non-native ginkgo trees line many of the urban streets in the twin cities. they were one of the chosen replacements for the all the stately elms we lost to dutch elm disease. i love the way the ginkgos let go of their leaves all at once in fall leaving little golden skirts around each trunk. this year i waited all summer for the leaves to turn yellow, because i wanted to make a yellow and green pattern using their distinctive shapes. then i missed the whole deal: the turning yellow, the dropping in golden pools, the scattering in the gutters. i missed it all. so, today, when i stopped by my favorite coffee shop and saw this lonely little fan still clinging to its tree, with brown skin and sun spots like an old man on a florida beach, i carefully plucked him and carried him home, and he’s what you get.
ginkgo leaf in winter
spyhouse coffee shop, minneapolis, minnesota
Definitely one of my favorite trees. Did you know they were thought to be extinct until one was discovered in a monestery in China about 200 years ago? They are the only kind of its species and have been around since the prehistoric ages!
Ginkos are my favorite, for the same reason – that day when all the leaves fall, collected around the base of the green like a dress.
Beautiful. I live in Kobe, Japan and these gorgeous trees drop their golden leaves in late November. I secretly tell myself that this is their birthday present to me every year! This is such an inspirational blog. So glad you’ve chosen to share your passion with the rest of us!
Dear Celia,
I am pretty thrilled that I have a follower in Kobe, Japan. You pretty much made my day :-)
I am glad you like visiting STILL. It means a lot to me to know that people are enjoying it.
Mary Jo