Blooming marvellous

MIDSUMMER is one of my favourite times of year for many reasons — the main one being that it is now elderflower time.

As blossoms come into full bloom, their heady sweet scent lures me in every year and without fail I feel inspired to share my love of these native blossoms and my elderflower recipes. Who can resist capturing the essence of summer bestowed in these magnificent creamy flat-topped sprays?

These sprays, known as umbels, contain hundreds of tiny five-petalled flowers and have more uses than any other single species of blossom, including being prized for their medicinal qualities. They stay in bloom for about three or four weeks and are extremely accessible even in towns and cities.