No one can call themselves a gardener if they don’t have at least a couple of clematis, and because you can have one in flower in any given month of the year, this could easily creep to 12. But they don’t succeed with everyone and a certain oneupmanship creeps in with us 3 Growbags, as […]
Red-hot poker ‘Sunningdale Yellow’ It seems to me that June has never been as floriferous and exuberant as this one just past, and although we could probably all have done with a little more sun, the recent rainfall has just added to the lushness of it all. Gentle constant rain, not plant flattening torrents! And in amongst the wild […]
By George, we’ve had some interesting weather in June, haven’t we! Certainly it’s been too hot between 11 and 5 to do anything much in the garden beyond some gentle weeding under a broad-brimmed hat, followed by rain so torrential that Noah would have been very impressed. Nevertheless, there are lots of jobs to do when […]
It’s peak ‘iris’ at the moment, but with so many different ones to choose from which would be best for your garden? As usual we three growbags have differing opinions…..Elaine is in full-on ‘English bearded’ mode, it’s go large or go home as far as she’s concerned. For the more botanically curious and patient amongst […]
I have often thought that if I was only allowed a single rose on my desert island, this is the one that I would choose above all others: its ethereal beauty simply cannot be matched. This slender China rose blends seamlessly with perennials in a mixed border, it is perfectly hardy but probably gives of its best in a sheltered […]
Summer’s arrived! Let’s give a cheer for rampant growth, roses everywhere and longer warmer evenings filled with the scent of sweet philadelphus. It’s just as well the days are so long now because there’s a HEAP of stuff to do like grass-mowing, summer fruit-pruning, cutting back Clematis montana etc. So let’s get on with it……… […]
Succulents, those plants with fleshy leaves or stems that store water to see them through drought periods, ought to be on all gardeners’ radars as our climate heats up, but they aren’t everyone’s cup of tea. There is a sliding scale of succulence from full blown cacti, through aloes and echiveras to chubby stonecrops, small […]
Clematis ‘Vyvyan Pennell’ was raised by Walter Pennell of Pennell and Sons nursery in the mid-fifties and was named after his wife. Pennells was founded in 1780 and is still in the ownership of the same family – quite a record! So, Walter Pennell not only raised one of my favourite clematis, (which incidentally is probably the best known of all the […]
Surely, surely by now we are owed a decently long spell of warm weather – what a treat it will be to potter in the garden without needing my fleece! While we are patiently waiting for that to happen, let’s get on with some tasks like primping the flower borders, giving the lawn some TLC […]
Do you fancy having a go at growing some veg this summer? Getting out-of-doors makes us feel so much better and with ‘food miles’ and plastic packaging on everyone’s minds, what better project than growing some of your own produce this year. It might be good to get some basics in but they don’t cost […]
So in a week where we might have been heading to the embankment in London for the Chelsea Flower Show, Elaine and I instead found ourselves heading north to Caroline’s new abode in the Highlands. We thought we’d been invited up to sip cocktails in her glasshouse and marvel at the progress she had made […]
I’m sure I’m not the only gardener who tries to stick to the rule of three: a plant that you so desperately want to grow in your own garden but that after three unsuccessful attempts, you have to admit defeat. Well, this hebe is one of those plants that I really had to have, and thankfully on my third go, it worked! Before the last […]
Before I start in on this week’s gardening tips and reminders, we 3Growbags would just like to say a heartfelt THANK YOU to all the dozens of well-wishers on all our media channels on the occasion of our fifth anniversary. We were bowled over by your kind comments. All we can add is: PLEASE keep […]
It’s the FIFTH ANNIVERSARY of the 3Growbags blog – WHAAAA!! Thank you so much for coming on this journey with us. As a little gift we’ve partnered with lovely Hayloft Plants, (another start-up gardening business set up by mums) to give you a chance of winning one of ten £10 Hayloft vouchers in a free […]
Morello cherry When I was a child, my parents grew a Morello cherry tree up against the north wall of our house, and even then, all those years ago, I remember thinking how amazing it was to see the beautiful snowy white blossoms looking so happy in their shady corner, to be followed by so […]
Arrgghhh, we seem to have had a cold dry East wind for weeks now, and it’s taken such a long time for the soil to warm up, despite the sunshine! I think we’ve got there now though, at least down here in the south – just in time for National Gardening Week, ( and the […]
Three sisters, three types of peony, so we’ve taken one each. The most normal sister (me ..lol) will be taking you through the most commonly grown ‘herbaceous’ peonies, whilst Elaine will be cooing over her stunning collection of the more rarefied ‘tree’ peonies (whilst making us all feel a bit inadequate). And Caroline, the most […]
There’s no getting away from it, skimmias are worthy but a little dull are they not? However, for the past few weeks it is their fragrance that puts them centre stage. It hits me the minute I step out of our back door, and for this reason alone I must grow it. So, they need careful positioning: suited to shade or part shade, […]
I am still wondering if my visit to Arundel Castle Gardens really happened or whether it was a surreal dream. Arriving for the first Narnia-like glimpse through one of the glorious stone archways, it felt like we were entering a fantastical film-set rather than a working garden. Like a unique blend of The Lord of […]
This spring is certainly taking its time to get going! The soil still feels cold, and this week experienced the coldest April night in eight years – even in the the balmy southern counties. That doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty to do though, including sorting out your seating areas, tending the roses, and dividing primroses, […]
Welcome to ‘Beginner’s Veg! I want to say right at the start that this series of blogs is not for all the clever-clogs out there, who’ve been growing veg for years and know all the neat tricks and dazzling science of the art. If you’re new to The3Growbags, we are three sisters (Laura, Caroline and […]
Right, the first vegetable in our ‘Beginner’s Veg’ series. One of the easiest things for a beginner, I think, is potatoes. It’s sort of magical when you dig into the soil and unearth fat new tatties. And you know your spuds haven’t been sprayed with chemicals, and they are going to taste FANTASTIC…. 1.Choosing Varieties First of […]
I’m going to be talking about one of my favourite of all vegetables today – broad beans. One of the joys of growing your own broad beans is that they are SO seasonal – one of the few things that you’ll only buy fresh in supermarkets or get in veg boxes at certain times of […]
We’re now going to talk about growing the most versatile vegetable of them all – ONIONS! Not usually difficult, unless you live in a swamp, and lovely to have on hand at almost any time in the kitchen. So let’s get started………. 1. Seeds and sets, onions and shallots You can grow onions from seed, […]
Now let’s get busy on some marvellous veg that you can grow outside, or in pots big and small, or (in the case of pea-shoots) just in an old butter-container on your kitchen window! Getting Hold of Seeds It is a very common rookie mistake to sow too many seeds at once. You DO NOT […]
I don’t think that the horticultural chasm that exists between we three sisters’ geographical locations has ever gaped as widely as it did this Easter. The topic of spring climbers was obviously put forward by smug Elaine, who gardens in an urban heat-island on the South Coast, with scarcely a thought about what might or […]
Today, I’m talking about tomatoes, those stalwarts of any self-respecting veg drawer. I think I’m slightly addicted to the sharp luscious smell of tomato leaves and of a just-picked tomato. Those of you who’ll be growing them for the first time are in for a treat! They are fabulous for growing in pots, as well […]
‘Large-leaved pachyphragma’ is hardly a name that trips off the tongue, is it? And the Latin is not easy to remember either.I’ve grown it for years but do not often see it in other gardens, though once gardeners discover it, they love it. This hardy, semi-evergreen perennial with its rounded scalloped leaves is such a valuable addition to the spring garden. Happiest in shade or dappled shade, it forms an effective carpet (H: 30 cms) under trees and shrubs where its […]
You can grow a marvellous range of salad plants with very little difficulty. They’re the perfect thing to grow as a ‘cut-and-come-again’ crop – the idea is that you sow a few seeds every few days or so, you snip off leaves as you want them when they’re young, small and fresh, and you keep […]
Courgettes and squashes are really good fun to grow if you have more than a shoebox of space. Apart from anything else, I love getting so much PLANT from one seed! They are generally easy – even my horticulturally challenged little sister Caroline had roaring success with butternut squash last year! And just a couple […]
Let’s fast forward now to next winter; warming vegetable soups, vitamin-packed green leaf smoothies, crunchy homemade coleslaw and parmesan encrusted roast parsnips with your Sunday lunch. It may seem a world away but actually right now is the time to get cracking on the winter veg front. Having covered all the sexy summer salad-y stuff […]
Let’s turn now to some lovely leafy veg! Swiss chard, kale and spinach leaves are delicious and full of vitamins, whether cooked/steamed for stir-fries and the like, or eaten in salads when very young and fresh. You can sow seeds of kale and chard throughout the spring and summer, and with a bit of protection, […]
So we’ve got our salad crops on the go and plans in place for that warming winter veg, all we need now is some home-grown fruit for delicious summer puds, jams and jellies, with some left over to stock up the freezer. There’s such a range of varieties now to suit any size of garden, […]
Let’s try some herbs now! Most are a cinch to cultivate, and they’re just as great for containers, hanging baskets, planters, balcony window-boxes etc as they are for a pretty little herb garden by the back-door… 1. What to grow Herbs can be annuals (start, flower and die in one season), biennials (start in one […]
We’ve arrived at April – probably the busiest month in the calendar for a gardener! Seeds to sow, beauties to plant, shoots to tie in…..at least we now have an extra hour in the evening to get things done! A few tips here to help you, and we 3Growbags also want to tell you about […]
Hurrah! We’re storming through the vaccination programme here in the UK but wait, that means getting the hair cut, weight lost and joggers back in the cupboard pretty damn quick and the garden prepped for VISITORS! Long-time family friend and Growbag follower Ann is seeking advice for creating little coffee spots in her garden using […]