Three Brothers Blooms Tips: 7 Gorge Flowering Plants to Grow

By Jill Brooke

In honor of National Plant Appreciation Day, we are visiting Three Brothers Blooms, a small adorable farm on Camano Island in the Pacific Northwest.

Brenna Estrada named the farm after her three sons – cute right?  “I got into farming after 16 years as a 911 dispatcher because I needed more peace for myself and to be more present for my children,” she explains. Her calm and patience are paying off because the natural farmer is growing beautiful plants.

We also love discovering new talent for you to enjoy since hard-working girls like Brenna appreciate love and support when you are a budding business. But it is clear she has both the eye and talent for creating dazzling flowers.

So what are her favorite plants to consider growing right now to appreciate for a long time?

SEVEN Gorge Flowering Plants to Grow

Pansies

“More colors now and also have a beautiful scent,” she says.  They are also one of my favorites since they are low maintenance.

Amaranth

“Looks like something out of a fairy tale,” she says. “They can grow as a shrub too.” Furthermore, these dangling delights are perfect for in-house flower arrangements and add intrigue as well as color.

Phlox

“It’s both an annual and perennial,” she says. “I sow the annual phlox in my garden every year but the perennial version is a great choice if you don’t want to plant from seed each spring.”

English garden roses

“I love the David Austin roses,” she says. “If you have a space for a climbing rose, I definitely recommend them. Many of them can be grown as shrubs as well. They usually have an incredible scent and layers and layers of petals.”  

Peonies  “They are hardy and live for decades,” she says. “They can survive in some pretty cold winters and they are almost zero maintenance. Most of them have a beautiful smell and do beautifully. as cut flowers too.”

Lavatera

“It blooms all season and lasts so long in a vase as the flowers continue to bloom up the stem,” she says. Love the pillowy white and pinks too.

Dahlias

And the one that is more difficult but worth the trouble?  Dahlia tubers. “The more you cut the flowers, the more they bloom though they are a lot of work,” she says. I agree and am glad to hear someone say. it.

So what are the biggest mistakes that people make regarding plants?

Estrada says it’s essential to remember light, water and food. The Big Three. As well as temperature. Common mistakes is that the flower or plant you are adding to the garden isn’t shade tolerant and craves sun. Ask also if can tolerate your heat/cold snaps? It must be able to thrive not only. where you live – the zones – but where you plant it.

What about feeding? “My favorite flower food is EB stone organics fish emulsion with kelp,” she says. “It comes in a concentrate and the directions are on there for how much to use depending on your space.”

Last tip. Make sure you consider space. “Look at the maximum height and width of a plant before bringing it home,” she says. “Otherwise it may outgrow your space very quickly.”

Happy planting.

 

Jill Brooke is a former CNN correspondent, Post columnist and editor-in-chief of Avenue and Travel Savvy magazine. She is an author and the editorial director of FPD.