Gold Leaf

Day 18: If Washington is girt with greens in spring with shades so numerous that thousands have no names, so too is the state gilt with golds in autumn. Warm and cool, dappled with rose and russet, they wait to be studded with silver raindrops to show their greatest glory. The hostas have met with first frost, changing almost overnight, but no less beautiful in their imminent collapse. And if autumn chills my feet, it also warms my heart, knowing that the Earth and Nature are ready for a bedtime story. It is time to rest, renew, reset, there to dream of warmer days and longer light.

Hosta

Day 250: Years ago, I planted a couple of Hostas at the end of my carport, thinking it would be nice to have some foliage there. Now, those few have multiplied into a sizeable colony, and they surprised me by putting up some of the most attractive inflorescences in the yard, at least in my opinion. Later, this flower head will open out into the array of trumpet-shaped, purple-tinged florets one generally considers to be typical of Hostas. At this point, they are at their prettiest, resembling nothing quite so much as albino artichokes, right to the lavender tips. The contrast against rich, deep green shadows is striking. The inflorescence lasts several weeks as it progresses through its blooming cycle. I never expected Hostas to be so rewarding.

Hosta Flower Spike

Day 275: I have to admit that when I bought Hostas, I was thinking of them in terms of being a foliage plant. They are that, without a doubt, the huge leaves offering plenty of drama in the shady niche at the end of my carport. However, the flower spikes have proved to be exceptionally photogenic, especially in the early phases of their development, as the one shown here demonstrates. Later, the individual flowers will droop on the stalk, becoming more elongated and taking on a purplish tinge. I so enjoy them that I have set aside a space beneath my big Doug-fir which I hope to eventually fill with assorted different cultivars, intending to grow them for both foliage and flower.