5 Filler Plant Tips: Easy Ideas to Transform your Garden Design

Today’s video is look at new ‘filler’ plants I’ll be adding to my garden along with 5 tips for choosing exciting, easy and low maintenance filler or accessory plants whether you’re looking for more evergreen winter interest, spring energy, big summer leaves and flowers or rich autumn colour. I’d highly recommend checking out some of the amazing gardens I’ve been lucky enough to visit and film (links below) for specific plant ideas but today is more about the methods I use to add reliable, complimentary planting to my garden, how to get a more cohesive and fuller garden easily and really add to the overall effect. Let me know if you’ve got any cool filler plant ideas and what you’re looking to add to your garden this year!

Simon Mabury’s Tiny Leeds Jungle Garden packed full of exciting tropical style and foliage plants: https://youtu.be/iBzIIaebwM0
Dirt Cheap Plants – Janet’s beautiful tropical style garden and collection of rare exotic plants: https://youtu.be/TFzxFiiWRgQ
Mark’s Crazy Tiki Garden – Tropical and exotic plant update after summer 2023: https://youtu.be/hHn66fsR9o4

0:00 – Intro
0:33 Exciting exotic & tropical style garden tour videos for filler plant ideas
2:20 New filler plants for my UK tropical style jungle garden this year
6:55 Base your filler plants around seasonal interest and when you want the impact
10:00 Prioritise easy, hardy & low maintenance filler plants for reliable display
11:32 Right plant, right place – plant for your garden conditions for a sustainable & healthier display
12:53 Choose plants which fit your overall theme / aesthetic / colour scheme
14:55 Use multiples of plants and repetition for a cohesive and beautiful garden

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Thanks,

George

Spring is certainly on the horizon and it’s time to start thinking ahead and also considering ways that you can improve your summer garden this year and a big way that I definitely recommend is adding more filler plants it really is the perfect way to tie your garden

Together a garden that’s just full of specimen plants can often look like a library of plants or like an old style Botanical Garden whereas to me the smaller plants that might not have that impact straight away those are the real heroes of the garden they’ll let you have personality themes color to a

Garden and really create a space that absolutely feels yours today I want to look at five top tips that you can use to add filler plant to your garden this year I have done some videos when I first started my channel looking at Tropical style filler plant ideas and

There’s some great tips in there but more recently last year several Garden visits have got some top ideas to filler plant to your garden for me personally this plant here which is Mahonia sweet winter I talked about this in a recent video something I’ve added to my garden

To bring more winter interest and this is something I saw at Simon mab’s lead jungle Garden I had to have it here I really love this sort of Sheen the foliage the overall look of the plant a perfect little addition for those shady areas or underplanted if you haven’t

Seen my video looking at Simon’s Garden I’ll link in the description below definitely check it out because there’s so many amazing filler plant ideas in there also if you’re going through my back catalog there’s a video looking at dirt cheap plants Janet’s plant nursery in garden over near Sheffield and she’s

Got an incredible sumon display there and a lot of it surprisingly is made up of smaller plants flowering plants plants you wouldn’t immediately assume to be tropical style but when you see them combined together in the way that she’s done it it really does look incredible so again loads of practical

Take-home tips there and if you haven’t seen them my video is looking at Marx crazy Tiki Garden there’s loads of filler plant ideas in there from someone who pretty much has tried every tropical style plant going he’s got loads of different cottage style leafy plants in his borders there’s a lot of take-home

Tips but today ra than going through specific plant ideas there will be some of those as well I want to talk more generally about five overall tips that I use to add filler plants to my garden that will hopefully help you out this year so if your tropical display is

Looking a little bit bare at this time of year if you want more summer impact then hopefully these help you out so let’s get started before I jump into my top tips then let’s look at some of the plans I’ve actually bought recently to add to my garden this year and tell you

A bit more about the why so that Mia sweet winter that came from Craig at grow paradise and if you check out my recent video looking at Evergreen Exotics you’ll see more about that but when it comes to the far Ender Garden my sunnier exposed well drained fire pit

Area these vasum was something that was actually mentioned to me in one of my earlier videos in the series so I’ve gone for some this year I suppose I could have grown them from seed but been a little bit late as always but these for basum I think they’re going to be

Fantastic up there I believe they’re Bano not a perennials it says in there but but these have really got that combination that absolutely fits the theme I’m going for blue silvery gray foliage like the eucalyptus Olive yuckers and agave and then a yellow flower so that is a general theme I’ve

Got up there a nice blue General sort of theme peppered in with contrasting warm Spectrum flowers so those will be beautiful nice big rosettes I think those look fantastic particularly as well if any of the red hot pokers and other Yas start flowering at the same

Time time here we’ve got a PL which should be going at this Shady Ender garden and it’s none other than just an ivy it’s a trailing Ivy now I know you got to be a little bit careful with iy believe me I’ve got some from next door

Growing well over into our garden but this one I liked how glossy the leaves are I like how simple they are and I think it’d be a nice ground cover to go in areas of the garden that are a little bit too shady and dry for other exotic

Plants so I’m really looking forward to see that cover a lot the soil because ultimately covering soil is the goal of extic Gardens isn’t it and at the back there we’ve got a big grass that one is Mis canther and it’s root file or something like that again I apologize if

My pronunciation is offensive I’ve already done it to France so I might as well do it with Germany as well it might not even be Germany so I’m just been generally offensive but that aside this is a lovely grass grass is a great filler plant and in the past I’ve grown

Mcus gigantus I still got that here I’ve grown Rondo donx the giant Spanish Reed there’s a lot of smaller grasses like steeper or Nella tenu that I grow as well as the massive lutar rarus which you’ll see at Mark’s house which is absolutely a monster but for me I’ve

Gone for this grass here because I wanted some height and a hay the garden that I’ve been developing recently I want to share with you later in Spring and I think these will be perfect a great plant that’s not a huge exotic specimen but certainly won’t be lacking

An impact and it absolutely fits in with a tropical theme and then for my other filler plants these all came from Urban jungle it’s more red hot poers yes nefas are a plant which absolutely fits a tropical style theme I think really as long as you got a sunny Garden whether

You want to go for a tropical or exotic Mediterranean look these have got to be in there and the ones I’ve gone for are ones I already grow already and wanted more of we’ve got a neia North ey there and that just looks incredible as it

Grows up it’s one of the biggest red hot pokers it has leaves that look like an Al so although the flowers are certainly an added attraction for me the main reason you grow this is this massive Evergreen rosette of really strappy succulent foliage it looks incredible and I think in some respects filler

Plant is a little bit unkind because this is a plant that demands attention and to me it might actually replace that yukar arrata which unfortunately rotted through or was eating this winter so I’m looking forward to that one and over here we’ve got some more poers the we’ve

Got neia rupai which is one that I’ve already grown in the garden and again wanted some more but my existing ones aren’t quite at a size yet where I can split them up so these are a lovely plant Evergreen again really strappy foliage big flowers this one gets to

About a meter and a half tall so it’s definitely got the present it’s got the strappy leaves to fit in with an exotic or tropical style garden and the flowers reach up to a meter and a half tall to me this is a plant which has definitely

Been lacking in my garden in fact summer color at that far end is something I want to make more of so something that’s got the same strappy leaves as a lot of the yuckers and grasses up there and also those bright bold red Punchy flowers is definitely a winner for me so

That’s what I’ve chosen but what are the general principles I would recommend for choosing filler plants for your tropical exotic jungle or just generally exciting Garden well let’s go into it you can add almost any plant to your tropical style exotic or jungle Garden and with the right planting and positioning you can

Create that overall Vibe and atmosphere you want my first top tip is focus on the season of Interest now in my previous video looking at Evergreen Exotics I looked at the fcy Japonica spiders web I looked at that Mahonia sweet winter and then I also looked at a

Sakaka sweet box they’re all Evergreens they all look fantastic through the air so if you’ve got a smaller Garden or you plant up of view that you see from your window all year long maybe add focus on those to give some real structure there’s loads of really easy to grow

Plants that are tough and Hardy that can fit in with that Vibe and look great all year long but if you really going all in on the summer drama if having an amazing summer display is your absolute goal then Evergreens they can sort of blend into the background a little bit they

Take a back seat as the big leaves and boisterous flowers come to play so it makes sense to choose filler plants that completely fit in with that theme and at that time of the year I think really the big rice us the big miscan grasses the r

Donx there’s so many big plants that can add drama add real density to a jungle or tropical garden perfect for the back of a border and perfect for making a smaller Garden feel bigger and even when it comes to the lower level plants there’s so many options for summer but

One of my favorites for the lower level planting I know it’s old fashioned now is colus I think they’re great for summer bedding I know bedding is definitely an outdated practice but to me just having a few of those dotted through the garden whether they’re grown

From seed or bought as plug plants and grown on it really is a great inexpensive way of adding that tropical color so I guess what I’m saying is in your mind think about the area that you’re planting up what’s your goal for that area if it’s at the far end your

Garden if it’s not somewhere that you really go out to drawing winter much then maybe don’t worry so much about the winter interest maybe let yourself really dive deep into that summer display and choose plans that really come up and make the most of that season plants at the miscanthus which look

Brown and half dead in Winter they can add so much to your summer garden at high five end of the garden although I planted that with a load of exotic Mediterranean beauties that will look great all year long I think really once that area is finally finished the main

Time we’ll be using that is really late spring but mainly in summer through to Early Autumn so a lot of the filler plants really add into that theme the sedums look great in early summer beautiful little flowers perfect for the pollinators I love them and I think

They’re a great L level plant to really exaggerate the size and scale of the Exotics around them and then the red hot poers you’ve just seen the neia rupai that one in particular flowers quite late in summer and Early Autumn so that’s why I’ve chosen it so again like

I said there are no rules but if you generally consider the season of Interest I think is the best way to make the most out of that party your Gard in just consider is this an evergreen area that you want to enjoy all year long or

Is it something you really want to go all out in summer do you need some spring interest in which case choose Ferns and other plants that will absolutely put on a show before most your tropical plants get going that’s definitely my first step you’ll see my euphobia Robbie eye over there that’s

Grown well and over here we’ve got a fern and in fact a lot of the plants that are in this jungle part of my garden especially are very easy Hardy plants and I think that is probably my second tip choose filler plants which are easy because a garden that’s

Absolutely full of tender specimen plants plants which need a bit of TLC in Winter that would definitely be hard work so unless you’re retired and you’ve got all the hours in the day to spend your garden for me if you got a bigger Garden especially choosing filler plants

Which simply do the thing and get bigger and better every year without much TLC or any kind of interference they really are the key as I said before not every plant in your garden has to be tender rare or unusual but if you got some big plants like Palms huge leaves like tetr

Panxs the companion or filler plants around them don’t have to have the same kind of exotic Origins they can simply be easy plants which just get on with it and I think really that is crucial yes you can have a garden which is absolutely chock full of Botanical

Rarities but to me here in my garden so many of the plants which simply get on and do the thing in the background are perfectly tough and Hardy it’s well worth visiting your local G Center and Nursery in Spring see what plants they’ve got there and you might be

Surprised at what non-exotic plants have got which really grab you visually and will make the perfect pairing with a lot of the big Exotics in your tropical style Garden I know it can often feel overwhelming particularly for new gardeners you want to know will this

Plant live in my garden or will it curl up and die and it’s always good to have a rough idea before buying a plant if it likes your garden conditions I generally split plants up into three main groups so at one side you’ve got plants which

Enjoy wetter soil and might like a bit of shade so plants like the Guna liilia Chinese rubab there’s loads of plants like hosters and ferns which really enjoy those conditions then at the far in the scale you got a group of plants which needs well- drained soil plants

Like succulents plants that come from Mediterranean Origins here in my garden I’ve got the yuckers off the pals they really need that good drainage and full sun to survive here in the UK but in the middle you’ve got everything else there a general rule if you want to plant from

Either end you can move it one step across the middle but you can’t move it to the far end so if you wanted a Mediterranean Garden but you’ve got a very Warsaw Garden that sees full shade you might struggle unless you have raised beds and really make the most of

Sunny spots you better off leaning in to that wetter end the scale and planting plants actually enjoy those conditions and likewise at the far end of scale if you want some big leaves in your garden but you’ve got very well- drained sandy soil probably the gun REM might not be

The best plant for you whilst you can grow those plants in pots and containers ultimately you may be better off leaning into the style of plants that naturally suits your conditions for tip number four we’re heading to my very weedy and unfinished Five pit project area and tip

For is choose plants that fit the overall look you’re going for the actual individual plant doesn’t matter too much and the reason why I’ve come up here stood on top of this mound to show you is basically to look at the overall picture so if you look here all you

Really see the ratas and the Olive Tree everything else is just supporting vegetation but those supporting characters in the cast really bring the whole Gan together so in the middle there you’ll see that brown grass Chiana CLA rubra I think something like that that isn’t a plan which you think

Belongs in a tropical s or exotic Garden but here where I’m trying to create an exotic arid on Mediteranean look it works really well I love how the foliage moves and how it really sort of matches in well with the yuker farms and then the base the ol tree I’ve got plants

Like stackis by antia a smaller one that I think silver carpet or the lambers a perfectly normal Garden plant but here the silvery leaves low growing habit look perfect there the gravel and it nicely mirrors the foliage of the olive tree above so what I’m trying to say is

As well as thinking about the practicalities choosing plants which match the time of the year that you want them to look good and the conditions you’ve got it’s also great to consider which plants fit your overall theme so if you’re trying to create a proper lush jungle Garden hosters Ferns and all the

Beautiful glossy leaf plants of your friends but if you’re trying to create a drier exotic look then certainly look towards the Silvery plants the succulent plants and the ones which naturally come from those parts of the world it’s not a coincidence that the plants which often have a certain aesthetic enjoy the same

Conditions so really lean into it explore and don’t just go off the plants I suggest in my videos look on sites like Beth chat where you can choose plants by the conditions they enjoy and you might just see some ideas in there that catch your ey and get you thinking

Of something you hadn’t even considered before my fifth and final tip for today then is one you probably already heard been mentioned in another video yes there’s nothing wrong with going to your local G Center on Nursery shopping online seeing a plant you like adding it

To your basket and plant it in your garden that’s fine and there’s a lot to be said for a variety of different plants but when it comes to filler plants especially I think you can get so much more impact an overall presence real personality in your garden tie the

Whole thing together by growing multiples of them so yes that neia rupai the red hot pop you saw that’s a plant I’ve already got in the garden but I’m adding three more and that’s because here to dive into it a little bit deeper for me that plant is a great visual way

Of linking this jungle tropical path of garden with the Mediterranean bit and the Arid bit beyond it’s a plant which comes from South Africa so in theory you’d assume it likes sunny conditions well- drained soil but it can also Thrive and often does in those places in

Wetter areas with richer soil so it’s a plant which practically should grow well in a large part of my garden here and Visually can really help tie the whole gown together and I just like the idea of coming out the jungle bit that Lush strappy foliage really ties in well

There looking up and see them dotted around the Mediterranean bit and then also seeing one in the distance in the Arid section to me it’s had repetition of plants I’m not the first one to say it but it really is a great way of tying your whole garden together and you can

Do this on other levels as well so with our old Garden where I had a relatively small border when it came to the filler plants there a big favorite of mine was the china Rose Co but rather than buying one or two of those and having a load of different

Colus I went all in on the China roads and had loads of them dotted around the front of the border and just having that many of the same plant it keeps the color theme going it visually just works well and it really helps tie the whole display together so that would certainly

Be my top tip there’s so many fow plants you can grow from seed so even if you’re working on a relatively small budget there’s a lot of unusual and exciting plants you can try and really if you’ve got absolutely no garding knowledge whatsoever anyone can push some the

Sterium seeds into the Garden in late spring and watch them grow and add some leafy colorful goodness to your G in this summer so there is absolutely no barriers to adding filler plants to your garden I think really one of the main benefits of having a tropical style

Display is that you can vary every single year a lot of the gingers the cannas especially those plants can be moved every year if you want to and around them you can have completely different plants so don’t be afraid of experimenting and probably another thing I would say is if you’re relatively new

To Tropical style gardening I hope I’ve got a lot of other videos that might help you out but don’t be afraid of Bing your time there can be a rush to try the easy plants and I know I’ve got a lot of videos saying start with fat seers start

With this start with that these are really easy plants to grow but don’t lock yourself into having a certain amount of plants especially if you got a small garden don’t be afraid to experiment with annuals with bedding plants just try and see what plants really excite you you might find that

Over time your taste and interest change so for me as I’ve gone to arid are of the garden I’ve been inspired to try some completely different plants and a lot of the plants I’ve got there that really had the most to it in summer are simple plants like the poppies or even

The sedums which you won’t even think of as tropical exotic or jungle plants but they really add to some of this way up there yes they take all the filler plant boxes I’ve suggested but I think leave a b of room to be creative and leave bit

Of room to try something different next year but above all don’t be afraid you just go for try plan in your garden and see what comes of it anyway I hope those rambling tips have helped you out if you’ve got any unusual interesting filler plant suggestions that I haven’t

Mentioned on my channel feel free to leave them in the comment section below and I’ll use them to help build my videos later in the year but thanks all for watching as always and I’ll see you next time