Glad you're enjoying the pictures. Unfortunately no fig leaves this time of year. I wish it had been later in the year but because work activities had me only 25 miles away, I knew I had to take advantage of the proximity to have a visit.
If I understood John correctly, the wooden blocks were originally long stakes that supported the trees when young. When the stakes are no longer needed, the part with the tags are retained, attached to the tree via a cable.
More pictures here [don't need FB account to see them]: