Hydrangea aspera

This is a species hydrangea, and one of my favourite things in the garden. It is quite large - I cut it back hard every second year - it's a bit over three metres tall this year, and as you can see, it's just starting to flower, the green tight buds, colouring pink and then opening to a soft, yet vivid mauve. It has the odd open bloom on the perimeter, like a lacecap, but with not as many, and looking rather like small white butterflies.

There's nothing much else happening in the garden now except for those windflower thugs, so it is all the more welcome for it's subtle and lovely autumn blooms.