Why is it that the pots and window boxes planted by professionals seem so much better than everyone else’s does? Talent, of course, is one reason, but so too is the use of filler plants that … ...

This large dracaena is upright and narrow with 18- to 24-inch-long sword-shaped leaves that are glossy dark green with fine purple leaf margins. On taller trees, the lower leaves are often removed ...

Give Mom a fresh look to her 2012 flower pots with one of these cutting-edge "pot stars" that are alternatives to the over-used dracaena spike.

Spikes are the go-to centerpiece plant in many annual container plantings. Sometimes called dracaena (Dracaenaindivisa), spikes are green, stiff blades that add height to pots.