June Notebook - The Magical Issue
Strawberries, picnics, doors left open, suncream, Midsummer cake, fruit picking, deckchairs in the garden and more...
One of the reasons behind living more seasonally is that it allows you to notice and appreciate the beauty of every season rather than rushing through each one to get to the next. That said, some months take a little more creative thought than others… January, for example, can be a bit challenging and February tests even my ability to see the good. June, however, is almost universally loved.
It’s a magical month. In June we get to celebrate the Summer Solstice, where the sun ‘stands still’ for a moment at its highest point. We also get to celebrate the witchy magic of Midsummer’s Eve and Midsummer’s Day. And, with any luck, our days will be filled warm (but not too hot) sun washing across everything, pushing in through the windows, tricking us out of bed early and enticing us to stay outdoors late into the evening.
Photo by Oliver Hale on Unsplash
This year, after a long winter and a cold spring, June feels extra special. We’re speeding toward to the halfway point of the year (I know, I can’t believe it either) and from now on, everything will really start to pick up the pace. If May is the month that explodes with green growth, June is the month that fills in all the colour.
We are just on the cusp of the true Summer season right now with July and August still stretching out ahead of us. This is the time of year when we make the memories that we take with us into winter, so there’s every reason to get outside and soak up all the sunshine and colour whenever possible. Here are a few of my favourite things to do, see, eat and enjoy this month:
Things to love about June
The long, light evenings building up to the Solstice
The boundary between indoors and out dissolving
Quiet sunny mornings
Bright sunlight filtering through linen curtains
Walking barefoot in the garden
Fresh Strawberries
Long grass
The smell of roses and lavender in the hot sun
Getting the picnic basket out of the cupboard for the first time
Paddling pools and teepees in the garden (for the kids, but also the adults…)
Image: Rowen and Wren
Things to do in June
A few little seasonal rituals to enjoy at this time of year.
Cut garden flowers and herbs to make Midsummer posies for indoors
Pick strawberries at your local strawberry farm, or from the garden if you’re lucky enough
Cut herbs now to dry them for the Winter (herbs are considered to be at their most potent around the time of the Solstice)
Celebrate the witchy magic of the Summer Solstice on the 21st June (see my next newsletter for all thing Summer Solstice)
Get the garden deckchairs and picnic blankets out
Eat as many meals as possible in the garden
Flavour of the month
Strawberries are at their peak in June and I’ve yet to meet anyone who doesn't like the taste of a freshly-picked strawberry (if I did I’m not sure I’d trust them) so they are the obvious flavour of the month. Eating them straight from the garden is usually the best way to enjoy them, as my two year old will tell you. They rarely make it indoors in our house; if the birds don’t get them first, little hands will make quick work of them.
If you happen to have enough left over to use them in a dish, then a Midsummer strawberry cake is an excellent idea. A traditional element of Scandinavian Midsummer celebrations, this is a simple sponge cake covered in fresh cream and seasonal strawberries. It tastes like Summer on a plate and it’s fairly straightforward to make. It would be the perfect centrepiece for a Midsummer party. Here’s a recipe to try.
And of course, this is also strawberry jam-making season, so if I manage to get to my local pick-your-own strawberry patch this year, I’m going to try and make some jam to keep in the cupboard so I can open it in the winter months and enjoy a little taste of bottled summer. I grew up watching my mum do this but haven’t ever tried it myself. Wish me luck.
Flower of the month
Roses are the birth flower for June and they are at their beautiful best right now. They are said to symbolise love, beauty and friendship.
I bought a pale-pink rambling rose from David Austin a few years ago and now they send me their handbook of roses in the post every year. In this digital age, there’s something so soothing and restful about leafing through this beautiful little book of English roses (leafing! see what I did there). You can sign up for a free copy on their website if you also like that sort of thing.
Read or Listen of the month
If you want to lose yourself in a bit of Midsummer magic then June’s read has got to be a Midsummer Night’s Dream hasn’t it. And if you want to dip into the history of the Summer Solstice this month, then this podcast by English Heritage is a really good listen.
Also keep an eye out for my Solstice newsletter which will be appearing like magic in your inbox in a couple of weeks time. It’ll be filled with folklore, history and ideas on how to celebrate the Solstice at home. Subscribe for free now to ensure you get your copy.
I hope you enjoyed reading this and have a wonderful June!
Vicky xx
Seasonal living is a way of appreciating and enjoying every single moment in the year - these monthly notebook posts aim to bring a little of that seasonal magic into your inbox. In addition to these I also send out eight seasonal newsletters at the time of the Solstices, Equinoxes and on the four ancient Celtic seasonal festivals. I hope you enjoy them and please do chip in with your own seasonal ideas / suggestions in the Comments section at the end of the post.
Breakfast in the small back garden for us whilst listening to the birdsong all ariynd