The arrival of June means the start of summer and is a month of fetes, picnics and al fresco parties where the weather should be a little bit more assured. The month is named after the Roman goddess Juno, patroness of marriage and also the well-being of women – perfect for Ruralmums! It’s an exciting month in UK gardens, when much of our soft fruit is coming into season and flowers are putting on a great display. Whether you grow your own, buy from farmshops, supermarkets or veg vans, there’s a huge array of native produce on offer.

Fruit in season

For those who are growing their own; blueberries, cherries, gooseberries and greengages are the stars of the fruit garden in June. If you have been super organised you may even have some strawberries. And, depending on how many crumbles you’ve eaten, your rhubarb patch may still be going strong. Other fruit in season includes:

Vegetables in season

For the kitchen gardener vegetables you could be harvesting may include beetroot, Potatoes, radishes, turnips and lettuce, early peas and perhaps even broccoli depending of course on your planting schedule. At this time of year there is now an extensive range of commercially grown UK crops that you should also look out for:

Foraged food

Bilberries are a huge favourite of mine, and although time consuming to pick, they are delicious. Often found in northern England and Scotland, watch out for ticks if you are picking on heathland. Depending on where you are, Elderflowers are at their best late May to June. For the more adventurous why not try making Elderflower champagne – our last batch exploded in our shed so watch out! Heady honeysuckle can be used to make refreshing sorbets, jams or jellies – but remember not to eat the berries as they are mildly toxic

Herbs

Lots of herbs are available to be harvested; chives, this seasons coriander and basil (if indoors), parsley, sage, thyme and of course bay.