The_Simple_Things_June_2025

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Taking time to live well

June

S OA R

Just-picked salads & rose petal cream • Why we love radio • How to snorkel Make it a could-do week • Fairy story foxgloves • Scrappy-do projects Garden hideaways • Lavender lemonade & almond pressé • Beavers are back!

A lovely arrangement

SPEND A SLOW SUMMER DAY GATHERING YOUR OWN BOUQUET FROM A FLOWER FIELD, THEN UNWIND WITH FRIENDS OVER A LAID-BACK PICNIC SURROUNDED BY BLOOMS Recipes & styling: KAY PRESTNEY Photography: REBECCA LEWIS

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GATHERING

T Hello petal: find a spot surrounded by blooms and let their scent and colour add a little extra magic to your summer picnic

he sun is shining, bees drift lazily from plant to plant, petals flutter in a gentle breeze, and the air is rich with the scent of flowers.

A garden full of flowers is a beautiful thing, but fields packed with a rainbow of blooms is something very special indeed. Throughout the UK, there are flower fields where you can pick your own bouquet or simply immerse yourself in summer flora.

Bring secateurs and a basket and enjoy wandering, selecting stems and listening to the hum of insects.

Once your basket’s full, select a shady spot to set out a picnic, be it on a table or a blanket under a tree. Edible petals – the likes of cornflowers, pansies and roses; nasturtium and honeysuckle – can be used to top open sandwiches, or added into summer salads. Tuck into seasonal quiche and summer rolls with their crunchy fillings in paper-thin wrapping, then finish off with creamy berry crumble, and a glass of lavender lemonade.

There’s no better way to savour a summer’s day than by surrounding yourself with flowers. Afterwards, head home to try out your floristry skills – you can relive the memories, and admire your handiwork, for days to come. » 7

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MY ISLAND

LO F OT E N SOARING MOUNTAINS, CLEAR WATERS AND 24-HOUR DAYLIGHT, THE LOFOTEN ARCHIPELAGO IN NORWAY IS AN OUTDOORSY PARADISE

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MY ISLAND

There’s no better way to get to the heart of a place than through the people who live there. We asked blogger Vanita Safaniuk (vanisafaniuk.com; @vanitaiuk) to take us on a tour of the Lofoten islands in northern Norway. You may feel inspired to visit one day, but for now enjoy some armchair travel.

How long have you lived on the islands?

It’s been five years now – time flies!

What brought you here and where are you from?

I was born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina, but ten years ago, I decided to backpack solo around the world. Little by little, I ticked off my bucket list, and one of them was seeing the northern lights. I saw a hotel in the Lofoten Island was looking for help, so I applied and got the job. When I arrived I was greeted by a storm, but a few hours later the sky cleared revealing strong northern lights – a welcome I’ll never forget.

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Tell us what makes your islands unique

Lofoten is made up of seven main islands and dozens of smaller ones, in a 70-mile long archipelago. The landscapes look like something from a fairy tale.

Towering, sharp-peaked mountains rise directly from the sea, creating almost surreal scenery that changes dramatically with the seasons and the ever-shifting weather. One moment, there’s a snowstorm, then sunshine, a rainbow, and heavy snowfall again. And then there’s the wildlife, from majestic sea eagles to whales and orcas swimming just metres from your home.

WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHY: VANITA SAFANIUK. ADDITIONAL IMAGERY: GETTY

What’s it like in June?

Simply magical. From mid-May to late July, the sun never sets, which means endless daylight and enjoying the outdoors at all hours. The landscape transforms in summer, bursting into vibrant colours almost overnight.

The mountains turn deep green and pink wildflowers bloom everywhere. It’s also the season for foraging blueberries, taking midnight hikes, swimming in the lakes and embracing the Arctic summer. But don’t be fooled, Lofoten’s weather is still unpredictable.

What time of day do you most enjoy and why?

Midnight, in summer. The midnight sun casts a soft golden light, just right for walking and capturing incredible photos. During the day, popular spots can get crowded. But late at night, the world slows down – the hiking trails are quiet, and there’s a peaceful silence. Climbing to the peak of Nordfjellet is a favourite.

It’s challenging, but the views are just breathtaking.

What outdoor sports are popular?

The mountains are a huge draw for climbers and for bouldering – particularly around the fishing village of Henningsvær. And the archipelago is a world-class surf »

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Opposite: 1 With 24 hours of daylight during summer, the ‘golden hour’ can last much longer than 60 minutes. This page: 2 However, even in summer, the weather can be changeable, so you may be treated to a midnight rainbow instead. 3 In the pink on Gimsøya beach.

4 Let’s roll! Cinnamon buns to satisfy even the sweetest tooth.

5 Sunset over rorbuer – the traditional red fishermen cabins 5

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Kitchen therapy

TAKE IT outside

SPENDING TIME AT HOME COOKING AND BAKING CAN BE A FORM OF SELF-CARE. LOTTIE STOREY INVITES US OVER TO FEED OUR SENSES AND TO PICK A DISH OR TWO THAT BRING US PLEASURE Photography: KYM GRIMSHAW

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GOOD THINGS TO EAT AND DO

A TIME OF KNEAD The kitchen may be the last place you want to be when days are long and the air is warm. If you have some outdoor space, decamp, taking whatever you can outside while you prep. Chopping almonds for a homemade syrup can be an unhurried luxury. Forgo the food processor in favour of a sensory approach – the thump, thump, thump of the knife and the crack of the nuts is supremely satisfying. Kneading grissini dough is equally pleasing and fresh breadsticks really do trump the shop-bought kind. If you have roses growing in the garden, pluck a handful of petals to decorate the berry pavlova. Just make sure they’re unsprayed and remove the heels (the ends nearest the stem) as they can be bitter, then, scatter away. »

Hello petal! Taking time to slow down and enjoy the individual components of making something delicious to eat – especially if you can do it outdoors – can bring much satisfaction

The kitchen isn’t always a place of calm and serenity, as we race to get dinner on the table. But if we try taking things slower now and again and lean into its sensory pleasures, we benefit from its inherently calming activities. The warmth of the oven, the scent of something on the stove and the soothing acts of stirring slowly or kneading and shaping are to be savoured, if we take the time to let them ground us.

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FLOWERS IN THE HOUSE Bringing blooms indoors: it’s what every home needs

WORDS: JO MATTOCK. PHOTOGRAPHY: IMAGE PROFESSIONAL/TIA BORGSMIDT/HOUSE OF PICTURES

Foxgloves

Called maneg ellyllyn (fairy’s glove) in Wales, and tod’s tails (fox’s tails) in Scotland, foxgloves are native flowers all over the UK, growing on woodland margins, roadside verges and hedgerows. They spread seeds widely, so you may be lucky enough to have some of these purple or white towering blooms pop up in your garden. Placed in a tall vase, with plenty of water (they’re heavy drinkers), they bring some of their wild magic indoors.

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HOW USING YOUR VOICE HELPS TO CALM A BUSY MIND Words JESSICA JOHNSON

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Down UNDER

YOU’LL FIND A SENSE OF CALM AND INCREDIBLE UNDERWATER WORLDS AT UK SNORKELLING SITES, SAY THE AUTHORS OF A NEW GUIDE Words & photography: EMMA & GORDON TAYLOR

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e first took our children snorkelling on a sunny summer holiday on the Isle of Skye.

Surrounded by beautiful bays and lochs, they were ready to peek under the surface of the sea. It was fun, easy to do, and needless to say, they loved it. It also offered a peaceful and restorative activity for us all.

In finding snorkelling sites around the UK, the variety of wildlife and terrains has been incredible: you can snorkel around sea lochs, sheltered bays, tidal pools, shipwrecks, kelp forests, sandy seabeds and rocky reefs; witness sharks, seals, scorpionfish and octopus.

Snorkelling is also a wonderful way to find a sense of calm. A quieter world welcomes you as you put your face in the water. The simultaneous connection with nature and water creates a grounding experience that’s akin to pressing a reset button. And it’s open to everyone, from complete beginners to seasoned oceanic adventurers. All you need is swimwear, a pair of goggles or mask and the curiosity to safely and respectfully explore this extraordinary marine world.

In some ways, it’s actually easier than swimming, particularly if you don a pair of fins, because they allow you to move through the water with little effort.

The British coastline plays host to one of the world’s most dynamic, and biodiverse, marine habitats due to the high tidal range and strong currents. This brings warm, nutrient-rich waters from the Atlantic to the surface, promoting plankton growth and setting the foundation for a thriving marine food chain. This does mean that underwater visibility varies, dependent on weather and tides, and while marine life is abundant, it isn’t ubiquitous as on a coral reef. Snorkelling, therefore, takes a little more effort and patience than in warmer waters, but in our opinion, the challenges lead to greater rewards. Take a dip below the surface at any of these snorkelling spots and see if you agree. »

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DRAWNA ROCKS, CORNWALL

Drawna Rocks is an outcrop of Cornish granite positioned just off the wide shingle beach at Porthkerris. Visible at all states of the tide, the rocks plunge down to the shingle seabed, providing a rare opportunity to snorkel a steepwalled habitat from the shore; these walls are packed with anemones, green and red seaweeds, limpets, barnacles and sea snails. The marine life here is unending: larger crabs, spiny starfish, urchins and fish are everywhere you look – plenty of the usual reef dwellers, such as wrasse, but also small shoals of visiting bass and pollack patrolling the deeper waters. The dive shop at Porthkerris beach can provide advice on where best to snorkel, based on the conditions and your experience, and also sells snorkelling equipment.

OUTING

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RED GROUSE COMING IN TO LAND “I spent several days photographing the red grouse that frequent the Yorkshire moors.

Positioned near a male feeding on heather, I noticed a second bird flying in and captured the moment it landed.”

Ben Hall

RISE AND SHINE IN FLIGHT OR TOUCHED DOWN, THE BIRDS, MAMMALS AND INSECTS IN THESE WINNING IMAGES FROM THE BRITISH WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS MAKE OUR HEARTS SOAR

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GALLERY

PHOTOGRAPHY: BRITISH WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS

HARE IN MOTION “The artist Robert Gillmor created a beautiful linocut of a running hare, depicting the different positions a hare’s legs take as they run. I wanted to recreate this in a photo using a slow shutter speed as they moved up and down a wheat field.”

David Tipling

BUTTERFLY FACE-OFF “In spring, male speckled wood butterflies stake out a sunny patch in a woodland and will chase off any rivals.

On this occasion, a prolonged chase occurred. This image shows the instant one of the butterflies spun around to face its pursuer.”

John Waters »

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HOME TOUR

SLOW SUMMER LIVING A RENOVATION ON A TIGHT BUDGET HAS TURNED A NEGLECTED HOUSE IN NORWAY INTO A BRIGHT AND WELCOMING HOME THAT ENCOURAGES TAKING LIFE AT A GENTLER PACE Words & Photography: LIVING4MEDIA/LISE MARI STANG-JACOBSEN

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Read the room. The couple customised budget-friendly bookcases from Ikea to create something wonderfully unique – the ultimate book nook

SALAD DAYS

WHAT COULD BE NICER THAN EATING HOMEGROWN LEAVES ON A SUMMER’S DAY? IT’S NOT TOO LATE TO SOW YOUR OWN THIS YEAR Words: JO MATTOCK Recipes: JENNY LINFORD

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GROWING

Chopped!

This recipe is all about the crunch.

Thanks to the red cabbage and beetroot, it’s striking, too.

There’s still plenty of time to grow greens for your plate. Herbs thrive throughout summer. In fact, mint (below) grows so well it’s worth planting in a separate pot so that it doesn’t take over

PHOTOGRAPHY: GAP PHOTOS; HUGH JOHNSON; MMGI; PLAINPICTURE; TARA O’GRADY

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ome summer, salads are a side dish or a centrepiece of many meals – and the freshest are the ones you’ve grown yourself. While some classic salad ingredients need planting in spring – tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans – there’s still time to sow a wide variety of fast-growing edibles, and have them on the table, lightly dressed in vinaigrette, before the end of the summer. Leaves, herbs and root veg planted in the ground or in containers now will be supplying your kitchen until autumn.

Here are some ideas of easy things to get growing, and ways to serve them.

LEAFY THINGS To start, there are salad leaves. Choose a cutand-come-again variety of lettuce and you’ll only need to sow once, picking leaves off the plant as you want them without pulling up the roots. ‘Salad bowl’ is a good choice, its red and green leaves look pretty, and the plant produces leaves for a long time before ‘bolting’ (growing tall, and producing only smaller, tougher leaves). Another colourful choice for salads is Swiss chard, which can also be sown now and will give you a crop into autumn. Rocket adds a peppery touch

to a green salad, while micro greens, such as cress, mustard, amaranth and purple basil, add colour and flavour, and can be grown indoors on even the smallest windowsill all year round. Spring onions can be sown all summer, and even in early autumn – those will be ready to harvest in late winter or early spring the following year. Look to the seed packets for instructions on how deep to plant, and how far apart, and keep seedlings watered in dry or hot spells.

Serves 4–6 3 radishes, finely chopped 1 celery stalk, finely chopped ¼ red or white cabbage, finely chopped 2 gherkins, finely diced 1 mini cucumber or ¼ cucumber, diced 2 cooked beets, diced 1 spring onion, finely chopped 1 apple, finely chopped, tossed with the juice of ½ lemon For the dressing: ½ lemon, juiced 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 tsp creamed horseradish or wholegrain mustard 1 tsp thyme leaves ½ tsp sugar 1 Start by making the dressing. Place the lemon juice, olive oil, creamed horseradish or mustard, thyme leaves and sugar into a jar. Screw on the lid and shake well to combine. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.

2 Mix the salad ingredients together in a large serving bowl. Pour over the dressing and toss to coat thoroughly.

Serve immediately.

HERBS Packing a punch way above their weight in both versatility and flavour, herbs can top a salad or make one in their own right. Dill can be sown all summer – choose a variety that’s slow to bolt, or sow it every four weeks to get a continual harvest. Technically, midsummer is a bit late to sow parsley seed, » 99

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Sign up to our fortnightly e-newsletter thesimplethings.com/newsletter Taking time to live well THE SIMPLE THINGS JUNE 2025

June

Birds, bees & butterflies

S OA R

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S OA R

Just-picked salads & rose petal cream • Why we love radio • How to snorkel Make it a could-do week • Fairy story foxgloves • Scrappy-do projects Garden hideaways • Lavender lemonade & almond pressé • Beavers are back!

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14/05/2025 11:57

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IMAGE: CLARKE & CLARKE WILD STRAWBERRY WALLPAPER IN BLUSH (SANDERSONDESIGNGROUP.COM)

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