Hydrangea Flowers

Mum's garden is always a rich source of photogenic material to share on this blog.  

Hence today - having failed to take the pictures of Bath that I had planned to take - I focused on this hydrangea plant.

I was surprised how many stages of development of the flower were to be found on one plant.

From the tightest buds the tiny florets grow and open, then start to take on their colour.

As if painted, the colour spreads and the flowers grow and spread out.

Then there is a full head of flower..

After many months and over winter, the flower dries and breaks down..

And finally, just the skeleton structure of the flower is left..