I have an obsession for dogwood trees and flowers. It was a love at first sight when I first saw them on UW campus. The flowers come in shades from white to deep pink in the Pacific Northwest. Each flower has four petals with a beautiful center. I love the curves on the petals and the leaves, the stripes on the petals, and their symmetrical but yet non-rigid placements.  The tree branches give no sign of stubborn straight edges, but the trees would stand tall and prominent amongst trees.  Flowers bloom in large clusters, romantic without being overwhelming like cherry blossoms. Interspersed between the flowers is just the right balance of leaves. I can’t explain exactly what it is that they appeal to me so much visually. I definitely wish to plan one in my own garden someday in the future. Spotting them in our hike in Virginia were the best rewards. They are VA’s state flower. The wiki page explains etymology of the name. According to flowersonly.com, dogwood flowers symbolize “love undiminished by adversity.” I suppose that explains why I like dogwoods. When I fall in love, it would be with dogwood spirit.