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Stalking the wild Gingko biloba

November 11, 2012 By Ann

Gingko leaves have long been a favorite subject for quilters.   I’ve seen many wonderful quilts that feature the fascinating shape of these leaves.  Ginkgos are a primitive tree form with a distinctive leaf form of many closely spaced veins that radiate in a fan shape from the stem.   In the fall, the leaves turn a vibrant yellow.  And each trees drops its leaves all at once, as if on cue.

On the East coast, Gingkos are not common.  Whenever I’ve found one,  I liked to collect leaf samples.   I discovered in October that Deerfield, Mass (where I was teaching my 5 day design class) has a Gingko tree.   Hazzah!  I dutifully collected some leaves, and ironed them between pieced of waxed paper so they’d travel well back to Vancouver.   I’d also recently discovered a Gingko tree in downtown Portland.   Fabulous.

And then, two nights ago, in a steady rain, I found not one, but a WHOLE ROW of Gingkos at a local mall.  I was in heaven!   It turns out Gingko trees grow well here in the Pacific Northwest, and are a favorite for their stunning fall foliage — beautiful yellow showcased against the green of our many firs.

So there I was, standing in the rain, marveling at the bounty of Gingkos I’d just discovered, and free to choose from an abundance of leaves.

I was also charmed to discover that some of the more broadly shaped leaves curl.   This makes it a bit of a challenge to iron them flat….but I like challenges.

So I now have a prodigious collection of Gingko leaves, some large some small, some with dissected edges, others with gently rippled curves.   I see a variety of Gingko leaf patterns in my future.   Yeah!

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