Flowers are few this time of year, but leaves are plentiful. These are waxy leaves that grab the light and shine it back in unexpected ways. Without the leaves there would be no flowers. And without the flowers eventually there would be no leaves. If there were only one plant, we would see the growth and reproduction cycle more clearly. But there exists an almost infinite variety of plants, each with its own schedule, each with its own devices. It’s hard to focus on leaves when flowers compete with flowers. And hard not to see leaves when all the flowers are gone.