Winter in the northeast (US) is the perfect time to start a gardening blog. No weeds, insects, watering chores to impede my creative process. And lots of time in front of the fire, feet up and laptop humming.

I'm a landscape designer, owner of a design/build firm, G. biloba Gardens, Inc. (http://www.gbiloba.com) in Nyack, NY. I named the company after my favorite tree, the Ginkgo .

I write a mostly-monthly column for The Nyack Villager, called The Lifetime Gardener, about gardens, politics, society, with irreverence and sarcasm included as necessary.

I'll post current and past favorite articles from time to time, and you can visit my company website for a complete archive.

Please enjoy and become part of the group, which is sure to become a huge, international sensation.

9/14/2010

G. bi-WHATTTT?

The garden design/build company I founded is named for one of my favorite living things, the Ginkgo Tree.
In Latin, it is known as Ginkgo biloba - the species name 'bi-loba' refers to the leave's 2-lobed shape.
The Ginkgo tree is an ancient tree, with fossil records showing its relatives as far back as the Jurassic-era - some 200 million years ago. The photo below shows an actual fossil of a ginkgo leaf.
Ginkgo trees are Dioecious (dye-e-shuss), meaning male and female sex parts are in separate trees . (another dioecious example are Holly trees).
In contrast, nearly all trees found in today's forests are monoecious- meaning both sexes are contained on the same tree.
Ginkgos are widely planted in cities because of their resistance to pollutants. The fruits of the female trees ripen in fall and create a terribly foul odor when crushed underfoot. The nut inside the fruit is prized for its culinary, health and aphrodisiac qualities.
Ginkgo leaf.
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