Summer Archives - The 3 Growbags

Crocosmia x crocosmiiflora ‘Coleton Fishacre’

16 August 2019August 16, 2019the3growbagsLeave a comment

Late summer in our garden – and predominant in the beds are shades of purple, lavender, blue and pink; the hot colours of the autumn garden have yet to get into their stride. So, my subject today is the perfect antidote to fit into this misty mix. Neither yellow, nor rust, nor ochre, it is unapologetically orange, and this is quite an unusual colour at any time of the year. Bright but not shouty, it fits in anywhere. Formerly called ‘Gerbe d’Or (and it is not immediately apparent when and why the name was changed), it was raised by...

Lythrum salicaria ‘Zigeunerblut’ – Purple loosestrife ‘Gypsy blood’

2 August 2019August 2, 2019the3growbagsLeave a comment

Given the heavy rain showers that we’ve had recently, and the very strong winds, I’m confident that when it is all over, there will be one plant that comes through it all unscathed. It may just be a form of our common native purple loosestrife, but it is one that can withstand any weather and will never need staking. At well over four foot, I call that commendable! Too often, at this time of the year, I make a foray into the garden and end up with armfuls of prunings and broken stems, then I must find stakes and...

Digitalis ferruginea AGM – ‘Rusty foxglove’

19 July 2019July 19, 2019the3growbags2 Comments

This foxglove is a jewel! I know I’m on to a winner when each time I pass a plant I find myself stopping and staring at the wonder of it, and my selection this week is no exception. It is also an absolute magnet for every passing bee which just adds to the interest The ‘Rusty foxglove’ is more likely to be a short-lived perennial than a biennial and can be encouraged to behave as one by cutting back the spent stem right down to the basal rosette. However, do leave at least one seed head and you may...

Clematis viticella ‘Étoile Violette’ AGM

5 July 2019July 5, 2019the3growbags1 Comment

I made a happy accidental choice when I planted ‘Étoile Violette’ at the foot of our Amelanchier lamarckii: at the time, I hadn’t realised that for many reasons it was the perfect clematis for growing in a large shrub or small tree. Now, our snowy mespilus never looks dull, but there are certain shrubs that, however stunning in flower, look drab for the rest of the year (lilac, wintersweet, viburnum to name but a few) and these are ideal candidates for the viticella partnership. ‘Étoile Violette’ is quite simply, an outstanding, undemanding and generously free-flowering cultivar that with its slightly...