Happy New Moon in Cancer, berry abundance and St Swithin's Day

Pssst the next edition which comes out on 1 August is free! Also in this edition: download my free Bilberry ID guide

Hello lovely people,

I hope you’re doing well at this liminal time of year, as the initial burst of summer colour begins to wane and we await a new palette rich with bronzes and golds. The oxe-eye daisies in my garden are starting to lose their petals and the squash plant who snuck in amongst the courgettes is creeping her way across the lawn. As I write to you I can hear the rain on the conservatory roof and am contemplating the 5 mile bike ride I have to complete this afternoon. Summer rain typically has the patience to wait right up until the schools break for the summer holidays, however, these last 2 weeks have been a bit of an anomaly in my book. Having spent 10 years teaching outdoors, the last few weeks of term have typically been glorious, yet 2023 appears to be making an exception. You’re probably wondering why I’m being so very British by talking about the weather…well, there is a reason (I promise!). I wanted to share with you some British folklore relating to an Anglo-Saxon bishop where the weather upon his feast day (15 July) determines the weather for the following 40 days. Read on to find out more!

A cucumber flower