Tough beauty

This japonica lives in the bottom of my garden, behind the dramatically silver birch tree. We found it in the garden when we bought the house 42 years ago, when it seemed much as it does now. All winter it collects random pieces of rubbish blown in on the wind, presumably because they become impaled on its spiky stems. I don't pay it much attention, largely because of these factors, so I was delighted today to find that it has, despite my neglect, flowered rather abundantly - abundantly enough to attract my attention as I went up the path.

People who follow my blips closely may have realised I don't spend much time in my garden, preferring to roam the glens or wander in the more splendid surroundings of Benmore Gardens. However, when something does indeed grow I'm inclined to celebrate it: hence this photo of the triumphant survivor. (Apparently its more accurate name is Chaenomeles - who knew?) I wonder if the increased density of flowers means that there might be more than one fruit on it in the autumn?

And for good measure, I'm adding an extra of the Pieris that I planted some years ago, simply because it too has continued to thrive in a subtle sort of way.  

Tomorrow I'm off to sing in Perthshire. Perhaps there will be photos ...