Gardening Inspiration is All Around Us

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Many public outdoor spaces are landscaped in ways that we small-space gardeners can use as inspiration. Here in Southern California (and I am sure other places as well) it is very common for outdoor shopping centers to landscape with containers, which is a great opportunity for us to steal some ideas.

Here is a photo I took with my cell phone of the planters in a local shopping center:

Containers at the Rossmoor Shopping Center

The above pot demonstrates an idea I learned from Steve Silk. Basically, he suggests using three types of plants in a container: thrillers, spillers and fillers (see this article in Fine Gardening as well). A thriller is a pretty self explanatory; it’s a gorgeous plant that is the focal point of the container. Fillers highlight or compliment the thrillers and fill up the pot so it doesn’t look bare. Spillers cascade over the side of the pot to add interest and soften the edges of the container. The pot above is a bit anemic in the thriller department, but that could be because I caught it on a bad day.

Another great space to check for possible ideas is restaurant patios. Many sidewalk cafes use planters to define their outdoor eating space, and restaurants with larger patios use landscaping to provide privacy to their diners. Both of these issues–defining your space and privacy–are to topics that can plague small-space urban gardeners, and I plan to post about them in the future.

What are your favorite places to look for inspiration?

July 20, 2008 | Filed Under Container Gardening, Inspiration 
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Comments

4 Responses to “Gardening Inspiration is All Around Us”

  1. Designing Containers With Succulents on July 21st, 2008 12:26 pm

    [...] Succulents are all the rage right now and for good reason. They’re good looking, drought tolerant, and many are easy to grow. Designing a pot featuring succulents is no different than designing a pot with “regular” plants; you still need thrillers, fillers, and spillers. [...]

  2. Step-by-Step Tips for Creating a Garden on a Shady Balcony on August 13th, 2008 11:45 am

    [...] removing the nursery pots, arrange the plants you intend to put in that pot. This post has an easy-to-follow recipe for good looking containers. When you’ve found a pleasing arrangement, gently remove the nursery pot, gently loosen the [...]

  3. Amy on September 2nd, 2008 5:46 pm

    Fern,

    I love the alliteration of “thrillers, spillers, and fillers,” I’m going to have to borrow this phrase, and add it to my ‘everyday wear’ vocabulary! Those pots area great idea find too, I really like the architectural lines of the centerpiece plant.

  4. Mimi on November 16th, 2008 9:00 am

    Fern,

    I’d like to plant some sweet peas in a windowsill - windowsills are all I have. But I’m concerned that they won’t get enough sun. Can you tell me how much sun exposure sweet peas need? I have fantasies of pink and purple flowers climbing up the security bars come springtime…

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