Summer in bloom

One of the highlights of my career was winning silver at the UK’s Chelsea Flower Show. I just love flowers and will always recommend them for bringing life and colour to any garden.

Although Spring is known for its blooms, Summer can also put on a show.

Tending to your flowers is also a great way to get children out into the garden – you can teach them about the lifecycle of a plant and how – by removing the flower before it can turn to seed – you kickstart the flowering process once again. It’s also a great game to see who can collect the highest number of spent blooms!

I also think the change of season is a great time to be adding in some colour from annuals such as petunias or short-lived perennials such as calibrachoa. Nothing says Summer like a burst of colour and fragrance in the garden.

Charlie’s Tips for Growing Flowers

• I like to deadhead all my repeat flowering shrubs, perennials, and annuals to promote a new flush of flowers into Summer.
• When planting, incorporate lots of compost into your soil and water in well to establish.
• Remove all the flowers to promote some root growth and when they grow back, deadhead all the way through Summer for a vibrant display.
• Pruning and shaping plants and shrubs will promote more flowers.

Charlie’s Top Picks for Flower Lovers

STIHL garden tools provide handy assistance when growing flowers, and are ideal for giving finishing touches to your perfectly maintained garden.

• STIHL has a range of secateurs in varying sizes, such as the Felco F2 classic secateurs with shock buffer, non-slip grip coating, forged handles.
• A STIHL leather belt pouch is a handy way to carry your secateurs when out and about in the garden.
• For larger flowering shrubs, the STIHL GTA 26 battery garden pruner is a lightweight and versatile favourite among garden owners of all sizes.

Love gardening? For the latest news, tips and advice, subscribe to the STIHL newsletter here.