Pieris formosa

A beautiful morning with sun and no wind, and on the last day of April, the garden is beginning to look as if it's recovering from a long cold spring.
This pieris is grown in a large pot in a sheltered corner between the back door and the conservatory. In the garden it is capable of reaching 3M but in the pot it retains its compact growth.

What you see here is the bright red leaf growth in spring which fades to salmon-pink, then cream and finally becoming dark green. It produces white bell-shaped flowers eventually but these are not anything as spectacular as the new leaves. Also in the frame is another solar powered light. It is in shade from about 3 o'clock but usually receives enough sunlight on a reasonable day to provide a welcoming glow after dark.

I tried different settings on my new Sony Cybershot and found the 'Superior Auto' setting gave the best result in this case, but I'll continue experimenting as there's a lot I've still not got to grips with!