Last sunlight

I walked home the long way today, down through the Lower Garden where the sun still shone, rather than the straight route up the hill to the house. Because the garden is protected from the west and north by a hill, the sun disappears early unless you walk up to the viewpoint where it stays until sundown. Now I remember I was going to Blip from there today, but forgot - I was later anyway.

I photographed some Rhododendron luteum, the fragrant yellow azalea, but was disappointed with the sharpness when I loaded the pics on to the computer - I don't have macro. So I've picked another image - the late sun shining through the leaves of Gunnera manicata, the so-called 'Giant Rhubarb'. This plant, no connection to rhubarb, is a must for all west coast water gardens, though it can escape into ditches and other wet areas. It's a native of the mountains of Brazil - I can only think at the moment of one other plant from Brazil which grows here.

The sun is also shining through the exfoliating bark of a birch.