Filoli | March 2017

I couldn’t think of a more appropriate time to share these than on the first day of Spring! Although it’s supposed to rain all week…hopefully these will brighten up all of our days with the hope of what’s to come 🙂 My mom is somewhat of a Filoli Guru, and I learn more and more about the history each time we go.

 

For those who don’t know, Filoli is a mansion and garden that was built between 1915-1917. Since then, only two families resided in it until it was donated to the National Trust of Historic Preservation. William Bourn, the first owner of Filoli, owned gold mines and Spring Valley Water Company. I was tempted to write he was also on the run from the CIA…but that must be Jason Bourne 😉 Mr. Bourn named Filoli from this credo: “Fight for a just cause; Love your fellow man; Live a good life.” How beautiful is that? I love that this garden lives on in that name and spirit.

 

After William Bourn and his wife passed away in 1936, the Roth family purchased the estate.  Lurline Roth was the heiress to Matson Navigation Company…and if you live in the Bay Area, you’ve probably seen the Matson shipping containers! The Roth family added some nautical elements to Filoli, which are still there today. Mrs. Roth donated the 670 acre estate to the National Trust for Historical Preservation in 1975, along with an endowment that would help pay for the operating costs.

 

There are 16 acres of beautiful garden; tulips and camellias are going crazy- and that’s what you’ll mostly see below. It became easy for me to go to Filoli, and immediately want to go home and re-arrange my backyard to feel more stately. Recently, I’ve learned to just enjoy Filoli for what it is; to be in the moment and soak in the peacefulness. I wonder if the Garden of Eden would have looked similar to this…maybe not as manicured, but more beautiful, I’m sure. After all, time began in a garden 🙂

Enjoy some highlights from my most recent trip to Filoli!