Our home came with an abundance of tidy hostas rimming the driveway and much of the house. I was very meh about their leafy greens and anemic flowering. Yes, there are stunning hosta varieties out there with amazing smelling flowers, but these are, for the most part, not what I have.

Then, a couple of years ago, I learned that one can sauté the hosta sprouts and early greens. GAME CHANGER. They are really tasty and so I’ve come to anticipate their spring return to harvest their deliciousness. As I am a busier person and lazier gardener these days, the hostas’ ability to fill in space and pretend I know what I’m doing has become a clutch piece of the landscaping. I changed my attitude towards them — I’ve learned to appreciate them.

The ostrich ferns which drifted in from the neighbors’, do much the same work. Early harvest of fiddleheads fill the fridge and our bellies. Later in the season, a wall of ferns on the other edge of the driveway keep things from rolling all the way down the steep bank. I used to have other plants on that edge, now it is pretty much a fern and tick forest. Another good reason to not garden there.

Solomon Seal, is also said to be edible but I haven’t dared try them yet. The season is so short that by the time I work up the gumption, the moment of opportunity has passed.

My groundhog eats none of these things — so I don’t over indulge in any of it. I see my groundhog as my personal food taster/tester, but s/he hasn’t shown up to work yet. Something about shadows and sleeping in.

Madeline Fan

Sprouts