17. OVER THE EDGE—GREAT SPILLERS TO USE

Spiller plants, which trail over the side of a container, finish off a planter in a professional-looking way. They soften the edges and create contrast with the pot beneath. Containers of upright flowers can be made more interesting with the addition of a spiller plant or two. It is just as important as the prominent center plant. Foliage plants—plants with no flowers—make great spillers. I like to use three different foliage plants as spillers.

‘Silver Falls’ dichondra (Dichondra argentea ‘Silver Falls’) is a spectacular spiller plant for baskets and containers. It has small, fan-shaped silver leaves on thin silver stems, and it is very heat and drought tolerant. The leaves can easily trail 3 to 6 feet over a hanging basket or container. It creates a dramatic scene when it sways in the breeze. If the stems get too long, simply snip them. Grow as an annual; it is hardy in USDA hardiness zones 10–12.

A very effective spiller is the golden creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia ‘Aurea’). It has yellow flowers in summer but its golden hanging foliage is the show. Creeping Jenny will cascade over the edge and form dense strands of leaves that hang straight down. It thrives in sun or shade, though it retains its yellow color in the sun. There is one drawback: creeping Jenny is considered to be an invasive plant. This vine should be restricted to planters only, and it cannot be sold or shipped to certain states due to this status. It is suitable for USDA hardiness zones 4–8.

Vinca vine is a widely used spiller plant. I especially like the variegated ‘Wojo’s Gem’ vinca vine. Its leaves have large, yellow-white centers edged with deep green. It is hardy in USDA hardiness zones 7–9; north of zone 7 it is used as an annual. I also like the dark green, cold-hardy myrtle (Vinca minor). It is normally used as an evergreen ground cover, but its trailing habit makes myrtle a resilient spiller in containers, especially in cooler weather.