A welcome spring sight

Walking around the garden in very stormy weather today I had a pleasant surprise when I saw  this rhododendron, McCabe, a native of Assam in northeast India had started to flower.  This first cluster opened overnight.
 
 
We bought this plant over ten years ago as a small specimen from a nursery up north and for the first five years it never flowered. We had despaired of it ever flowering then a friend suggested moving it to a different location away from its dry and sunny spot to a sheltered wooded area of the garden and sure enough it started to bloom.
 
 
Usually I stay clear of Scottish politics but I couldn’t resist this.  Go to extra.