June

June has blasted into our lives with heat and sunshine - I missed it during May. The greens and whites I’d been looking forward to were delayed, but now there’s an abundance of lush growth. I drove south through the Peak District last week to London. All the way down the roads were lined with hawthorn and cow parsley - even the M40! It certainly made the journey easier on the eye.

Juno

June is named after Juno, Roman Goddess and protector of women. She was said to watch over the women of Rome, like a female guardian angel for women’s wellbeing. Apparently, she watched over marriage and childbirth too. Lots of weddings do take place in June so maybe that’s why this summer month is named after her. June is also Pride Month. It’s good to know we’ve moved on from a month of traditional marriage to a more liberated and embracing celebration of love.

The cold, wet month of May still brought us a wealth of golden dandelions, candyfloss tree blossom, bluebell-carpeted woodlands and wafts of wild garlic filling our nostrils! I stuck to the #nomowmay campaign and let the grass grow so the bees and other insects could find food. At that time of year the bees are out of hibernation but flowers are not abundant. I’m happy with a ‘lawn’ which is mostly dandelions - it’s much prettier, and knowing I’m doing something positive for wildlife makes me feel positive too.

Spring food for bumblebees

For a while in early spring, whilst I was in shock at the loss of Kev, I thought nature was cruel. How could plants continue to grow? I really didn’t want the buds on the trees to open or the birds to start nesting. It all happened anyway of course, despite my feelings. The circle of life continues, and it’s much bigger than one human life, however loved.

Nature and wellbeing

I’ve been learning about nature connectedness but also about physical and mental wellbeing. Several friends took part in an activity, to notice three good things in nature each day, for 7 days. Those that commented on their emotional states said that they had found the activity made them feel calmer and uplifted. It’s possible that proactively noticing good things in nature and writing them down helps to encourage more positive emotions.

Feelings of calm and happiness boost serotonin in our brains which is a mood stabiliser and helps push back negative stress-related chemicals like cortisol. By blocking cortisol or stress, we can build resilience and support our physical as well as our mental wellbeing. One of the easy things we can do to help ourselves when we feel stressed, anxious or low, is to go outside and proactively notice something good in nature- really look for it. Making a decision to do this everyday can help train our brains to produce regular, higher levels of serotonin and enhance our feelings of calm and happiness.

Buttercup meadow

In June, if you are looking, you’ll see swathes of shiny buttercups, purple spikes of foxgloves and more white flowers such as fluffy cotton grass across the tops of the moors and clusters of tiny white flowers on the rowan and elder trees.

Elderflower

Elderflower smells so beautiful – stop and have a good sniff! The elder tree has protective powers (as does the rowan) and is much loved by faeries who gather beneath the branches on Midsummer’s Eve (23rd June) when the Faery King and Queen pass by. People planted elder trees by their doors to keep away evil spirits. The leaves are said to be repellent to flies and so bunches were hung in barns, doorways, kitchens and even on horses’ harnesses. If you don’t have a mask for your horse this summer, try sticking a few leaves under its bridle. And don’t forget to look for the faeries! You never know, it may all be true…

A cluster of tiny white elderflowers (credit: herbteasonline)

Over the last few months, knowing that noticing nature will help me through the day has really made a difference. Of course, it doesn’t take grief away but it’s one of the things I do to help myself and look after my wellbeing. A Roman goddess guardian angel and a tree with protective powers feel like a good thing too. It’s reassuring to know Juno and the elder trees are there as a back-up.

References:

Rene Barrett, Reflect, Revive, Refresh, YouTube

Woodland Trust

Trees for Life

Britannica

1 comment

Katie Cadman

June 11, 2021 at 11:30 pm

Love this Helen! Being out in the fresh air and surrounded by nature does you a world of good and definitely helps me through tough times xx