This estate is a favorite of wildlife enthusiasts and those who prefer well-maintained parks and flowerbeds. No matter what the season, Filoli Gardens in sunny Bay Erie has something to delight guests at any time of year! Today’s Travellizy story is about an extraordinary attraction that you can explore during your California travels.
Filoli Gardens, “Filoli Gardens” is located 50 kilometers south of San Francisco. The estate of gold miner William Bourne, built over a hundred years ago, was a rare example of the combination of English parkland traditions and the American lifestyle. The building was built in 1917 for an American billionaire, and 20 years later was sold to the Roth family, which is still in the shipping business. The estate became famous in the neighborhood and acquired a model garden. By 1975, they decided to sell it. But the Roth family faced an unexpected problem: there were no buyers.
Expensive maintenance of the garden and park was part of the deal, few people were interested in buying. To keep their green space looking attractive, the family paid for the labor of 16 gardeners! The Roths eventually gave the estate and the land around it as a charitable donation to the state, in return reserving the right to visit the house and use it regularly for family holidays. This right they enjoy, and occasionally it is possible to see some of the family among the visitors.
The family’s possessions have now become a museum. Some of the museum staff are hired employees, but most of them are volunteers. Without their labor, the state wouldn’t have the money to keep the estate looking as good as it used to. Volunteers lead tours, take care of flowers, organize educational events, entertainment evenings, and play musical instruments.
The landscaping is based on the concept of a classic English garden. This means that the main goal that gardeners achieve is relaxation and atmospherics during a walk. English garden should not strike the imagination of the guest with luxurious rare plants, fancy trimmed bushes or outlandish flowers. On the contrary, modest tulips, classic daffodils or lion’s green will be kings in the flowerbeds, and shrubs will be familiar geometric shapes.
The invariable queen of the English garden – aristocratic beauty rose. Fastidious, requiring constant care, it requires a lot of attention and effort. And in gratitude for labor and effort pleases the eye with unexpected combinations of colors and lush flowers. Volunteers who care for them can also learn new skills in caring for their own flower beds: roses grow well in Bay Area’s warm climate.
Wild animals and birds live in the vast area of the park. Deer roam the field, and wild turkeys can be found in the parking lot. They wander between cars in flocks, allowing tourists to get close to them. But be careful: if a male thinks you’re a threat to his chicks, he won’t be afraid to attack.