Thriller, Spillers, Fillers . . . Where Did That Come From?

How to make a container 101.  While, I think it can be attractive to add a vertical accent to a container, I also think following the spiller, filler, thriller rule of thumb, with the thriller being the vertical element, frequently can result in an unbalanced, unattractive container planting.   Look at the two pictures below of the containers in front of the Visitor Center at the Morton Arboretum.   Which do you like better?  I like the one without the Norfolk pine (I'm not, actually sure it is a Norfolk pine, but it looks like one).

 

Try to balance the height in a container like the one below.