Save the Date: June 1, 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.

«Every year in early June, we invite the public to The Cloisters museum and gardens, the branch of the Museum devoted to the art and architecture of medieval Europe, for a celebration of the gardens at the height of their glory. This year's Garden Day programs on Saturday, June 1, explore fruit and fruit culture in the Middle Ages with a focus on the care of fruit trees.»

In the morning, Lecturer Sigrid Goldiner will offer a tour of the gardens, and Managing Horticulturalist Deirdre Larkin will discuss the significance of fruit in medieval life and art. In the afternoon, families with children ages 4 through 12 can participate in The Medieval Kitchen Garden, a workshop in both English and Spanish that explores how plants were grown for food in the Middle Ages. Visitors can also attend a session with Assistant Horticulturist Carly Still about the care of the fruit trees at The Cloisters. Horticultural staff will be on hand throughout the day to answer questions about the gardens.

In addition to these events, visitors are invited to two special talks by horticultural experts Lee Reich and Charles Day. Lee Reich is a gardener, author, and lecturer who will discuss medieval fruits you can grow today, and Charles Day, horticultural interpreter at Wave Hill, will talk about espaliers—fruit trees trained to grow against a wall or frame—with a look at the two espaliered pear trees in the Bonnefont garden.

Planted in three reconstructed Romanesque and Gothic cloisters, the gardens at The Cloisters evoke the monastic and pleasure gardens of the Middle Ages. An integral part of the museum since its opening seventy-five years ago, they reflect evolving historical research and scholarship about medieval gardens and horticulture. They serve not only as an important teaching tool for exploring the role of plants in medieval horticulture, medicine, artistic production, literature, magic, and folklore, but as a restful and pleasurable attraction for visitors. For more information about the gardens of The Cloisters and medieval gardens in general, visit our blog, The Medieval Garden Enclosed.

See the schedule of Garden Day events.