The Pro Formula for Stunning Container Plant Combos: Thriller, Spiller, Filler

I once thought my “uppy, downy, bulky” container formula was clever—until I discovered the design world’s refined, catchier version: thriller, spiller, filler. Same concept, better terminology.

Here’s the breakdown: The thriller (uppy) is the vertical focal point soaring upward. The spiller (downy) cascades over the pot’s rim, softening edges and drawing the eye down. The filler (bulky) occupies the middle, letting the eye rest between the thriller and spiller. Beyond color, each brings texture, form contrast, movement, and more.

Airy thrillers, a dense spiller, and calligraphic fillers create a masterpiece—elevated by a backdrop and bold container color.

To replicate:
Thriller: Cape Rush (Chondropetalum elephantinum)
Spiller: Fish Hooks (Senecio 'Fish Hooks')
Filler: Blue Chalk Sticks (Senecio mandraliscae)

Thriller: Fairy Tails Feathergrass (Pennisetum 'Fairy Tails')
Spiller: Marnier's Kalanchoe (Kalanchoe marnieriana)
Filler: April Gruen Sheep's Fescue (Festuca amethystina 'Aprilgrun')

The formula scales to grouped pots. This flax (Phormium var.) and succulent grouping follows thriller-spiller-filler.

Edibles work too:
Thriller: Semi-dwarf tangerine
Spiller: Million Bells (Calibrachoa)
Filler: Thyme (Thymus var.)

Multiple thrillers, spillers, fillers for a balanced whole:
Thrillers: Evergreen Miscanthus (Miscanthus transmorrisonensis) and Coastal Woolybush (Adenanthos sericeus)
Spillers: Sweet Potato Vine (Ipomoea batatas var.) and Bacopa (Sutera cordata)
Fillers: Sand Hill Sage (Artemisia pycnocephala 'David's Choice') and Wand Flower (Gaura lindheimeri)
Needs regular pruning, pinching, and dividing sweet potato vine tubers when dormant to prevent crowding.

Thriller-spiller-filler on a grand scale:
Thriller: Altissimo Rose (Cl. Rosa 'Altissimo')
Spiller: Bacopa (Sutera cordata); Glacier Ivy (Hedera helix 'Glacier')
Thriller: Purple Vine Lilac (Hardenbergia violacea 'Happy Wanderer')

Matched pots with tropical flair:
Thriller: Canna var.
Spiller: Sweet Potato Vine (Ipomoea batatas)
Filler: Assorted Coleus

Asian-inspired planting proves the formula works in any style:
Thriller: Deodar Cedar (Cedrus deodara)
Spiller: Variegated Ground Ivy (Glechoma hederacea 'Variegata')
Filler: Siskiyou Blue Fescue (Festuca 'Siskiyou Blue')

Texture, form, and contrasting foliage:
Thriller: Small Cape Rush (Chondropetalum tectorum)
Spiller: Silver Hills Dichondra (Dichondra argentea 'Silver Falls')
Filler: Blue Fescue (Festuca glauca) and New Zealand Flax (Phormium tenax 'Jack Spratt')