I'm really interested in this, too, and agree that it's not described in any of the books I've seen. Unfortunately, I'm not too good at figuring this kind of thing out (even for pots), so I'm not much help :(

well, some of the cabbages can be great as the filler, and any squash, melon or cuke as the spiller.

I sort of use this concept along with companion planting. I am not using raised beds, I divided my big row garden into 4 x 4 squares. In the middle of each is a tomato or cuke in a square cage. Surrounded by Eggplants or Peppers for mid height, then Carrots or herbs on each corner for frillier filler. Chard or other tall greens would also make a great back drop.
Then I'm edge with soldier rows of marigolds to define the planting squares from the path to introduce some order.

Then on the heavy wire fence, I have planted sweet peas to climb and nasturtium to take over the edge and hide the fact that I'm not weedwhacking! Natsurtium makes a great "spiller". I think I have a nice article on vegetable containers saved at home. I'll have to look it up. I know it showed shorter varieties of corn as "thrillers".

I second the notion of Nasturtiums as spillers, this is mid to late summer, they filled out even more as Autumn approached.

I may have overdone the thrilling with this, this year I'm thinking of using corn stalks (as mentioned above) to give the bed some height, and of course nasturtiums again.

{{gwi:140943}}

wow, buffburd - thats just the kind of bed I am talking about!

wolfe and farmer- great ideas. I am trying bush watermelon (burpees carries seed) this year. I have them trained up on the fence, but they would definitely make a good spiller - the vines only get 3 feet long.

Frances, go down to your local plant nursery and start looking around and ask the employees for suggestions! Went to a garden store today and bought okra (thriller) and creeping zinnia (spiller) and gomphrena (filler). I also bought some ornamental sweet potato vines (spiller) to tuck into front of my pots of elephant ears. Now I am thinking about it, I am seeing all kind of new possibilities!

Wow what great ideas!! In my imagination I can see a big Brussel sprout as a thriller!!! I am now waiting for some help to have three more raised beds built. How come when people tell you they are coming to build something they then never call back or show up??!!! I have a small potager now and was hoping to have three more to play with. Well I will just keep reading this thread and enjoy the pictures and make plans!!!
Joann

Let's not forget the Artichoke for a thriller! I looked all over this year for plants. Looks like I am going to have to start some from seeds.

Other good fillers are purple basil and flowering cabbage for color.

YES farmer, artichoke, and how about cardoon? Has anyone ever grown one? They look gorgeous, very architectural, but certainly not space savers lol.

Buffbird, you haven't overdone it. What a traffic stopper. So this year you are growing corn? You must show us.

Wolfe suggested cabbages as fillers. Once I saw five cabbages stuffed into a large blue container. They were stunning, the purple and green of the leaf against the French blue of the container. They were used as the centerpiece of a raised bed. In this case the cabbages were definitely the thrillers, because although the rest of the bed was gorgeous, I can't remember anything except the cabbages.

There is a series on edible landscaping by Rosalind Creasy that has one volume on French and another on Italian veggies and flowers. There were some very showy combinations as I recall. Sorry, my books are in storage at the moment, or I'd look them up.

Good topic! farmer at heart, I am trying artichokes this year for the first time. I found them in 4" pots at Lowes but it's been at least two months since I bought and planted them. Now that the temps are heating up they are starting to take off. : )

I haven't planted anything around them since I've heard they get huge. I generally just do "spillers" at the edges of my beds with a few annuals for fillers. I like the nasturtiums but I'm afraid they might take over my beds out here in CA. lol!

Diana

Well I never got my three new potagers built but for a thriller I put my new obelisk in my potager and I am training some Cypress vine to grow on it. I also have tomatoes and basil and parsley growing in the bed. I don't really have any spillers. I also have some pretty nicotiana to brighten it up around the edges and a nice thyme plant and the one corner!

so ghoghunter, where are the pix? we want to see!

I thought I would bring this back up. This type of container gardening has just got my attention..Here is a nice link to learn more about this way of planting.

Here is a link that might be useful: Thriller, filler and spiller

I'm glad you bumped this, iameve. And I enjoyed the link. This subject has been on my mind, what with early spring planning time upon us.

I have a 60' long bed that is 4' wide. 1' in from the west side of the garden there is a fence that runs the legth of the garden that is used for my vining veggies as well as a few decorative flowering vines. Tomatoes, peppers, black eyed susan vine and brussel sprouts are definate thrillers. Lobellia, basil, cabbage, lettuce, snap dragons are fillers. not to mention the vining beans and cukes being background fillers....and that is just what I am growing from seed and under lights. I will be making my annual pilgrimage to the big greenhouses up in the next county for more.

Also, there are 6 large pots in there that serve both as focal points, and as a good hot spot for heat lovers like cukes and hot peppers. The cukes vine up the fence, compact hot pepper plants fill in the center and a flowering spiller or two to balance it out.

I do have about 8 inches of growing space on the west side of the fence where I plant the green beans. The house is to the south east of the garden and nobody ever goes to the west side except to pick veggies or mow the strip of lawn back there. Last year I found this to be wasted space and figure I will use it this year for cutting flowers and more greens. It won't get any morning sun, with the vining plants shading it, but plenty after about 2 pm until near sunset.

Cutting flowers and spillers for the pots. That is what I will need....along with more fillers. I would like to read about what veggie/herb/flower combos people have found to be particularly attractive and well balanced.

I can't wait for the snow to melt!!! kay.