Compost and plants for Planters

castlerock

I've just had some bespoke planters made for me, similar to the below... they have a few wholes in the bottom for drainage, do i also need to put some gravel in the bottom before the compost? 
Can anyone recommend the type of plants that i should be looking to buy?
Honestly, i have no clue with things like this.  
Would i also need peat free compost or does that not matter?

Apologies for all the questions, hope someone can help.

Thanks
David.

Fairygirl

They need lined to help prevent rotting.
Compost is fine for a season, but not long term - any compost will do though.
They're very deep, so it would be better to fill them up with anything you can find rather than using all soil/compost, as that's just a waste of money. You can use anything - old pots, cardboard boxes , bricks, rubble, then put a layer of something over it to stop all the compost washing through. 
What you plant is determined by where you put them and what you like, but those will tend to dry out quite quickly unless filled with decent soil.
Bulbs would be fine, but it depends on the use you want them for - screening, veg, or just decorative etc.