Many of the herbs and flowers in the three enclosed gardens at The Cloisters—the branch of The Metropolitan Museum of Art dedicated to the art and architecture of medieval Europe—are at their peak in late spring and early summer. Located on a hilltop in Fort Tryon Park in northern Manhattan, The Cloisters museum and gardens enjoy an unparalleled view of the Hudson River and the New Jersey Palisades from several vantage points.
Although each garden at The Cloisters is unique, the design and plantings of all three are based on information found in documents and works of art from the Middle Ages. The gardens were originally laid out and planted in 1938, the year The Cloisters opened.
In the Cuxa Cloister garden, on the museum's main level, arcaded walkways surround a garth, or enclosed courtyard, that is open to the sky. To achieve an effective display of plants in bloom from early spring until late fall, both medieval and modern species are grown in this garden.
The Bonnefont Cloister garden, on the lower level, contains one of the most
specialized medieval plant collections in the world: all of its approximately 300 species were grown and used during the Middle Ages for purposes as varied as food, medicine, magic, and artist materials. The raised beds, wattle fences, and wellhead are all features frequently depicted in medieval sources. Seeds of species not available locally were obtained from botanic gardens and nurseries in Europe.
Currently under renovation, the Trie Cloister garden, the smallest of the three, was inspired by the plants that flourish in European woodlands and meadows and along the banks of streams.
Information on plants currently in bloom at The Cloisters can be found in the blog The Medieval Garden Enclosed, available on the Metropolitan Museum's website blog.metmuseum.org/cloistersgardens. The Museum's horticultural staff shares practical information about growing medieval herbs and flowers and discusses the history of many plants—some legendary and little-known or grown elsewhere, and some familiar—that are found at The Cloisters. Among the lesser-known plants are mandrake, medlar, bryony, and dragon arum; familiar plants include lilies, roses, mint, thyme, and rosemary. Begun in 2008, the blog has drawn more than 100,000 visitors from 162 countries.
Garden Days—an annual weekend of programming devoted to the plants and gardens of The Cloisters—will take place on June 5 and 6. The theme of this year's talks, tours, and demonstrations will be "Trees and Woodlands in the Middle Ages." Frances Reidy, consulting arborist for The Cloisters, will discuss her care of the trees of The Cloisters, including the renowned quinces and the magnificent mature espaliered pear in the Bonnefont garden.
Tours of the gardens take place daily, from May 1 to October 31, at 1 p.m., rain
or shine. Garden tours are free with Museum admission.
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May 10, 2010
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