3/31/12

Filoli

A friend announced on Twitter she was going to Filoli yesterday, so I invited myself along. I know. Lucky her! :) Well, I'm trying to make the most of my week off for you dear readers before I go back to school and resume blog silence. Besides how could I not go see the tulips and, I was surprised to see, the daffodils. My daffodils went kaput in the middle of winter quarter. Was the blog's last visit here really in 2009? That was a long time ago.

Filoli has their big Spring Fling fundraiser today. Unfortunately it is raining quite heavily. Go anyway and pretend you are in England. Or go Sunday. Guy just told me Sunday has the best weather forecast for this week. So go. For the rest of you who live hundreds of miles away, here are some pictures.

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I was delighted to see them using California native wildflower Baby Blue Eyes (Nemophila menziesii) under the tulips in places this year. Forget-me-nots (Myosotis sylvestris) is the more traditional companion, or Muscari bulbs as I've seen them do in previous years).

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Here's a drift with the myosotis.

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I feel certain I have taken this picture before of the pointy iris foliage poking up between the round purple tulips. This bed also has big poofy alliums in it.

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Elsewhere, they've done a lot of work in the shady camellia/rhodie garden and it has never looked better in my memory.

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You realize things you should have done when you look at your pictures. Like, get a third picture of the little girl doing something. Then you'd have a theme. Oh well.

This portal is always a key stop for me. I love me some climbing hydrangea. Alas. I've come too early for the bloom this year.

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Too early for the wisteria cladding the mansion like a lacy veil.

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And too early for the Camperdown elms. But pre-bloom and leafless I can admire the extreme contortions in the branch structure.

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Remarkable.

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So many bushes leafing out in the rose garden creates a mounting sense of drama. I'll have to come back in June.

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The map calls this room the garden house. My friend noted it might be an orangery in cooler climates, full of the sent of orange blossoms.

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This one's full of the scent hyacinth, muscari, and narcissus.

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Some stray shots from around the grounds...

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And we end in the meadow.

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Bye for now, Filoli.

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9 comments:

Marc Olson said...

My goodness, how stunning. If ever I get to that area in the spring, I will have to go. Wonderful.

Christopher C. NC said...

I wonder if that meadow is replanted every year. I am seeing daffodils struggle when in competition with grass. Course it could be the ratty fescue grass I have on my saprolite subsoil that slows them down. The grass is on the hit list. The soil will improve with age.

chuck b. said...

I don't think they plant it every year. I probably should have included this picture but the horizon line bugs me. Anyway, it looks like they laid it out in rows once. http://www.flickr.com/photos/82479320@N00/7030982357/

CiNdEe's GaRdEn said...

So pretty! I enjoyed the pictures!
It does feel more like January here lately! The wind is terrible and cold! We had pouring rain and hail here this week! I am hoping to see the sun soon(-: Tomorrow would be nice so I can take a drive up the mountain to see if Spring has sprung there yet or if it is still winter(-: Enjoy the rest of your Spring Break! Ours starts Monday(-:

Mr. McGregor's Daughter said...

Thanks for sharing. I've seen Filoli only in the summer. It looks amazing in spring. The tulip plantings remind me of ones I saw at Villa Carlotta in Italy.

Kelly said...

I always love your photos! These are spectacular! I have shared them on the Monterey Bay Master Gardeners facebook page. Thanks!

Hilda said...

Whoa! This is stunning!! Amazing. Thanks for posting these, they made my day! h.

Les said...

I've enjoyed your spring break, especially this stop. The photography in this post is very nice.

Anonymous said...

I hadn't heard of Filoli and your post inspired a friend and I to check it out. Fabulous! Thanks so much.