At my farm, one lesson I constantly emphasize to my gardeners and outdoor grounds crew is to "use the right tool for the right job." It makes all the difference, not only in efficiency but also in safety.
I've been a longtime user of STIHL products. STIHL offers an impressive range of tools, including professional-grade chainsaws, trimmers, blowers, pressure washers, brush cutters, and more. My newest piece of equipment is the STIHL KombiSystem, a versatile landscaping solution built around a powerful KombiMotor and a range of interchangeable attachments. The brush is ideal for cleaning the cobblestones around my stable courtyard.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
I store all the STIHL tools in my large Equipment Barn where they can be kept organized and ready-to-use.
This is a STIHL FS 361 C-EM Z 20-1/2 inch 37.7cc Gas Powered Brush Cutter with Spark Muffler for heavy duty cutting and thinning.
One of my favorite tools is the STIHL HSA 26 Battery-Powered Garden Shears. It is lightweight with a rubberized handle for a comfortable and secure grip. I use this tool all the time. It can also be used with the STIHL GTA 26 Extension Shaft for almost five feet more reach.
Last spring, I got a new fleet of STIHL mowers – both gas powered and battery operated. They’re great for using in large lawn spaces as well as any flat, narrow, tight areas around my home.
They are all kept safely in my Equipment Barn with all he other hand tools.
STIHL’s most well-known tool is the chainsaw. STIHL designed and built its first chain saw in 1926 and 100 years later, it is still one of its best pieces of equipment.
And this is my new KM 131 Gasoline KombiSystem with the STIHL Bristle Brush Attachment Head.
The brush head features durable nylon bristles and a wide sweeping surface that covers a two foot wide area as it moves.
The brush’s strong bristles are safe and usable on paved areas, walkways, driveways, uneven stone floors, and the cobblestones in my stable courtyard.
The unit is easy to carry and has a durable body strap for extra stability.
A loop handle provides comfort and control in tough spots.
Pete put it to use right away. These cobblestones needed some regular cleaning to remove the dirt and grime that accumulates with use.
Pete goes from one end to the other in rows – the brush only removes the surface dirt and doesn’t disturb any of the mortar between the cobblestones.
Here’s a closer look at what debris is brushed out – mostly dirt from my horses when they return from their pastures.
It looks great after just one pass.
Here, one can see which side is cleaned and which side still needs sweeping.
Pete also used it along the cobblestones near the carriage road of my linden tree allée.
The engine provides strong consistent power to loosen and remove the unwanted dirt.
Next, Pete uses the STIHL battery-powered blower around the building and ornamental planters where the brush cannot reach.
And uses the more powerful backpack blower to push the dirt completely off the courtyard. I’ve been using STIHL’s backpack blowers for years here at my farm.
The entire courtyard is done in less than an hour. Using the right tool for the right job definitely works.
Among the many pleasures of growing one's own flowers is being able to enjoy them both in the garden and in the home.
It's always so nice to walk through the gardens and see a multitude of beautiful, colorful blooms. I also enjoy bringing fresh, fragrant flowers indoors, where I can use them to decorate my kitchen, servery, and sitting room. Yesterday, my housekeeper Enma created several lovely arrangements using some of the gorgeous flowers still going strong - the celosias, the zinnias, the marigolds, and the dahlias.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
I grow many flowers every year, so they can be cut and used for photography shoots, videos, or for display. When cutting flowers from the garden, always think about the different colors, shapes, and textures that will look interesting and appealing when put together in a vase.
Fill the vase with cool water, but always leave a little room, so water doesn’t overflow. Vases need enough to keep stems submerged so they can draw water efficiently, without deteriorating.
Enma starts with some dahlias. She picked various shades of pink for an arrangement in this five finger vase. Size up the stems next to the vase being used, so they can be cut appropriately.
Dahlias produce an abundance of blooms throughout early summer and again in late summer until the first freeze. I am able to enjoy many dahlia arrangements during the season.
At the top, a giant dahlia. To prevent wilting, cut only in the early morning or late afternoon. And only cut them after they open to mature size – dahlias will not open after cutting.
If needed, add more water. Invest in a good watering can for the flowers – one that allows for controlled use without damaging any of the fragile petals.
For this arrangement, Enma carefully selects a palette of bright orange celosias and coordinating amaranths. Whether you plant the plumed type with its striking upright spires or the crested type with its fascinating twisted form, celosia stands out in any room.
When cutting flower stems always cut at a 45-degree angle. Cutting the stems at this angle, rather than straight across, allows for greater surface area and increased water uptake.
As she finishes, Enma makes sure to look a the entire arrangement, filling in any bare spots.
If some water needs to be removed, use a small towel inserted into the vase to absorb the excess fluid. This is a good tip especially when vases are already full with flowers.
Enma also adds some trailing amaranths in a dark burgundy color to add a cascading effect.
Amaranth and celosia add dramatic texture, vibrant color, and interest to floral arrangements – nice job, Enma.
Enma loves these fragrant Aztec marigolds. Also known as American marigold or African marigold, Aztec marigold, Tagetes erecta, is a showy, easy-to-grow annual that blooms from summer to the first frost. The huge blooms appear on top of one to four-foot stems and come in shades of orange, yellow, bronze, and creamy white.
Here she is adding water to the vase – she chose a wide mouth cylindrical vase that could accommodate a large number of yellow flowers.
Remember to remove any leaves that would otherwise end up below the water line. Leaves and flowers that sit below the water line can rot.
Enma uses gold colored flowers in this finger vase. Monochromatic arrangements are beautiful on their own. They look clean, refined, and striking.
The colorful dahlias are on my kitchen counter, the hub of my home, where I often have meetings – everyone admires them as soon as they see them.
This arrangement was placed in my foyer.
It looks striking under the wing of my giant falcon.
Here is one of the marigold arrangements in my sitting room – so cheerful to see every morning when I come downstairs.
And on another table in this room, the gold marigolds. I hope this weekend, you can get yourself some cut flowers and bring a little bit of summer indoors.
As summer wears on, late-season flowers continue to bring vivid color and beauty to my gardens.
Down by my chicken coops, in what was once my vegetable garden, I dedicated a space entirely to annuals. Here, different varieties are thoughtfully arranged in beds according to size, color, and bloom time. Every flower is started from seed in my greenhouse. Right now, the Aztec marigolds, zinnias, cosmos, amaranth, and celosia are putting on a beautiful show - they are great flowers to admire outdoors in the garden and just as lovely when cut and brought indoors for arrangements.
Here are some photos.
When I redesigned this garden, I wanted a space for raised beds where I could plant flowers by type specifically for cutting. This garden has such excellent, nutritious soil, I knew whatever was planted here would thrive.
I planted flowers that do well in full sunlight, meaning they get at least six to eight hours of sun per day. Enma cuts some of these giant Aztec marigolds for indoor arrangements.
Also known as American marigold or African marigold, Aztec marigold, Tagetes erecta, is a showy, easy-to-grow annual that blooms from summer to the first frost. The huge, fragrant blooms, appear on top of one to four-foot stems and are available in various shades of orange, yellow, bronze, and creamy white.
Celosia is a small genus of edible and ornamental plants in the amaranth family, Amaranthaceae. Its species are commonly known as woolflowers, or, if the flower heads are crested, cockscombs. The plants are well known in East Africa’s highlands and are used under their Swahili name, mfungu.
This crested type, Celosia Cristata, has twisted, dense, velvety flower heads that can grow to six inches wide.
While many are one color, some of them come in a combination of colors, such as this one in shades of orange and red.
This is the most widely grown type – the feathery, flame-like Celosia flowers made of hundreds of slender, bracts from a central axis.
These celosia flowers also come in a vibrant array of colors including bright yellow, orange, pink, fiery shades of red, and deep purple.
Here’s a plume celosia in a bold gold. The flowers are vibrant in the garden, but also hold up very well when cut, adding dramatic texture to arrangements.
Another big shower right now – my zinnias. Zinnia is a member of the aster family and native to Mexico and Central America.
Zinnias are the simplest of flowers and was a favorite of my dad. They come in extraordinary colors and sizes and shapes and are easily grown in one short season.
The Aztecs originally called them “plants that are hard on the eyes” because of their colorful flowers. Zinnia is named after Johann Gottfried Zinn, a German botany professor who discovered the plants and brought them to Europe in the 1700s.
Cosmos are annuals with colorful daisy-like flowers that sit atop long slender stems. They attract birds, bees, and butterflies and come in a variety of colors including white and various shades of pink, crimson, rose, lavender, and purple, all with yellow centers.
The lacy foliage and silky flowers bloom from midsummer to the first frost.
This is Amaranth. The velvety flowers are dense – some with drooping tassels. Blooms come in richly saturated harvest hues, and they hold their colors and shapes even when dry.
There are two main types of Amaranth grown for cutting – one with an upright growing habit where the plants produce spikes or plumes that add height and drama to arrangements.
The other is a trailing type of Amaranth with a draping growth habit.
And have you ever seen these? Commonly called hairy balls milkweed, Gomphocarpus physocarpus, this plant stands out in any garden. The round, balloon-like seed pods are covered with soft, hair-like spines.
These pods can reach the size of a small lime.
The hairy balls milkweed also produces clusters of small, star-shaped white or pale green flowers. These blooms are delicate and fragrant, and are loved by pollinators.
I hope your flower gardens are also doing wonderfully this year.
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