The sunshine of May has given way to rain and more changeable conditions, which is only fair as we had a good long stint of hot temps and baking sunshine recently. Only a few weeks ago were getting into the fields early to avoid the scorching sun, and now thanks to the rain everything is really vibrant and growing rapidly.

The tunnels have come alive with the scent and sight of towering sweet peas, with 'Enchante' in particular filling the tunnels with their sweet perfume. The first flowers of many other crops are gleefully appearing, including our 'Apricotta' cosmos, 'Flashback Zeolights' calendula, 'Drumstick' billy buttons, and 'Smokey Eyes' larkspur.

We've pretty much planted everything out now, so the focal tasks at the moment are weeding and supporting the crops as they continue to grow. Out in the field, we've started getting our first 'Purple Magnolia' peas, the beetroot has begun flowering, and it won't be long until we bring in our first seed crops; we'll be harvesting kalettes, kizuna and swede in the coming weeks.

Now that the sweet peas are in full bloom, one of our tasks this week was to 'rogue out' any plants within the crop that are different to the variety we are producing. This ensures that the seed we produce is true to type, with all the desired characteristics we are aiming for. It also means we get to enjoy a beautiful bouquet of the flowers that we removed!

Seasonal recipe - Lemon & Elderflower Curd

June is elderflower season, and the perfect time to harvest the sweet-scented flower heads scattered across many hedgerows throughout the UK. Here's a recipe we tried this season; it will make a summer's cake even more special!

Ingredients:

5-10 elderflower heads (harvested on a sunny day)

200 g caster sugar

2 unwaxed organic lemons, juiced and zested

55 g unsalted butter

2 eggs, beaten

(Makes 2 x 250 ml jars)

Method:

• Harvest the Elderflower heads and leave to one side to allow any insects to vacate, then rinse gently in water.
• Put sugar, lemon juice, zest, and butter into a medium-sized pan.
• Place pan over a very low heat and stir until all the sugar has dissolved.
• Remove from the heat, and add the flowers face down into the pan. Steep for 5-10 minutes.
• Sieve the contents of the pan, removing the Elderflowers and squeezing them gently to release the juice.
• Place the mixture back into the pan and place over medium heat, slowly whisking in the beaten eggs.
• As the curd starts to boil it should thicken, continue to whisk for a further minute until the mixture holds on the back of a spoon.
• Pour into hot sterilised jars.
• Once cool, store in the fridge.

We are well and truly in mid summer now, so hopefully you are beginning to reap the rewards of your efforts over the last few months. There's still plenty of things you can sow in June, and it's always a good idea to sow some successions to keep your harvests going. If you're wondering what you can sow now, we have a handy list on our website - just click the link below:

I hope you have a delightful rest of the month, and keep finding time to tend to your growing space and witness how things continue to emerge and take off. It's happening!

Best wishes,

Izzy and the rest of the Vital Seeds team

P.s. We'll be launching our 'Second Spring' seed collection at the end of this month, so if you're starting to think about crops for the second half of this year, keep your eyes peeled, we've got you covered!