The final entry of this day of Washington blooms is not actually a bloom, but the opening leaves of the ginkgo tree. With their ruffled edges and early spring hue, they are just as vibrant and beautiful as a flower. This is another tree I have admired from a distance, fascinated by its form and ancient history. (The ginkgo is one of the oldest trees known to humanity.)
The leaves are works of art in their own right, and tellingly inspire artistic works from jewelry to scarf prints and everything in-between. Like some frilly ankle-length skirt billowing in a summer breeze, the leaves shimmer with the slightest wind, exposing their silvery backs to enchanting effect. That’s only part of the show: in fall, they turn the brightest yellow, which brings us back to our previous post. Life is but a circle, and we go round and round and round…
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