Fatsia

I'm totally overwhelmed by the response to yesterday's blip - thank you all so much for the stars and hearts, which resulted in it sitting in the top row of the Spotlight page for much of today. It was one of those sublime moments for a photographer when everything comes together.

Unfortunately today the weather has been pretty much the opposite - very mild, windy and with periods of heavy rain. We're having a small bonfire party tonight (if the rain holds off) so I've been busy cooking for much of the day. I spotted this Fatsia flower in an early spell of weak sunshine and nipped out to grab a photograph, which proved wise as conditions went rapidly downhill soon after.

This bush is located at the shady end of our garden, and has survived temperatures of -15C without any protection. This year the flowers are prolific, probably as a result of the very mild winter last year. It's closely related to ivy and is an excellent very late nectar source.