trees at Germolles & wood

Gary's love of trees is contagious. After the historical tour of Germolles had ended, we followed Gary  to the front lawn to take a closer look at the big trees growing there.


Remember the sapling stumps I thought I'd seen  growing by the stream?

They weren't stumps. They were the roots of the bald cypress tree.

The bald cypress can grow in water because its roots will rise above the surface to allow the tree to breathe!

Here is that picture again plus another...

 Never thought I'd be fascinated by tree roots...

The strange looking tree is called a monkey puzzle tree.

In this picture it looks almost normal, but believe me, the branches were going in  so many directions that it really did look like a puzzle.



Then Gary pointed out the tulip tree. It was blooming!

I kept working my way closer and closer to get a picture that would illustrate how the blossoms really do look like tulips...

Gary commented that "just the kinds of trees found is amazing both from when France was in the 'collecting stage' [in the] 1800's to using our American trees for street trees." At one chateau he took a picture of a bald cypress with stork nests...

...and also found a 400 year old French white oak.

He was surprised to find American trees that were pollarded like these Norway maples...

A London plane tree was planted at a chateau, pollarded, and then allowed to grow. Gary explained that such trees "have a distinctive shape from the...pollarding that stays with the tree even if it is [then] allowed to grow." I think I can see what he means in this picture.

As we were leaving the Germolles chateau, we paused at this small garden.

 Margery and Elisabeth discussed some of the shrubs...

 ...while Gary and I made guesses as to what kind of tree it was.

This time the goat didn't just watch us from the open door; he came to bid us good-bye.

Gary had found a kindred soul when we had visited Philippe Dyon. They discussed the types of wood Philippe uses for his different projects and Philippe was able to give Gary a long list of trees with their names in both French and English. That was an unexpected treasure. Here Philippe is making a top, a toupee...or as he might say, "toupee or not toupee."

I had wanted Margery and Gary to see the miniaturists in Bonnay because they also work in wood. Since they weren't at home, here are pictures from a previous visit. Everything is wood...

 and everything moves, most to music.