Deutzia

It's a funny old game, this gardening lark.

I planted this Deutzia x kalmiiflora back in 2001. In the intervening years it has grown, quite slowly, to a medium-sized shrub - but it has always looked scrubby and unimpressive, even when flowering. But now, suddenly, it's glorious. Not only are the flowers very pretty, but the buds are a quite unusual shade of pink, and it's laden with them.

I don't believe that I've treated it any differently in the last twelve months, and in trying to think what might have changed in its life, the only thing I can come up with is that we removed a large honeysuckle last summer - it wasn't adjacent, but was quite close, and it may have been taking water and nutrients from the Deutzia. 

Whatever the reason, I'm quite charmed by it, and I hope you like it too.

Shot with a 13mm extension tube on the 85mm lens, for WalkingWombat's challenge May Macro Mayhem.