Lady's Bedstraw is a British native wildflower found in meadows across the country and in Europe, but now sadly much less commonly than previously. Finely cut foliage topped by myriads of tiny golden flowers in June and July which fill the air with a honey scent. It's excellent for growing in a wildlife area in the garden and it grows happily through grass, providing an excellent food-source for bees and butterflies.

Before the advent of the modern mattress, Lady's Bedstraw was used for bedding thanks to its soft and springy quality and pleasant scent - it smells of hay when dry. The plant was once used as a substitute for rennet to curdle milk for cheese. In Gloucester it was used to colour Double Gloucester cheese and regular listeners of The Archers may remember that it was voted the County Flower of Borsetshire following a poll by Plantlife in 2002!

Its Latin name is Galium verum and other common names include Cheese Rennet, Golden Dust, Lady's Tresses, Robin Run The Hedge, Halfsmart, Maiden's Hair, Rennet Weed and Petty Mugget.