There’s only one thing that can make a summer stroll in the Kentish countryside even more picturesque, and that’s rows upon rows of beautiful flowers.

Now, in mid-June, is the perfect time to start finding lavender, one of England’s most distinctive summer flowers, growing in fields all over the country.

There are some great spots to discover this sweet-smelling plant right here in Kent, including one of the nation’s most recommended lavender fields.

Castle Farm in Sevenoaks starts to bloom towards the end of the month and creates a sprawling landscape of light purple that attracts visitors from all over the county and beyond.

The working family farm hosts a number of lavender-themed events during the summer, including guided tours that take you through the fields and show you how the flowers are harvested and the oil extracted to create lavender products.

You can also book yourself an afternoon picnic in the heart of 60,000 lavender plants. Visitors pay an entry fee and are then free to wander the 10-acre field and find a spot to enjoy their bring-your-own picnic lunch.

There are also lavender field walks and wreath-making workshops.

You can’t pick your own lavender from the fields, but there are plenty of homegrown products, such as essential oils, dried flowers, lotions, loose leaf tea and, of course, bunches of fresh lavender from the farm shop.

Beck Evans Farm in Sidcup, which often hosts seasonal experiences for Easter and Christmas, is another great place to visit if you want to capture stunning views of this perennial plant.

If you take a trip to the farm during the summer months, you can wander through the fields and snap some very Instagrammable selfies surrounded by a floor of purple.

You can also book a relaxing lavender massage and soak up the benefits of this medicinal flower.

If you’re visiting with the family, there’s also an indoor children’s play area, snack kiosk and restaurant.

Kent isn’t only home to lavender during the summer as, in just a few weeks’ time, the sun will start producing plenty of towering sunflowers.

The vivid yellow flower can be spotted at several locations across the county and, while many places are still waiting until we’re fully settled into summer before announcing their dates for sunflower season, there are a few places that are expected to return this year.

Meopham PYO, which runs at Broomfield Fruit Farm near Gravesend, is a working farm that allows visitors to stop by and pick their own strawberries, apples, pumpkins and sunflowers.

It’s all seasonal, so you’ll need to contact the farm to find out what’s growing there at the time of your visit.

Maze Moon, which usually opens for pumpkin picking in the autumn and once the school holidays start in July, is another sunflower field that we hope will return this year.

The maize mazes, which can be found in Rainham and Maidstone, welcome visitors of all ages to pick up a maze map and follow the twists and turns to reach the end.

As well as the mazes, the large sunflower fields also open to the public once they’re in full bloom and, last year, visitors were allowed to pick their own plants to take home.

The fields are currently closed for the season, but keep an eye on the website and social media pages to find out when booking opens for this year.