Gardeners Crafting Diary of Wonderment June 2026
- Cat's Punky Stuff
- Jun 30
- 6 min read
As I sit and write my introduction to June, the warm air is scented with roses, honeysuckle and sweet peas as butterflies land on me and the robin pops by to ask for treats. We finally have a few days of summer weather to be enjoyed, sitting under dappled shade whilst reading a good book. Summer is finally here – well, for a few days! June is my month off from crafting and creativity, where instead I maintain and potter around the garden, studying colour palettes and plant construction, which will become new card ideas once I start crafting again. I have continued to live like it is the 1950s by not spending any unnecessary money, baking my own treats, cooking from scratch, making more syrups and harvesting giant strawberries. It has been a great month, albeit a bit grey and very windy.
1st JUNE
Summer is sort of here!
June is a fabulous month, as my handfasting certificates are selected for such important duties. This hare drawing came together so naturally on the back of my matching handfasting cards and the end result far exceeded what I hoped for. I had researched handfasting certificates before drawing, noticing how frightfully dull so many of them were and I didn't like the fact most of them had a standard 'two witness' option so mine have a 1, 2 or 3 witness choice. The colours are taken from my handfasting cards and they complement each other beautifully. Here is the latest June review for this certificate:
From the get-go, I have had great communication from the seller, volunteered by herself informing me of every step of its packaging and delivery. It was received in a beautiful ribbon and totally flat ready for the handfasting day, which is this month. It is absolutely lovely and the care given from the seller is awesome.'
4th JUNE
Moo-moons galore
When my boy was little, he used to call mushrooms 'moo-moons' and because it was so cute, 32 years later, it has stuck! When I was mooching about in the garden on a photographic hunt, I came across these fabulous moo-moons. It is rare I get a good moo-moon photo, as I don't carry my phone around with me, but instead purposely go out to just take photographs. This picture is unedited, but the grey, low light of early June made them look metallic. I love this photo.
10th JUNE
Sweetest Peas
I have been an avid sweet pea grower for over 35 years and for the last 6 years I have gradually created my own colour palettes, one of soft pastels and the other deep, rich, Venetian colours. I allow them to grow together, but when I pick them, I separate them into two moods. My newest acquired colours are variegated pink and purple. The funniest thing is I had forgotten what my new colours were, so it was a magical surprise to create these wonderful bunches of peas. They have all been chosen for a strong scent, both to
perfume the house and as a contribution to the ambient atmosphere of the garden. Sweet peas germinate so easily; I usually sow mine direct in October and in long root trainers in November in the greenhouse. Pinch out for bushier plants
14th JUNE
Puzzled Bunny
We had thought that as Stella was an older lady now, she wouldn't be able to still jump up onto the kitchen table from the sofa. But as you can see from her shocked face of 'Oh no, I've been caught', she was as surprised as we were. We have been doing jigsaws on the table as part of our simple living plan and enjoy hand-painted-image jigsaws over photographic ones. They are cheap to purchase from charity shops and we have worked out that wealthy areas like Stamford and Woodhall Spa have a wider range of art
gallery puzzles. I have always enjoyed doing jigsaws from a very young age and find they are great for a different form of focused attention. If you think puzzles are nerdy, give one a go on the quiet, you might quite like it!
18th JUNE
No-go Macro
It has been windy for as long as I can remember, which is a nightmare if you need flowers to stand still for close-up photography. It was great during tulip time, but since mid-May the wind has been constant. I took a trip out to the garden centre for a change of scenery and a wander to ponder my own garden betterment, when I saw this thistle. It was stunning and I got a great macro photo showing all of its detail. I keep discoveries like these for when I need garden inspiration or whimsical drawing ideas.
20th JUNE
No-mow to watch the grass grow
We are gradually reducing the amount of grass we have by hand-making stone cobble paths and laying stone pathways. One patch of grass is to remain, which is purely for wildlife. It is full of clovers and moss and the odd meadow flower and although I don't mow very often, I do keep an uncut spiral guarded by our little pheasant ornament. It has just been cut here, as all the dandelion and clover flowers have faded. I do sometimes trim the grass heads once they have shed their seeds and this four-year-old spiral is buzzing with visitors and residents. Keeping dishes of fresh water complete this little wildlife haven, devoid of noise, kiddies or pets.
21st JUNE
Solstice Blessings
This card has done so well this year, surprisingly mainly to America, despite the extra recent political tariffs. It has a sweet story about its creation. A lady, funnily enough, from America contacted me, asking if I had a summer solstice card. I did have this sunflower design drawn up, which the lady loved and so we collaborated to create this unique solstice card. I really like the sunflower, sun, moon and star references it features and judging by its popularity, it embraces the season perfectly. I chose the heady scent of
cypress to scent it, helping to conjure the warmth of long summer nights. The card is shown with a pagan moon wax seal as an optional extra for special occasions.
23rd JUNE
Art Nouveau shadow
Whilst I was basking in the rare warm sunshine we recently had, I noticed the shadow on the floor, which was a combination of my cottage garden flowers and our metal patio table. It was a perfect representation of what the Art Nouveau style was all about. The straight-line symmetry of the table legs and the chaos of the vegetation created a wonderful reminder of where and how new styles are formed. Imagine noticing this for the first time 130 years ago and all the great design and illustration that followed.
24th JUNE
It's easy to grow Art Nouveau
After noticing the Art Nouveau shadow, I became immersed and fascinated as I saw Nouveau inspiration everywhere. I saw William Morris soft furnishings in the honeysuckles, strawberries and this fabulous peony, which so clearly shows where the floral lines came from. I only noticed the delicate folds of these peony petals whilst hunting for macro photos and luckily the sun was at just the right angle and strength to create wonderful, ever-deepening pinks.
26th JUNE
Homemade hedgerow drink
At the start of the month I had been foraging in the fen hedgerows for elder as I planned to make elderflower syrup. I love squash mixed with fizzy water, but the amount of rubbish that is added to shop-bought is terrifying. Although I didn't have much success making a nice lilac syrup last month, my elderflower has turned out quite nice. It was therapeutic both harvesting and trimming the flowers on a warm sunny morning and wonderful to enjoy a homemade, chemical-free fizzy elderflower drink, chilled with frozen
raspberries or strawberries, on a wonderfully hot June afternoon.
29th JUNE
Strawberry fields for what seems like forever
It's a sad day at the end of June, as the strawberries have finally come to an end. I made a new strawberry patch last autumn with fertilised soil and new plants filled with three different varieties, giving me nearly 6 weeks of strawberries. We have eaten them non-stop, straight from the plant, warm, fresh and juicy, in bowls with meringue and cream and in our morning juices, plus I have about 16 kg in the freezer. A wonderful end to a month that truly was full of wonderment and surprises!
You have been reading my Gardener's Crafting Diary of Wonderment, June 2026.
As I sit on the front porch at the farm reading your diary, I am transported to your little piece of heaven and the wonderful projects and creativity you are involved and inspired by. My heart is with you and wish I was there. Much love, always. Auntie ninteen. Xx🌷❤️