Lovely Filoli: A Historic Countryside Gem
The Filoli gardens are framed within brick walls and hedges, dividing the garden into rooms with different functions. For example, the formal sunken garden was intended for recreational use, characterized by its garden terrace, bowling green, woodland garden and rose garden.
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As summer comes to a close, the autumn colors begin to peek through the vibrant roses, begonias and hydrangeas. With the seemingly never-ending manicured landscape and ivy-covered red brick mansion, walking around the estate feels like stepping into another time.
The perfect destination to explore the beauty of a historic countryside estate, Filoli provides visitors of all ages an enjoyable experience with its stunning gardens, nature trails and historic mansion.
Filoli’s renowned 16-acre English Renaissance garden is made up of glittering pools, lawns, flower beds and trees, enclosed within clipped hedges and brick walls. Strolling through the park that surrounds the mansion, visitors can admire the spectacular display of flora and lush greenery. Each season at Filoli has a distinct landscape at the gardens: colorful tulips, daffodils and wisteria in the spring, and golden orchards and foliage in the fall.
The lavish Filoli mansion is a Georgian Revival architectural beauty built in the early 20th century for William Bowers Bourn II. Today, the mansion has been preserved with its original interior design, filled with antiques and elegant architecture, as a museum for visitors to enjoy. Bourn named the estate “Filoli” by merging the first few letters of each phrase of his favorite credo: “Fight for a just cause. Love your fellow man. Live a good life.”
During the springtime, tulips are bursting with color at Filoli. The spring season is the best time of year to see the full-spectrum of flora that the gardens have to offer.
Wisteria flowers drape over the red-brick walls ofthe Filoli mansion. Built in 1915, the design of the mansion drew inspiration from English countryside houses from the late 17th and early 18th centuries.