North Short Plant Club Mar 30, 2026

These Plants Do Double-Duty in the Garden: Containers by Spring, Garden Beds by Fall

We love the perennial plants we've called out in the chart below because they do double-duty in the garden. Here's how it works:

  • Place plants in your front porch and backyard containers in the spring, configure them in the gardeners' "Thriller, Filler, Spiller" style to create a gorgeous container that lasts for the season
  • In the fall, transplant them (or a portion of them) into your garden beds to make the next season's garden even better than ever.

You can augment the containers with a few annuals in the spring for extra color, and in the fall if some of the original plants start to fade a bit (or are no longer blooming). This is a great, cost-saving system to manage a garden and one that is utilized by some of the Plant Club's most prolific gardeners. Below are a few great perennials to get you started! Feel free to improvise.

Thrillers

Common Name                         Latin Name                      Purpose

Feather Reed Grass                   Calamagrostis                  Adds vertical drama

Big Blue Stem                           Andropogon                     Bold texture and architectural interest 

Dwarf Alberta Spruce              Picea glauca                     Year-round structure and evergreen color

Globe Arborvitae                      Thuja occidentales          Reliable, rounded focal point

Velvet Boxwood                        Buxus 'Green Velvet'      Classic elegance and formal shape

Japanese False Cypress            Chamaecyparis                 Delicate, feathery foliage

 

Fillers

Common Name                         Latin Name                      Purpose

Japanese Forest Grass              Hakonechloa                    Adds mass and texture to the center

Coral bells                                 Heuchera                          Vibrant Foliage in multiple colors

Fescue                                        Festuca                              Low maintenance mounded texture

Aster                                          Aster                                  Late-season blooms for pollinators

Prairie Dropseed                      Sporobolus                        Fragrant, airy filler

 

Spillers

Common Name                       Latin Name                        Purpose

Evergold Sedge                       Carex                                  Cascades beautifully over container edges

Japanese Forest Grass            Hakonechloa                      Adds mass and movement

Spotted Deadnettle                Lamium                              Softens edges with silvery foliage

Bugleweed                               Ajuga                                 Rugged groundcover that trails

 

Plants: American arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis) , Aster (Aster) , Big Blue Stem (Andropogon gerardii) , Bugleweed (Ajuga) , Coral Bells (Heuchera) , Deadnettle (Lamium) , False Cypress (Chamaecyparis) , Festuca (Festuca) , Green Velvet Boxwood (Buxus 'Green Velvet') , Japanese Forest Grass (Hakonechloa macra) , Prairie Dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis) , Reed Grass (Calamagrostis brachytricha) , Sedge (Carex) , White Spruce (Picea glauca)
Topics: Perennials

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Limited Availability

We try very hard to source exactly what you’d like, but sometimes growers run out of plants! While this variety is a great deal at the price shown, we know that it has limited availability. If you want the plant even if it might be more expensive, or in a different size or quantity -- after you place your order, just send us a quick note at help@northshoreplantclub.com. Then, we’ll try to get you some version of this from one of our growers. And if we can’t get it from anywhere, of course, we’ll send a refund!


Field-Grown vs. Greenhouse-Grown Plants

Plants which are well-adapted to our local climate are most often field-grown (outside). Field-grown plants are generally cheaper and have the advantage of already somewhat acclimated to our cold winters, but that means they’re not artificially far along in the spring and tend to bloom at the normal time in our area.

Spring annuals and tender perennials are typically grown in Greenhouses so they can be ready and luxurious exactly when customers want them. Some perennials are also “forced” into early bloom in greenhouses. In May, there can be a very big difference between field-grown and greenhouse-grown plants of the same type. The latter typically look good right away (so they’re a great choice where that’s important), but we typically pay a premium for it.


Estimated Recipe Cost

The cost of this recipe's ingredients will vary depending on the season and the sizes and varieties you select.


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