Surprising reasons why using the number 3 can help transform your garden this summer

Gardeners could see the green shoots of success this summer if they follow this simple numeric rule, it's claimed. American hip-hop group De La Soul sang about this number being magic in the 1980s, Shakespeare's three crones from the play Macbeth believed it was a most foreboding amount and there were this number of kings said to have visited the stable for the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem.

But now according to horticultural reports, the number three is also a powerful tool for green-fingered gardeners to use on their plots. Website GrowVeg reports there's some science that suggests three is a very understandable amount for the brain to work with when designing a garden.

The gardening site suggests threes work because they give the mind a pattern to work with, and that by arranging in threes we can make a triangular display and create depth in planting.

GrowVeg states: "A threesome becomes a triangle when laid out spatially, and it's likely that this layout is pleasing to many plants compared to growing singly or in mass. The intermingling of roots, branches and blossoms benefits the triangular clump without the risks that come with overcrowding. In one of the most classic methods for growing squash, for example, seeds are sown in raised hills and thinned to three per hill."

When using plant pots the GrowVeg expert suggests combining three different colours with plants adds variety and is pleasing to the eye.

It also suggests "multiple flowering plants also are more attractive to pollinators because they can feast on many blossoms at one time without wasting energy flying around. To bees and butterflies, three cosmos (flowers) are always better than one".

According to the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) gardeners could also benefit from being aware of an acient technique known as the 'Three Sisters', which relies on so-called companion planting.

The RHS states: "One of the best examples of companion planting was developed by Native American tribes who planted sweetcorn, climbing beans and pumpkins/squashes together, believing these 'Three Sisters' grew best as part of a symbiotic planting.

"All of the sister plants can be grown on their own, but planting these three tender crops together does offer benefits to the plants as well as the ongoing fertility of the soil they are grown in.

"The method behind companion planting is to use different plants mixed together to confuse pest insects and keep them from the crop. Carrots and onions are a good example.

"By planting onions next to carrots the onions mask the smell of the carrots, helping to keep the dreaded carrot root fly away from the crop. Marigolds are another good example. Their strong smell does much to keep aphids away from vulnerable plants such as tomatoes and runner beans."