Located in Woodside, CA the Filioli Estate was built between 1915-1917 by Willliam Bowers Bourn II and his wife Agnes Moody Bourn. The estate has a total of 654 acres, 16 of which are formal gardens.
Filoli was first on my list of gardens to visit during this trip to California.
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| Floral arrangement in Visitor’s Center. |
In the newly constructed visitor center I was stuck by this massive floral arrangement and noted that the materials used were garden materials instead of stark and showy exotics so I was thrilled when I discovered that the arrangements throughout the interiors were made with flowers from the cutting garden on the estate.
When you enter the main house, you will see this orchid planter. It’s massive size does nothing to dwarf the beauty of its contents.
In another room nearby an arrangement is seen on a table with Delphinium and Dutch Iris (Iris x hollandica) from the garden. As a matter of fact, all of the rooms in the house had amazing arrangements in them—though the ikebana-inspired piece was truly my least favorite since it really disappointed me.
Of coures there are a few houseplants too like this Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum)—a classic for any dark interior.
A pair of Boston ferns (Nephrolenpis) on two of the largest plant stands I’ve ever seen.
Out back, past the larger formal gardens you’ll find the cutting garden. It’s in two parts with one being protected, while the other is out in the open.
Then there are the many garden doors and gateways at Filoli…
Hope you enjoyed the brief tour of these few pieces and parts.
Stay tuned for more…
Official Website: Filoli
Wikipedia: Filoli Estate
Amateur Bot-ann-ist 
While I doubt I'll ever visit (just a bit to formal for me) I appreciate the tour and look forward to more!
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Loree,
They have something for everyone! Just you wait…(but don't hold your breath. It's not that exciting.)
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I love the way the same flowers appear inside and outside.
(And I do like a nice walled garden… Shame I can't have one myself, since it would seem out-of-place in the neighbourhood of my garden!)
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Søren,
I completely agree!
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