I’ve experimented with all different kinds of color schemes in my container plantings, but when it comes to choosing plants, there’s one formula I always stick with, and it involves these three elements:

• A tall, spiky, bold leaved, or otherwise dramatic plant for the center of the container (although sometimes it can be off-center for an asymmetrical effect)
• Lots of mounding plants to fill in most of the space – can either be flowers or interesting foliage
• Trailing plants that will cascade over the edge of the pot and soften the edges

These photos from the garden tour show me that other people have the same idea about combining plants in containers using the three-element formula.

I also saw these gorgeous containers designed for shade: no flowers, just plenty of contrast between the foliage plants in terms of their shape, texture, and color. I love both of these compositions and would like to recreate them at home. Each of them only uses two kinds of plant material, but they look stunning.

For more ideas on creating container plantings, take a look at this article on Fine Gardening’s website. The author also recommends the three-ingredient approach, though he’s rather creatively described the three distinct types of plants as “thrillers, fillers, and spillers.”

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