Hemp agrimony's conspicuous flower at this time of year that can be seen along damp woodland paths and beside water. It is a tall plant (over 1 m) with large pink flowerheads made up of many tiny florets and with spear-shaped leaves all up the stalk. It is very attractive to butterflies. Hemp agrimonyhas medicinal uses and its Latin name Eupatorium cannbiniumis partly named after an ancient ruler from NE Asia Minor named Mithradates VI Eupator. He was a skilled herbalist and discovered the medicinal uses for this plant. It was used as a purge, a cure for dropsy and jaundice and could be applied direct as a poultice as it had wound-healing properties.

Around the lanes and hedges of Carmarthenshire one of the most noticeable birds at the moment are goldfinches Carduelis carduelis, often seen perching on overhead lines making their tinkling call. Flying off when disturbed, the gold bar on their wings is a conspicuous give away. A flock of goldfinches is called a 'charm' and it certainly is a treat to watch them gathering to feed on the thistle flowers as they turn to seed, plucking the seeds from the downy tops. They have specially adapted long pointed beaks that makes an easy job of this. In fact their name is partly derived from the Latin for thistle carduus. Planting a teasel plant in your garden will help encourage these attractive birds. Some of the birds you will see are resident all year round but some are summer visitors returning to Spain and France during the winter.