Gone Gardenin’ — Create a game plan for your garden before you go shopping

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 19/04/2018 (2934 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

As we begin to visit garden centers, we start thinking about plants that we will be using in our mixed containers in the outdoor garden. Yes, it is early, but I think we all enjoy the planning of our gardens just about as much as the actual planting of them.

As we consider our plant choices, we should keep in mind that some of the plants we use might come from our own gardens and do not have to be bought. By taking pieces of plant from both the outdoor garden and the indoor garden now and potting them up and getting them started, they will have developed into nicely sized plants by planting out time.

Although we usually think in terms of flowers when we are deciding what container plants to use, we should not overlook the herb plants that are around us, as some of these plants can make great fillers and spillers in mixed outdoor containers.

A herb that will serve this purpose very well is thyme. Most of us have thyme in our gardens because once you have it you will always have it.

I established a flagstone pathway in my rose garden a number of years ago and planted thyme between the flagstones, and it is still there. I also have it in a raised bed alongside our back patio where it tumbles down the side of a rock wall that supports the bed.

Thyme is often green when the snow melts and is already growing by early April. It is easy to dig up a few chunks and pot them up for use in containers. I like to cut off old foliage and take pieces that show new growth.

I use square containers that are about 10 cm square but any pots would do as long as they are not too small the plants must have space to grow and develop roots. Also, small pots will dry out too quickly, particularly outdoors where these pots will be located.

I use soilless mix and water it well. The pots remain outside but if winter-like weather occurs I will stick them in the cold frame on the back patio, since thyme is very cold tolerant.

The foliage of thyme is finely textured and fragrant. It is a low, ground cover plant that hugs the surface of the soil and gradually spreads, so in a container it will tumble over the edge of a container as a spiller.

Thyme foliage is dark green, not shiny, and an added bonus is that the plant will have purple blooms in early summer. When they fade they should be sheared off the plants so that the spent bloom does not detract from the beauty of the container.

I have recently acquired another herb that makes a terrific container plant — orange oregano. The plant really isn’t an oregano at all but is actually a member of the mint plant family.

Often called Bergamont mint or orange mint, it is a wonderfully aromatic herb. It has dark green oval leaves and produces long stems which are quite prostrate when grown in the ground the stems will root at leaf axils as they spread across the soil surface.

Orange oregano is a fast growing plant and in a mixed container will soon begin to tumble over the edge of the container. It is a delightful spiller/filler plant because some of the stems will retain a more vertical growth habit and grow upwards among the other plants.

Orange oregano will produce rather non-descript whitish flowers that can be cut off after they lose their attractiveness. The plant withstands pinching and cutting back so if the growth becomes too rampant for the container it can soon be clipped back to keep it in bounds.

Thyme and orange oregano are both very drought tolerant and actually do not like wet feet so it is best to pair them with plants that do not require the soil to be kept overly wet. There are lots of plants that fit this description, including geraniums, salvia, and sages.

Both of these herbs also like lots of sun, so choosing companion plants that also prefer full sun will be wise. The plants will be happy with the fertility level of the soil and won’t object to it being a bit skimpy on nutrients. Good soilless mix will be adequate for both plants.

When using orange oregano and thyme in mixed containers, they should be planted near the edge of the container where they will soon creep over the edge of the pot and begin to tumble down. The long stems of orange oregano will, by mid-summer, reach the ground and you may have to do some pruning if you don’t want the stems to begin growing along the ground.

Take advantage of the aromatic foliage of both plants by positioning the containers so the plants may be touched or brushed as they are passed by. The plants will exude a pleasant fragrance.

Although not an herb, golden creeping Jenny is another plant that can be potted up to get a head start and then used in mixed containers for the same purpose. Its bright gold foliage is a standout when used as a spiller in any mixed container.

None of these spiller plants will object to being under planted beneath taller plants as they soon emerge from beneath the companion plants to tumble down the outside of the container. By starting pots of thyme, creeping Jenny and orange oregano early, you will have some good spiller plants for your outdoor containers when you are ready to pot them up.

Albert Parsons lives, writes, and gardens in Minnedosa.

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