Gardens of Filoli and some detective work!

Filoli is known primarily for her gardens admittedly. Yes I love the house but most visitors are drawn there for the gardens and the Dynasty connections (more on that later in the post, stay tuned Ed!).

A few years ago I briefly blogged about the gardens HERE but you can never have enough pretty pictures, right?

The gardens encompass many outdoor 'rooms' which because of deer (and security one would imagine) are walled off.

The deer actually linger just outside of the gates, visibly!  They probably smell all of the goodies inside!

The carriage house has been turned into a lovely gift shop and garden center. Some of the produce from the garden is sold here; I bought some lovely rose tea grown on site.

The roses weren't at their peak during my visit in early June but were none-the-less lovely.

If you're curious about any of the rose names the images are entitled by the names I got off the tags.

And as always you can click on any image to enlarge it on your screen!

Most of the roses were heavily scented.

Why have a one color rose when you can have two in one?

The colors were vivid and beautiful in the California sunshine.

Areas of shade were never far away either; a blessing for my sunburn!

I loved this rose arbor over a bench; a wonderful spot to rest.

The summer or tea house remains my favorite part of the property.

See a lengthier post on the summer house from my previous visit HERE.

However the best view of all isn't of the gardens but of the adjacent mountain.

Now down to the detective work.  Filoli is known to many from the 80s tv drama "Dynasty". Both of my visits I overhead snippets of conversation about the lily pond and a cat fight.  Above you see the swimming pool with the house beyond.  To the right of the pool is the lily pond and then the carriage house.

Above is the lily pond which is off the dining room terrace and the carriage house.  However the lily pond is clearly not the one used in Dynasty. Thanks to youtube I have proof - see the video below!

After driving into the entry court of Filoli the women are seen talking in the library. I watched the video closely and it is this exact library (with different furniture and artwork). See my earlier post on the library HERE.  HOWEVER you can see that the lily pond is different - different shape, different plantings, AND A DIFFERENT HOUSE in the background! 

Does anyone know where this iconic scene from Dynasty was actually filmed?

Filoli entry

The thing I adore most about visiting  house museums is checking out the amazing details caught in time. While at Filoli I must have taken 20 photos of the entryway itself!

Everyone knows the neo-Georgian front facade of Filoli from numerous tv shows and movies but it was used by Hollywood for a reason; the quiet good taste and great details just are dying to impress.

Looking up to the portico ceiling is rewarding with amazing plaster and stonework. Even the bronze lantern with leaded glass would be beautiful on its own.

Flanking the front door are antique Roman birdbaths - each slightly different but similar enough to appear a matching pair to the common observer.

Once inside even the front doorknob is a work of art, chased with detail. One small overlooked detail however: the screws are all different directions!  Horizontal or vertical I want them all to align!

The interior plaster walls are scored to resemble stone, a common technique used in my own coop building lobby.

And as everyone knows by now I adore a vintage light fixture.  These iron sconces  in the entry vestibule are also works of art.  Detail is everywhere if one just opens their eyes to SEE!

Interesting lighting at Filoli

While in California I stopped by Filoli, a spectacular house museum that I have blogged about extensively in numerous posts HERE,  and noticed an unusual light fixture in the dining room.  The 'candles' of the sconces are torpedo shaped sleeves from which slits are hollowed out in the back to hide a much smaller bulb.

When one sees the fixture from afar they appear to be candle-lit sconces as no light bulb is visible but they still 'glow' providing ambient light.

Above you can even see how some of the sconces hold real candles while others hold the backlit torpedoes. I think I rather like this idea.  What about you, or is it trying too hard?

Container Gardening

For a side door at Filoli which is rarely used, I loved this idea of lining the staircase with overflowing terracotta containers. Maybe this is an idea for our own houses to bring some life to abandoned entries? I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend in this gorgeous weather and have a great 4th of July!

Filoli Gardens

Are you tired of Filoli yet? I don't think I could ever be, but maybe I've devoted a little too much time to this magnificent estate. I'll wrap up the gardens in this post and we'll start fresh next week! Beyond the formal gardens lie an oasis of more informal plantings; Acres of amazing little outdoor rooms, each one more amazing than the last. If the structure for the grounds was laid by the Bourns, the Roths added the finishing touches (Mrs. Roth was an avid gardener) .The Summer house is incorporated into the side of the walled garden which contains the most sheltered area. Remember nothing is safe out here from all of the hungry animals!

The wedding place within the walled garden was where the only wedding at Filoli was held. It was built for Berenice Roth and I think it's such a shame they don't open it up to others. Don't you want to get married here?

The following pictures barely begin to explain how breathtaking the rose garden is. After stepping through the last arch of the walled garden, every person on the tour gasped.

A profusion of color and textures...

Where are you even supposed to look or smell! Roses, lavender and other herbs overwhelm the senses.

I really think this is what heaven looks like. Not shown in the pictures are the gorgeous mountain views beyond.I love these wild jumbled rose bushes the best.Does anyone know what these striped roses are; Sandra? They had a heavenly scent.

The gardens get progressively informal the further you are from the house. These wild flowers were the last part of the gardens before entering the nature preserve. Notice all of the fencing. I hope you enjoyed these glimpses of Filoli through my eyes (and camera)!

Thanks to ChipSF for the drawings of the gardens from the time of the Roths.

Filoli Summer House

The most magical spot at Filoli is probably the Summe House, also known as the tea house or more commonly known as a garden pavilion. Little accessory structures like this area always the jewel of any estate; Just think of the follies of English Country Homes.

Sitting between the walled garden and the formal garden adjoining the house which I showed the other day HERE, the small structure has views from its one room of all areas of the estate: the house, the formal gardens, the pool area, the walled garden and last but not least the gorgeous mountain view.The room is floored with 3 types of marble in a graphic grid pattern and paneled with ornate boiseries. Designed by Arthur Brown Jr., this is the same formality seen at his well known SF City Hall (which I'll post about next week) but on a MUCH smaller scale. He made elegant grandeur cozy; Just who wouldn't want to have tea here?These lovely sconces were originally intended for the stair well in the house, but fit in nicely here too adding to the formality of the space.This column above is a copy of the Satyr plant stand found in Pompeii and was originally in the Bourn's SF house, as was the marble table in the center of the room.

The comfortable wicker chairs and profusion of plants bring life to the space. I can imagine it being a lovely cool spot on a hot day because of all the marble. Had it been seen empty, it might appear to be a very sunny mausoleum!
Some closeups of the very elegant woodwork. Someone worked very hard getting everything to meet JUST SO.
You can't miss the summer house in the gardens and before our guide took us in, I think every person in the group managed to ask if we would see inside! Tomorrow -more of the gardens.