The recent rain has made this year's crop of Galium aparine lush and plentiful. Galium aparine is also known as Cleevers or "sticky weed". It grows everywhere - you probably have some in your garden.
I use the word "crop" as right up until the Second World War local villagers would collect the weed and dry it. It was then used as sort of primitive beauty aid - young girls would make a daily hot drink by steeping cleevers in boiling water for about five minutes. The drink was supposed to improve their complexion.
The annual cleevers harvest has long gone. Hardly anyone remembers it. Galium aparine is just a weed to most people.
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