Interviewing Elaine, Caroline & Laura: Collectively Known As ‘The 3 Growbags’
Contributions From THE 3 GROWBAGS
What started as a blog turned into a huge project and an online shop for sisters Elaine, Caroline and Laura, who make up The 3 Growbags. They frequently document their journey and have made appearances at several RHS shows. All three are full members of the Garden Media Guild.
The 3 Growbags is a group made up of three sisters, Caroline, Elaine and Laura, who each live in the UK, with Elaine spending some of her time at her second home in Normandy, France.
They started their own blog in 2016 where they share regular content about gardening and even have their own online horticultural shop.
I was lucky enough to chat with all three of them about their relationship with each other and gardening.
Imagery featured in this article is provided with permission by The 3 Growbags.
How Did You First Get Into Gardening?
“Growing up in the countryside, we were always aware of the natural world,” explains Elaine. “Dad loved growing veg, Mum enjoyed growing flowers, though she never had enough time to tend to them as much as she would have wanted.
“What actually started me off was having our own first tiny garden 50 years ago, buying a plant at Woolworths and watching it grow.”
“I was a hobby gardener until a project at work led me to run a 10-year conservation project in Madeira, which really fired my interest in sub-tropical plants,” shares Laura.
“I invested in a large glasshouse on the back of the house and started experimenting with rare and tender plants and never stopped!”
“I moved to the North-West Highlands when I left school where gardening wasn’t really a thing, so I’m a late adopter,” says Caroline.
“As I got older, I realised if I wanted to spend time with my sisters again, I’d have to get to grips with their passion. I’ve learned a lot from them (don’t tell them I said that!), but I am still several leagues behind them, as they regularly point out.”
What Does Gardening Mean To You All?
All three sisters have had a completely different relationship with gardening, as Caroline explains:
“It’s a fascinating hobby that you can enjoy in various ways. For me, so many of my plants remind me of friends and family, some of whom have passed away. A rose that was given to me, the Onopordum acanthium, was beloved by my late sister-in-law.
“I think that the fact they disappear for a few months but come back is a particular comfort to me.”
“As the only Scientist in the family, I treat gardening as a huge botany project and endlessly experiment with what will grow in Sussex,” shares Laura.
“Gardening is an almost bottomless pit of learning and as well as tender plants, I love to try out different styles, from stumperies to prairie plantings. As a Conservationist by trade, it’s very important to me that my garden provides as wide a range of habitats as possible to support our native wildlife.”
“I was a Teacher, which was a profession I loved, but gardening has provided me with an escape where I can lose myself in painting pictures with plants,” says Elaine.
“Both occupations need persistence, resilience and above all – patience! All qualities are quite handy for life in general, as it happens.”
How Did The Three Growbags Begin?
“As well as our mutual love of gardening, we also all share a sense of humour and felt that a lot of the online gardening advice was a bit serious,” says Laura.
“Knowing that we each had a different style of gardening, we knew there would be plenty of scope for some banter and disagreements, which can occur much easier between sisters than for other gardeners.
“So, we saw a gap in the market and set out to entertain our readers as much as educate them.”
“It’s very ambitious for three old girls who know nothing about technology, isn’t it? We’re quite close and this seemed like a good project we could do together despite the distance between us,” says Caroline.
“Elaine is a gardening authority and Laura is a botanist, but they’re both pretty hopeless when it comes to computers, so they need me! Like every good team, we have a range of strengths.
“It also occurred to us that our geographical locations give our blog site a much broader appeal than most – there can’t be many that range from the Scottish Highlands to the Home counties, the South coast and Normandy!”
What Has Been Your Favourite Memory Of Working Together?
“Doing the Chelsea Flower Show for the first time as The Three Growbags, attending a Garden Media Guild lunch at the Savoy and having a riot with other Garden Writers at the back of the room are just some of my favourites,” shares Elaine.
“There really are too many to list.”
“The first weeks of lockdown were unforgettable,” says Caroline. It was a frightening time for everyone, but we instantly realised that having set up our blog, we could communicate with large numbers of people, some of whom may be feeling isolated and all of whom could only go as far as their gardens.
“For that first fortnight, we posted daily advice on how to grow your own. We gathered hundreds of new followers and got so many lovely messages back from people. It really felt as though we’d made a difference.”
“Overall, it has been a lovely way for us to come together as a family after our busy years of raising families and careers to now work together on a new project,” says Laura.
“Our Dad always brought us up with the motto of ‘try to learn something new every day’ and our challenges with getting to grips with modern technology and social media have certainly done this.”
How Important Is The Online Gardening Community To You All?
“It has been lovely to discover so many kindred spirits out there who enjoy our irreverent style,” shares Laura “We’re also learning a lot from the community we’ve established as they send comments and tips back to us.”
“It has become hugely important to us,” adds Elaine.
“It has certainly made us realise that there is a whole world of horticultural interaction out there and we have met so many wonderful people online, with a million stories to tell.”
“Gardeners tend to be lovely people, and it turns out this applies online as well!” says Caroline.
What’s Next For The Three Growbags?
“We are always plotting new ideas for our blog and website,” says Elaine. “Collaborations, competitions, merchandise offers, reviews, promotions, talks, all sorts! We will carry on and are enjoying the ride.”
“We all still love The Three Growbags and our subscribers feel like an ever-extending family,” Caroline adds.
“Sharing information about gardens and plants is very reassuring and comforting in what is becoming an increasingly uncertain world and there is no end point in horticulture.”
What Advice Would You Give To Those Thinking Of Giving Gardening A Go?
“Don’t be put off by all the rules – just try growing something,” says Elaine. “If you enjoy the process, keep going.”
“You’re going to go on a journey of discovery, with a mixture of disappointment and achievements that will keep drawing you on to learn more,” Laura shares.
“You’re going to learn what style of garden you enjoy most and get huge satisfaction when you realise how much the diversity of plants, even if it’s just a window box, can do to support our native wildlife.”
