By Neely Bower
Jun. 16, 2021: It's another beautiful spring, and I've been walking around the streets of Nantucket, Massachusetts. I have seen many window boxes and planters and wondered why they are so exciting here and "so-so" everywhere else? I think it is because the gardeners here are not afraid to take risks. They have tourists to impress and don't worry about thinking "out of the box."
A container should have something high (grass or tropical), something full, and something growing over the edge. Or, as Michael Ruggerio, a well-known horticulturist and retired senior curator of the New York Botanical Garden, would say, "thrillers, fillers, and spillers."
One thing to remember when putting your containers together and trying to do something different: a perennial may not last the entire summer. Don't worry; remove it, put it in the ground, and then replace it with something else.
I hope the photos below provide some inspiration! Enjoy! Click on first photo to scroll through gallery or simply scroll on your phone.