A clump of Hostas is a remarkable sight, and I’ve seen two images on the Internet in recent weeks that inspired me to get out and take a picture of the Hostas in our own garden.
When you take over a garden – along with a house – in winter as we did back in 2015, then the first Spring is always going to be a surprise. Bare twigs sprout leaves and then flowers, and bare earth erupts. I remember walking round the garden regularly in that first Spring as I worked to clear weeds and prepare ground for new shrubs to be planted. On one particular day I noted a circle of small black spikes piercing the soil. What could that be? Fungi of some sort?
The spikes grew longer – they looked rather un-wordly: they looked a bit like charred asparagus tips. And then the spikes grew taller and started to unfurl into leaves and finally it dawned – we had Hostas!
So far they look in good shape, but slugs like Hostas and over time these leaves will be nibbled and become ‘holed’ and like all things horticultural, the freshness will be lost.
Hostas look good in colour but I rather liked the monochromic version of them.
You say “monochromatic,” but the first thing that struck me was just how complex this image is. It’s not just a black-and-white, it’s a dozen or more shades of gray, and immensely interesting. It’s one I could enjoy looking at repeatedly — and that, coming from little miss “I don’t like black and white photos”!
Ah – that’s the beauty of B&W, it has so many guises. I think we can all like aspects of the medium although other interpretations may turn us off. That is why I love the medium so much: because it has that capacity to speak with different voices and express different emotions.
I’ve planted hostas on three sides of my house (they don;t do well in harsh sunlight) and they’re my favorite subjects to photograph, especially after a rainy day. I think you’re right as far as the hostas looking better in monochrome. Very nice shot, Andy.
Ours are planted in an area where they get partial sun but also the ground tends to retain water well – they are certainly thriving very well. I’m sure you were one of the people who posted a monochrome shot of Hostas earlier but I couldn’t find it on your two websites – maybe it was on Instagram.
Nice monochrome study, Andy!
Thanks Sue.
I rather love your monochromatic version of hostas too, Andy! Removing the color adds texture, it seems.
That’s a very apt comment, Heide. The texture does become clearer in Monochrome.
I like the photo – hostas are so photogenic. And I like the story a lot, too – brings back great memories of a house I had where the two previous owners had both been avid gardeners. There were so many wonderful plants to discover…and I love your description of the sprouts. They can make a terrific photograph if you do it at ground level, and make them into a kind of forest. Maybe you can try that next year. 🙂
Thanks Lynn. I left it too late to catch the stems this year but I will make sure I document its growth better next year when the ‘sprouts’ first appear.