Ginkgo has to be a goer

A friend invited me round for afternoon tea. Actually, that’s not precisely accurate – she really invited me round to admire the new tree she’d planted and we didn’t drink tea, we drank wine. But afternoon tea sounds better, doesn’t it?

The tree was not very impressive. A circular hole cut in the lawn with a twig, maybe 60 centimetres long, sticking out of the middle of it. I was glad to see that the labels from the tree nursery had been removed. I think there’s nothing more naff than planting something and leaving those laminated labels on elastic twines on it. But this did leave me, a so-called tree expert, with a bit of a problem. What is it? I said, pointing at the twig. A ginkgo, she beamed.

What a great choice. One of the most interesting and beautiful tree species in the world. I suggested we move back in out of the cold to discuss her new tree over a glass of wine.