Countryfile Summer Diaries

Summer is boom time in the countryside and on our coast. It's a season when temperatures rise and the days lengthen. A crucial time when every living thing must make the most of the sunshine. Every day this week, John Craven and the Countryfile Summer Diaries team - Keeley Donovan, Jules Hudson and Margherita Taylor - unveil the stories behind this extraordinary season. As summer season gets underway, many of us head to the coast to cool off, but the unpredictability of the cold water combined with strong currents can prove fatal. Keeley investigates what we should do if we get caught in a rip current. Jules finds out why our seagulls are heading into town for an urban free lunch. From a top-secret location, Margherita reports on a summer crop that's being grown for pain relief. And each day Paul Martin will be breathing new life into his Victorian smallholding in Wiltshire. His summer diary starts with his fruit trees.

Every day this week, John Craven and the Countryfile Summer Diaries team - Keeley Donovan, Jules Hudson and Margherita Taylor - search the British Isles for summer treats. Today, Jules finds out how changing our shower gel could help save our seas and protect our marine wildlife. Keeley reports on the summer battle between fruit farmer and Mother Nature. The arrival of elderflower is a sure sign that summer is here. Margherita joins the pickers bringing in this year's harvest. And in Wiltshire, Paul Martin provides top tips on combatting pests on his allotment.

Countryfile Summer Diaries marks the arrival of summertime across the British Isles with a celebration and exploration of our seasonal foods and produce. John Craven is joined by the team - Jules Hudson, Keeley Donovan and Margherita Taylor - to report the key stories from the world of food and farming that are shaping the course of the season this year. From a secret location, Margherita is on the trail of an exclusive and rather elusive food that is worth its weight in gold. Jules is finding out whether eating ice cream at this time of the year could actually be good for your health. Nearly half the population in the UK has low levels of vitamin D, so Keeley asks if a drop of sunshine could be the answer. And rookie smallholder Paul Martin provides tips on how to create charcoal for a summer barbecue.

The Countryfile Summer Diaries team continues to explore the wonders of summertime. John Craven is joined by Jules Hudson, Keeley Donovan and Margherita Taylor, who have been scouring the British Isles for tales of survival, celebration and seasonal inspiration. Find out if it is possible to farm lobster to safeguard wild stocks, and how climbers are helping to protect a rare upland bird. Plus, why wildflower meadows are in danger of becoming 'McMeadows' and what we can all do to stop this new phenomenon. And there are tips on how to keep quails from fledgling smallholder Paul Martin.

The Countryfile Summer Diaries team celebrates the remarkable stories of summer for the last time this year. John Craven is joined by Keeley Donovan, Margherita Taylor and Paul Martin as they file their final reports of the season. As we look forward to autumn, Keeley joins the pea squad to bring in our most popular vegetable. Margherita finds out why a bunch of women is putting the bloom back in to Britain, whilst Paul cracks how to cash in on keeping quails.