I went to the Richie Steffan lecture Saturday at the Weyerhaeuser Bonsai Garden. His topic was container plantings, featuring wood and shade perennials. He typically uses a mix of crushed pumice, compost, and bark for "woody" plantings (approximately equal parts).
One arrangement had three "star" plants: hosta, fern, and epimedium with saxifrage planted as filler. He arranged three interesting pieces of wood in the container.
