spaces among other acid-loving plants. Water regularly and provide some shade in southern regions. It is both deer and rabbit resistant.
Pansies
Pansies belong to the Violaceae family. They are fast-growing heavy feeders that like partial sun and regular water–but not too much water. When they get leggy and start to set seed, cut them back to promote new growth. While technically perennials, they are typically grown as annuals as they withstand cold but do not tolerate heat. In southern areas, fall planted pansies will bloom from fall into late spring. And…they’re edible!
Violas
There are so many species in this genus which includes perennials and annuals, wild flowers and hybrids. Some are upright and others are trailing. Look for Wave violas if you want flowering spillers. Often grown as annuals where summers are hot, they will come back from seed. They like feeding and watering, but don’t like overwatering. Plant in fall for color throughout the winter and into late spring. And they’re edible.
Winter Heath
This is a hardy evergreen perennial that requires little but doesn’t like hot humid summers (so not for me!) With over 100 different winter heaths to choose from, some hardy to zone 4, most of us should be able to locate a variety to add color to our winter planters. Heaths prefer moist, well-drained sun, partial sun, and neutral to acidic soils.
American Wintergreen
I love this little plant, but it doesn’t like the heat in zone 8b. It grew happily in my Dooryard planters from October until July and then gave up. Wintergreen has shiny green foliage and gorgeous red berries that stay on the plant for months. It is considered a woodland shrub in the blueberry family. Like blueberries, it prefers light to moderate shade and acidic soils. Fruit is edible.
Winter Spillers
Creeping Jenny
This is one tough little plant. Delicate trailing stems grow continuously throughout the year, and need to be trimmed back to keep the plant full. Creeping Jenny comes in several colors, from yellows to greens to reds. It is easily rooted from cuttings, so don’t throw those trimmings away, put them in water and find them another planter to adorn!
Trailing Sedums
There are lots of these, as well, and they are fairly indestructible in zones 7-10. I have seen flats of sedum sold with instructions to literally drop them on the ground to grow–they are that easy. I have several places where they have dropped out of a pot and taken root and spread like an evergreen (or yellow) ground cover. When I need a trailer, I just scoop up and handful and drop it into a pot.
Variagated English Ivy
Another extremely hardy and beautiful spiller. But this one comes with a warning: this plant is highly invasive and should NEVER EVER be grown in the ground. If it takes root there, tear it out. I bought a couple of cups of this two years ago and now have it in four different planters. Cuttings are easily rooted, It makes a nice houseplant as well.
Vinca Minor
Vinca minor (also called periwinkle and creeping myrtle) is a hardy evergreen subshrub that comes in a variety of colors. When grown in a bed, it makes a lovely ground cover. Grown at the edge of a pot, it trails. Different varieties feature colors ranging from white and pink (If grown in the right light) While others are a shiny deep green. Another easy spiller!
Wirevine
This is another evergreen subshrub native to New Zealand and Australia. Like vinca minor, it is a ground cover when planted in a bed and trailing when planted at the edge of a pot. You can often find different colors of this vine including yellows, reds, variagated varieties and green. It is easy to grow and adds color and interest year round to pots.
Plan your Planters for Year-Round Color
With a little planning and a bit of research, you should be able to plant planters that only require you to remove and replace one or two plants to keep the color going all year.
Start with evergreen perennials or dwarf shrubs and fill in with annual color. Plant pots as though for a garden, choosing plants according to their light, water, and soil requirements. Water regularly but don’t overwater. Plants in pots can succumb to root rot and fungus if overwatered. I have a micro-sprayer irrigation system that I am able to control with an app. We put in the same system for Rich and Katie but theirs is controlled manually with a timer at the faucet.
Put your pots on a regular fertilizer schedule, as well. I like to use a slow release fertilizer when I plant, then every three months after that. In between, I supplement with compost I water in and occasionally, for heavy feeders, a watering can of Miracle Grow.
Trim your plants to keep them from growing out of bounds and getting rangy, and create arrangements with the cuttings if you like. Be careful not to neglect plants like ivy that could be invasive if allowed to grow in the ground. DO NOT allow these to take root unless in a pot.
Experiment a bit to find what works for you in your zone and microclimate. Here are a few samples from my travels. These photos were taken across the year but each planter features evergreen perennials that remain in the planter year round. See if you can spot them!
