Paul Stickland

Artist, illustrator, author and designer of children's picture and pop up books. Unusual and unique gifts, funny t shirts, clocks, mugs, prints and more, all available online from StrangeStore. Funny cats and cross owls, rusty robots and terrible trolls.

[paulstickland]

Helen's been doing an amazing job running the first Black Shed Pick Your Own Sunday whilst I've been mincing about in Bath at the Children's Literary Festival. A really busy and successful day for the farm, with so many delighted and delightful visitors. Weather permitting, we'll do this again next Sunday. Be kind October! . #BlackShed #pyo #flowerfarm #openday #dahlias #cutflowers #sherborne #dorset #TheToyBarn #destination #dayout #florist #floristry #flowers #garden #colourlovers #colour #flowersforflorists #flowersofinstagram #flowerfarners #flowerfarming #localflowers #seasonalflowers #colourmyworld #awesome #nature #autumnflowers

[paulstickland]

Zinnias seem to thrive when growing in landscape fabric here. Lots of colours and whites available soon! #BlackShed #zinnia #dorset #somerset #cutflowers #grownnotflown #flowersfromthefarm #flowers #yellow #flowerstagram #flowersforflorists #florist #flowerfarmer (at Sherborne)

[paulstickland]

Just made a pair of 9ft doors for the cafe, which will be glad in shiny new tin. Next I'll install the internal frame to support them before getting the angle grinder out to make the opening. Love building! #BlackShedCafe #thetoybarn #sherborne #Dorset (at The Toy Barn Sherborne)

[paulstickland]

The small boy in me is loving the the massive Blackmarsh Farm machinery milling around the Black Shed site. I did a whole series of children's tractor, digger and truck books years ago, tapping into the largely male 'hard wired for big wheels' thing and I still get a thrill from a bloody great tractor wheel and knobbly tyre. Wierd when a slender stem of Adenophera or Fritillary will do the same. @peterhuntt channeling his inner @messumswiltshire in the tithe barn here! #BlackShed #blackmarshfarm #toybarn #farm #farming #agriculture #tithebarn #dorset #barn (at The Toy Barn Sherborne)

[paulstickland]

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There's another reason (or more!) why Tabitha's so happy that we've started Black Shed Flowers at The Toy Barn. The Toy Barn! All @peterhuntt's amazing creations! Not many venues offer cut flowers and trampolining. Back to the foxgloves... #BlackShed #toybarn #children #kids #toys #trampoline #tithebarn #wedding venue #dorset #farmbuildings #barn (at The Toy Barn Sherborne)

[paulstickland]

Plants on site! Welcome to your new home. Just sowed the grass paths and lawns, ready to roll in with the quad and roller before the rain we're due later. Sherborne Country Fair tomorrow at the Castle, we'll be on The Toy Barn stand, do come and say hello! First outing for us, banner to frame, website to go live, emails to set up... #BlackShed #flowerfarming #dorset #BlackmarshFarm #flowerfarmers #flowersfromthefarm #grownnotflown #britishblooms #britishgrown #flowerfarm (at Sherborne)

[paulstickland]

Murphy was lazily lying in the van whilst I contentedly raked in the gloaming. Then the moon rose and all of a sudden his ears prick and he turns into a proper lurcher, scanning the hedgerows. First moon for Black Shed. Magic. #flowerfarm #lurchers #lurchersofinstagram #sighthounds #sighthoundsofinstagram (at Sherborne)

[paulstickland]

Just before moonrise this evening at Black Shed. Fence posts and gates in. Beds all laid out, been grading and raking the paths ready for seeding and rolling, hopefully before the promised rains this weekend. Gorgeous warm evening, full of birdsong and promise. #BlackShed #flowerfarm #sherborne #flowerfarmers #flowersfromthefarm (at The Toy Barn Sherborne)

[paulstickland]

Black Shed family raking Saturday! Helen, Arthur, Tabitha and I got stuck into the the path and lawn preparation today, the dry soil making the task surprisingly easy. So pleased that we've broken up the site into as series of 'rooms', otherwise this would be rather a daunting task! Found much pottery, dozens of clay pipes, a lot of golf balls, some alarming teeth and a shrivelled mole. Lots of friendly folk have been peeping over the wall, including a very welcome visit from @niwakijake. Being right on the A30, just east of Sherborne and with all the visitors to @petitbot63 and @peterhuntt's Toy Barn, this is going to be very sociable. Roll on the Black Shed Cafe! #BlackShed #flowersfromthefarm #britishblooms #britishgrown #flowersforflorists #dorsetflowers #dorset #sherborne #thetoybarn #flowerfarming #flowerfarmers #flowerfarm (at Sherborne)

[paulstickland]

Helen, Tabitha and I were enjoying a happy evening doing a bit of family geometry and laying out the site, then the sky went dark, very dark... #BlackShed #blacksky #BlackmarshFarm

[paulstickland]

Lovely day with the Lorikeets and Lemurs of Longleat for Tabitha's 8th birthday yesterday. Today we spent 6 hours in a van collecting a big battered dinosaur head from Buckinghamshire... #lorikeet #longleat #daughter

[paulstickland]

Another tunnel up to house the hundreds of seedlings being bumped up into their 5cm soil blocks, 40 to a mushroom crate. There's about 1500 in the first two portable tunnels, room for another 1500 in this new one but that'll fill in a few days... Big thanks again to @baremtnfarm for sharing those great low tunnel videos! So helpful. #BlackShed #sherborne #dorset #flowersfromthefarm #soilblocks #soilblockers

[paulstickland]

Glorious day in Sherborne. Dreaming of canvas, tin and timber. #BlackShed (at Sherborne)

[paulstickland]

Scrumptious sunkissed rananculii from Fiona @electricdaisyflowerfarm. Heading to @vinnieseatery in Cheltenham. #flowersfromthefarm #ranunculus #grownnotflown #pink (at Bradford on Avon)

[paulstickland]

At the very wonderful @arvensisperennials wholesale nursery, what a feast of delights! All the favourite plants in all the finest varieties and so beautifully grown. Total polytunnel and propagation unit envy. Hands firmly in pockets today but massive mental list in place. #nursery #perennials #plantsman #plants #plantporn (at Bradford on Avon)

[paulstickland]

Propagation central at the germination station. I covered the bench with limestone tiles over heating pads, giving me a wonderful warm slab under the T5 lights. Fantastic germination of pretty much everything apart from delphiniums. #flowersfromthefarm #sownnotflown #grownnotflown #propagation #seeds #seedlings #soilblocks #soilblockers #propagating #propagator #germination

[paulstickland]

Now we're cooking! New 4ft T5 daylight 8 tube fitting just arrived. Seedlings looking happy! Lovely and warm on top too... #BlackShed #propagating #seeds #seedlings #sownnotflown #grownnotflown #flowersfromthefarm (at Sherborne)