While in Williamsburg and Jamestown, I snapped pictures of herb gardens and several trees.
The herb and vegetable gardens were similar to mine at home with rosemary, sage, and salad greens being the main crops at this time of year.
In Jamestown, we saw three trees that were barren except for the balls of mistletoe in the treetops that you can see this time of year. Mistletoe is a parasite, but I still love it and always look for somebody who can shoot a sprig or two out of a tree at Christmas.
In Williamsburg, there were beautiful red maples and a blazing yellow tree that looked familiar but we couldn't positively identify. Matt picked up a leaf from the ground and when we were back at the car, he pulled out a leaf book to try and figure it out. It was definitely a leaf from the Ginkgo tree which is originally from China. I remembered these trees being planted years ago at First Baptist Church in Shelby, but removed because at times they can have a terrible odor.
But Ginkgos have a really interesting history because they are ancient trees with a strong tie to spirituality. I could remember that but not much more and I knew I wanted to look up more information when I had time.
Ironically, this morning the Charlotte Observer had a good article by Dannye Romine Powell about Ginkgo trees.
Among other things she explained that they make the memory enhancing herb ginkgo biloba from the Ginkgo leaves. There is a ginkgo plantation in Sumter, SC that is known as the medicine tree farm.
Maybe I should have just eaten a leaf and I might have remembered that.
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