The Gardens of Filoli

We finally had a chance to visit Filoli, a country estate built south of San Francisco in 1914.

I first became aware of Filoli when we visited the Empire Mine, the subject of an earlier post.

The house was commisioned by William Bourn who had made his fortune from the Empire mine.

After the death of the Bourns the property was sold to Mr. & Mrs. William Roth who continued to lavish loving care on the gardens.

The house and gardens were given to the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 1975.

Professional staff, interns and an army of volunteers work to keep the garden a showplace for all to enjoy.

I wished we had been there a few weeks later when the wisteria that drapes the portico will be in bloom.

But then this beautiful magnolia might not have been in bloom if we had come later.

The entrance was graced by pots of fragrant blooms.  I'll leave the interior of the house for a later post.

The formal gardens are divided into many garden rooms.  I think this Sunken Garden was my favorite.

Looking across the Sunken Garden, one sees the Garden House, beyond it is the Walled Garden.

Along the wall of the Walled Garden is a row of  London Plane trees, pruned back to knobs (pollarded).

Inside the Garden House were more fragrant flowers.  I wonder what flowers will be there later, when the bulbs are done

In the Walled Garden.

Another view of the Walled Garden, this spot is called the Wedding Place.  I do not recall if it was the Bourn daughter or the Roth daughter that was married here.

There is a lot of work to keep up these gardens.  All of the trees and shrubs require care and pruning.

Now I'm wondering, what will it look like next month, the month after.  I guess we will just have to return and see.

This is one view of our wonderful world, to see others visit That's Our World, Tuesday, hosted for us by 

Arija, Gattina, Lady Fi, Sylvia and Sandy.