From August 18, 2011

One of the great treats about spending a season in the south is enjoying the longevity of flowers as well as the recurrent blossoming of them. When my daughter and I were at the New Hanover County Arboretum in August, we glimpsed some hosta, which would have been long gone in Connecticut at that point. I love this flower. My grandmother used to have loads of it in her backyard, so for me it is the macaroni and cheese of flowers--a comfort to experience for what it is and for all the associations it brings to mind. After my gram passed, my father dug up much of her hosta and brought it to our home. When we moved again, so did the flowers. When I had my own home, gram came to stay through her flowers. And there she was in North Carolina, much to my surprise and deep pleasure.