June in the country
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DAWN SENTRY
Somerset’s Glastonbury Tor is silhouetted against the rising sun as mist drifts below. Seen from Walton Hill, the scene captures the mystical allure of the site, which has ancient links to Celtic mythology, particularly the legend of King Arthur, and remains a focal point of summer solstice celebrations. Jutting atop the Tor is a roofless stone tower; all that remains of 14th-century Church of St Michael.
SLEEPING BEAUTY
Renowned for its roses, Sissinghurst Castle Garden is the legacy of writer Vita Sackville-West and her husband, diplomat Harold Nicolson, who saved the Elizabethan property from ruin. Following Vita’s death, 60 years ago this June, the garden was given to the National Trust and remains one of its most-visited properties.
NIGHT CROSSING
Fans of hazelnuts, berries and insects, the hazel dormouse is rarely seen due to being both nocturnal and scarce. To boost its numbers, the People’s Trust for Endangered Species is opening a dormouse bridge over a railway between Cumbria and Lancashire, linking a population reintroduced last year with one due to be released this June.
CHEQUERED HISTORY
Restricted to damp grasslands in western Scotland, the small, pretty and fast-flying chequered skipper butterfly died out in England in 1976. This year, enthusiasts can see the rare butterfly in Fineshade Wood in Northamptonshire, thanks to Butterfly Conservation’s work. Catch our podcast: countryfile. com/podcast/butterfly-forest
TREE LOVE
This relaxed shot of Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh in Balmoral in 1972, their silver wedding anniversary year, reveals the delight the pair took in the great outdoors. To honour this love of nature, the Woodland Trust is inviting landowners and people to ‘Plant a Tree for the Jubilee’ in order to establish dozens of 70-acre woods nationwide to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
Nature news
Peak District birds soaring
Moorland bird populations in the Peak District are rising, shows new research, with waders such as lapwings (pictured), golden plovers, curlews and snipe doing particularly well. Data from the past 16 years, gathered by conservation partners, including the Moorland Association, National Trust and RSPB, revealed that of 37 species surveyed in both 2004/5 and 2018, 25 species increased in number, and 19 significantly so. Curlew numbers have risen by 36.7%, while golden plovers have experienced an increase of 23%. Conservation efforts, including the creation of a mosaic of vegetation and targeted predator control, have played a key role in boosting the bird population.
Top four…
SUMMER ART EXHIBITIONS
Immerse yourself in the works and lives of some of Britain’s most influential rural artists this summer
RADICAL LANDSCAPES
Tate Liverpool,
until 4 September
This major exhibition looks at a century of British landscape art through the themes of trespass, land use and the climate crisis. A must-see, with over 150 paintings, sculptures, photographs and films.
A LIFE OF HIS OWN: SIR ALFRED MUNNINGS
National Horse Racing Museum, Suffolk,
until 12 June
See the works of one of Britain’s finest horse painters, from Munnings’ early years to his election as president of the Royal Academy of Arts in 1944.
CATTERLINE: JOAN EARDLEY
Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh,
until 21 August 100 years since Eardley’s birth, this exhibition focuses on her expressive landscapes produced in Catterline, where she lived in the 1950s.
PAINTING BETWEEN THE TIDES: WALTER LANGLEY
Penlee House Gallery and Museum, Cornwall,
until 1 October Penlee commemorates the centenary of Langley’s death with more than 60 watercolours and oils capturing the lives of fishing communities.
On the plot
Jobs for the garden with Rekha Mistry
Summer is just around the corner, and when it comes it will be such a colourful sight to behold. The fruit tree blossom may be fading but I notice nuggets of fruit forming. Already there’s the joyous scent of sweetpeas sweeping into the warm air. A close inspection around the strawberry plants: long red conical fruits delight my eyes. I’ve just pulled my first bunch of radishes, too.
The plot is ready to burst with promised harvests.
The wigwams are filling up with vines, weaving in and out with glistening green growth. But what else do I notice? Racemes of flowers. In a week or two there will be beans to harvest.
Speaking of blooms, my outdoor tomato plants have developed flower trusses. Best I start a weekly highpotash plant-feed regime for both beans and tomatoes (I use liquid seaweed). I look across to the potato beds and see a two-in-one job to attend to: harvest the first earlies and earth up my main crop plants.
Nothing speaks happy harvests as much as holding own-grown spuds!
Potato salad anyone?
Unlike apple trees pruned in winter, the espalier varieties will need pruning now. This month, I also have a chance to propogate new herb plants, so I’ll take cuttings from my woody herbs, such as rosemary and thyme.
Rekha Mistry is a garden writer and recipe developer. Discover more kitchen-garden inspiration at rekhagardenkitchen.com
Fabulous gifts for Father’s Day…
Celebrate Father’s Day, 19 June
TICKET TO THE MOON HAMMOCKS
Treat your dad to a night under the stars with a technical, lightweight travel hammock.
Lightest (£79.95), Lightest Pro (£139.95) or Original Pro (£129.95), ticketothemoon.com
THE WEE MIDGIE CANDLE
Vegan, pet-friendly and subtly scented, this insect-repelling candle is the perfect pocket gift for a camping and caravanning father.
£6.99, dekassa.com
COSY COTTAGE SOAPS
Choose from a selection of Father’s Day gifts, including this pampering Gardeners’ Delight Gift Box.
£27.50, cosycottagesoap.co.uk
THE PLANT A TREE FOR THE JUBILEE KIT
A creative, planet-friendly gift to enjoy with your dad. Sow native-tree seeds and learn how to identify some of the UK’s best-loved tree species.
£24.50, thedenkitco.com
Countryfile on TV
BBC One, 5 June
Matt Baker and Ellie Harrison discover the unique history of tiny Flat Holm island, an SSSI just four miles off the coast of Cardiff. Matt meets ecologist Tim Orrell to learn of the island’s first Saxon settlers and later Viking invasions, then visits the site of a 19th-century cholera hospital, and a Second World War military outpost. The island also witnessed the birth of broadcasting, when inventor Guglielmo Marconi sent the first wireless telegram from Flat Holm in 1898. Ellie then dons a hard hat to join the sometimes-perilous annual survey of nesting gulls on the island.
Sensational summer shows
Celebrate the arrival of summer with a classic country show
9–11 JUNE
ROYAL CORNWALL SHOW
After a two-year absence, Cornwall’s biggest agricultural show returns to the riverside town of Wadebridge this year with a jam-packed schedule. Meet the producers of the county’s finest food and drink, wander among gorgeous floral displays at the flower show, and learn all about Cornwall’s rural heritage, arts and crafts. Be sure to pay us a visit at the BBC Countryfile Magazine stand, where you can meet the team, find out how the magazine is put together, and tell us what you would like to see in future issues.
22–23 JUNE
LINCOLNSHIRE SHOW
Fly pasts from classic aviation aircraft, showjumping, BMX displays and amazing agricultural machinery are among the many spectacles set to feature at the Lincoln Showground this year. To mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, the country show will be adorning the site with royal purple bunting. lincolnshireshow.co.uk
23–26 JUNE
ROYAL HIGHLAND SHOW
The parading belted Galloways, Highlands and Belgian blues are a real highlight at the Royal Highland Show in Edinburgh. Marvel at these beautiful cattle breeds before making the most of the rest of the show. Don’t miss the sheepshearers, horse-shoers and poleclimbers. royalhighlandshow.org
GET INVOLVED
Park Protector Awards 2022
BBC Countryfile Magazine has once again teamed up with Campaign for National Parks to recognise and reward the people working to protect national parks in England and Wales.
This year’s ‘People, Nature and Climate’ Park Protector Awards are now open for nominations and will close on 18 June 2022. The winners will be revealed at an award ceremony in the Houses of Parliament in July.
The categories are: Park Protector Award; People’s Choice Volunteer of the Year; plus a new ‘New Perspectives’ award, which recognises work that amplifies the voices and needs of those groups that are less heard. The winners of the main and New Perspective awards will receive £1,000 each, while the volunteer of the year winner will receive a £500 Original Cottages voucher.
Campaign for National Parks chief executive Rose O’Neill says “More people than ever are turning to national parks to boost their wellbeing, while the landscape depends on us to keep it healthy.
Park protectors ensure the landscape is cared for, and more people can enjoy national parks sustainably.” To nominate, visit cnp.org.uk/park-protector-award
A taste of June
STRAWBERRY, LEMON CURD, MASCARPONE & PEPPER SANDWICHES
June is synonymous with strawberries, making it the perfect time to create these dainty little sandwiches for a summer picnic. Put them together as neatly as you can, taking care to spread the mascarpone and lemon curd in an even layer, right to the ends of the bread, then slicing the strawberries thinly so they can be arranged precisely, before cutting the crusts off, of course – the perfect mouthful. A tiny smattering of black pepper complements the sharp lemon, juicy strawberries and creamy curd.
INGREDIENTS
• 150g mascarpone
• 1 tbsp icing sugar
• 8 slices white bread
• 80g lemon curd
• 1 punnet of strawberries, stemmed and thinly sliced
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
METHOD
1. Mix the mascarpone and icing sugar in a bowl.
2. Take half the white bread slices and spread them with mascarpone. Spread the other half with lemon curd.
3. Arrange the sliced strawberries neatly on the mascarpone-spread bread then top with the curd-spread bread.
4. Cut the crusts off, then slice the sandwiches into neat triangles. Eat immediately.
Claire Thomson is a chef and food writer who is almost always in the kitchen. Discover more seasonal recipe ideas at 5oclockapron.com
Plant a tree for the Jubilee…
The Queen’s Green Canopy is a unique treeplanting initiative created to mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022. Whether you’re part of a Scouts or Girlguiding group, a village, town or a school, the message is the same: plant sustainably. Tree planting begins again in October, so it’s time to get planning. Find out more at queensgreencanopy.org