Shyamal, thank you so much for the in depth going comment. I didn't consider that surprise for which I am grateful to be aware now. I was just thinking about aperture, but now I see that this is not the only method here.
Cropping that white stuff off takes too much of the image away, so is there any other method to let it disappear? Perhaps cloning?
I think your aperture setting was perfect, I like the depth of field in this one. The only only thing that would have made this image better, in my humble opinion, is the removal of the white stuff in the top right of the frame. It is not only distracting, it does not lend an opinion to its nature, or what it does for the image.
The depth of field is perfect because, while the eye seems to think the focus is on the far side/top of the image, the lower leaves are sharp as well, which comes as a pleasant surprise.
This is the kind of image where the eye could roam around for quite a while.
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