Container plantings offer an opportunity to wow visitors, brighten up the porch or patio, and provide spring-to-fall color to the landscape. Creating these amazing displays is simpler than it sounds — just follow a few simple tips to get gorgeous flower combinations for any setting.

Start with a favorite flower pot, basket, urn, or any object that can hold soil and a few plants. Make sure the container has holes in the bottom for drainage, or plants will be more prone to disease problems from water sitting in the bottom of the pot. Fill the container to the brim with potting mix, then lift and tap the container on a hard surface a few times to help the potting mix settle. Add more potting mix as needed to get a final soil level about a half inch below the top of the container.

If old rules are unappealing, just plant things you like. If it looks good to you, it will likely look good to everyone else. Try setting different plants next to each other at the garden center and think about their finished size.

Plant selection is the fun part. The old rule and a good one for beginners is to select a thriller, a filler, and a spiller for the pot. The thriller is an upright plant with a lot of visual interest that will be the main feature. Brightly-colored coleus, caladium, elephant ear, cannas or a clump of ornamental grass are just a few possibilities. Plant the thriller in the center of the pot if it will be viewed on multiple sides or in the back of the pot if it will have a backdrop.

Add a filler such as lantana, geranium, vinca, impatiens, begonias, maidenhair fern, petunias, superbells, or Profusion zinnias. For large pots, use multiples of the same plant to fill space around the thriller.

Add the spiller last. This plant will hang over the front edge of the pot to soften it and balance the height of the thriller. Sweet potato vine, creeping Jenny (lysimachia), Angelina sedum, trailing varieties of vinca and euonymus, and verbena are favorites, although some of the fillers could be used as a spiller also.

Start with a favorite flower pot, basket, urn, or any object that can hold soil and a few plants. Make sure the container has holes in the bottom for drainage.

If old rules are unappealing, just plant things you like. If it looks good to you, it will likely look good to everyone else. Try setting different plants next to each other at the garden center and think about their finished size. Also, read tags and ask questions if the plants are unfamiliar. Some of the things that look great at the garden center now will fade in the summer heat, while some plants that are barely blooming now will fill in and thrive once warmer temperatures arrive.

Full pots are generally more appealing than pots with a single plant, unless the plant is a specimen or has great balance with the container. Masses of color are also generally more appealing than a big mix, so a container will like look better with five of the same type and color of plant than a container with five different plants.

Thinking outside the box of container plants is another option for interest. Instead of sticking with the typical annual flowers, use a small shrub or a perennial flower as a centerpiece. Houseplants or indoor plants are a great option for shade or part shade locations to add a tropical look to the container. Mix veggies and herbs in with flowers, or try creating a container of succulents.

If all else fails, many garden centers sell containers already planted.

Upcoming garden events in the Lawrence Area:

Saturday, May 9 – Monarch Watch Open House and Plant Sale, 8 a.m. – 2 p.m., Kansas University West Campus, at Foley Hall. Open House includes children’s activities and educational demonstrations. Plant sale features butterfly host plants including twelve varieties of milkweed and several native flower species. Proceeds benefit Monarch Watch and pollinator research. More information is available at monarchwatch.org.

Saturday, May 16 – Grassland Heritage Foundation Native Plant Sale, 10 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., Lawrence Public Library lawn, 707 Vermont St. Features several varieties of native flowers and grasses. Proceeds from the sale support GHF and tallgrass prairie preservation. More information is available at www.grasslandheritage.org.

Saturday, June 6 and Sunday, June 7 – Douglas County Extension Master Gardener Garden Tour, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. Sunday, various sites in Douglas County. Features six private gardens and one sensory garden. More information is available at www.douglas.ksu.edu.