Flor.

An efb of the only bud to open on a small plant on the terrace.
In other news a gang of painters are attacking the flaking, mould-encrusted community walls and steps, a job estimated to take 45 working days. They have sprayed everything with bleach, blasted off the loosened paint with high-pressure hoses, and started painting (with very cheap paint, I notice). The spruce-up is expected to last for 5 years, but having used that brand of paint in the studio, I could only vouch for it for a few weeks. Now all the gardens are covered in chemical-smelling flakes of old paint, which may have had a loosening effect on Maxie's plumbing (don't ask), and Buster came in from his walk proudly sporting four white paws from where he'd walked over wet paint. Sigh.