Trimming Withes and Reflections on the Cloisters

Ah! A day in Europe!
A long-planned return visit to the Cloisters right around the Solstice gave all the reassurance I’d hoped for. Had been meaning to get back down there for years but the usual one-thing-or-another kept cropping up… Plants cheek by jowl- just kept more neatly than mine! But- they have gardeners and grounds keepers. Wish I had that- my hands are a complete rashy mess after clearing black raspberry and multiflora vine-like monster intrusionary fronds and trimming them- the subject of this posting- for withes for woven wattle fencing- just around the vegetable plot. Nothing could look more medieval- but if I’m allergic to them… hmmmmm…..
When we moved to our house in Tenafly when I was 10, the property had a lower garden with brickwork and small rosebeds with a circular [one] in the middle. We took a trip over the George Washington to Fort Tryon Park, and my mother came back and decided to tear out all the little beds and have larger bordered lawns (as in the Bonnefont) like what we’d just seen, keeping the centre round. I was later married in that garden. In going back, we see that the three gardens there are each of a type. The funny thing about this trip was that, as with all my traveling now, there’s so much chaos around getting off that I’d forgotten that I came primarily for the gardens- I love the artworks too, especially the Merode altarpiece- and was all hung ho for the gift shop, so it was lucky I was hungry when I got there. The restaurant’s in the Trie garden, and that was the perfect place to start because the packed-together plants make them look just like mine! According to their notes they are intentionally like that to create the meadow/mead-like effect found in tapestries. And they do look like that! Full of a quite good midday repast and refreshed confidence, on to the Bonnefont, the one closest to what our original one at home was like, though much bigger (small contained beds with stone paths and fencing). Then the Cuxa- the one with the lawns- what I thought I was wanting to create but- hmmmmm…. don’t know now- I like the mead idea. And the fencing- all this lovely woven folk-type fencing.
Back home, set to trying to replicate- And look- a gift from the hedges-

You can see some of Willow’s fur on the bottom of the nest.

However, sadly, the next day I found a beautiful little grey-green egg with light brown speckling- cardinal- still with some yolk in it- was going to put it in the nest and show it but I’m afraid Pumpkin has eaten it. Don’t leave treasure unattended!
Bee news- Anne here today harvesting honey. It’s time, she says.
Yay! We have some! Eight frames worth!

And here’s the bounty-

Roses by the cottage door, and honey for our coffers….
Bird song of the Day: do do do do do*, ^ mi
Quote of the day: It’s too odd a coincidence to not be something. -Jeremy O’Harris