For several years the trend in container gardening has been creating compact landscapes by filling pots with several different plants.

The usual formula involves a vertical plant, sometimes called a thriller, to give the tableau height; a couple of mounded plants, often called fillers, for interest in the center of the pot; and then a trailing plant or two, called spillers, to soften edges and provide a focal point toward the bottom of the container.

But lately I have noticed more containers showcasing a single, but stunning plant, on its own. Rita Randolph, owner of Randolph’s Greenhouses in Jackson, Tenn., allows Fiber Optic grass to get all the glory in a container shaped like a chicken. In another, she has a low-maintenance collection of the same hens-and-chicks or sempervivums.

P. Allen Smith, the gardening guru from Little Rock, suggests putting single thrillers, fillers and spillers in pots of varying sizes and heights and then grouping the pots together. As they grow, the plants will form the lush miniature landscapes we all love. But when a plant wanes, it is easy to swap it out with another potted beauty.

Randolph likes lush combinations and has the eye of an artist when it comes to choosing plant partners. At her retail nursery, she makes it easy to shop by grouping together plants that will work well with each other in containers. And she also sells containers already filled and will custom-design landscapes in containers her customers bring in.

She said: My first thought is always texture. I believe foliage is first and flowers are second.

Foliage plants to consider are coleus in many colors and leaf shapes; caladiums such as the purple Excalibur and the huge Red Flash; Troy’s Gold plectranthus and Caramel, a heuchera (coral bells) with caramel-colored leaves and white flowers. It’s one of the few heucheras that will actually grow here, too.

For height, do not overlook the mother-in-law tongue you may already own. It may not be that pretty on its own, but when it is with friends (other plants), Randolph said it shines.

She also thinks lemongrass is underused as a vertical for containers as are other edibles such as burgundy-leafed beets and Bright Lights Swiss chard.

Container gardens look best when plants are crowded together. They will grow and fill in but this is not a garden you want to wait for.

She said: I like to completely cover the soil with plants.

She uses a fast-draining potting mix of composted cotton burrs, composted bark, peat moss, perlite, sand and composted manure. She mixes in lime and an organic plant food such as Espoma Plant-tone. She also boosts their diets with regular feedings of liquid fertilizers.