Gardening
THE PLOT HATCHES
Diary of a First-Time Flower Farmer Paul Stickland, Black Shed Flowers
I
t was all very well growing several thousand gorgeous cut flowers, but how were we going to sell them? We’d done our research and we knew there was a rising tide of interest in fresh British grown blooms – the papers were full of articles, the National Farmers’ Union had got behind the movement and top florists such as Simon Lycett, Jonathan Moseley and Shane Connolly had been spreading the word. Covent Garden was taking note and groups such as Flowers From The 68 | Sherborne Times | November 2017
Farm were doing an amazing job putting British growers in the limelight. Our aim was to create a ‘destination,’ in order to see the flowers growing in the field, to choose or pick your own, a family day out and a unique floral experience. We knew that sharing our site with Peter and Amanda Hunt’s wonderful Toy Barn, with its classy toyshop and garden full of adventure toys would make a great experience for our customers. A simple, fun and quirky café in our own Black Shed