FILOLI; MANSION GARDENS OFFER BEAUTIFUL SIDE TRIP FOR S.F.-BOUND.Byline: Natalie Haughton Daily News Travel Editor Nestled in the hills and woods of Woodside, 25 miles south of San Francisco San Francisco (săn frănsĭs`kō), city (1990 pop. 723,959), coextensive with San Francisco co., W Calif., on the tip of a peninsula between the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay, which are connected by the strait known as the Golden , is a hidden gem inviting visitors to step into California's past. It's Filoli, an 80-year-old, 654-acre estate with mansion and gardens. Even better, this property of the National Trust for Historic Preservation Historic preservation is the act of maintaining and repairing existing historic materials and the retention of a property's form as it has evolved over time. When considering the United States Department of Interior's interpretation: "Preservation calls for the existing form, in the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. , is not overrun with tourists. It's definitely worth a side trip on your next visit to the San Francisco area, especially if gorgeous gardens and historic homes are your passion. It's brimming with beautiful spaces lush with gorgeous flowers, roses, plants, bushes, herbs, vegetables, hedges, trees and lawns throughout the 16-acre gardens and offers a peace and serenity rarely found at a visitors' attraction. The gardens, designed by two native Californians to complement the house, have been arranged with both casual and formal features to take advantage of the natural surroundings and vistas. The estate and gardens were built by William Bowers For other persons named William Bowers, see William Bowers (disambiguation). William Bowers (Las Cruces, 1916 - Woodland Hills, California, 1987) was a reporter in Long Beach, California before becoming a screenwriter and specializing in writing comedy westerns and also turned Bourn II, a native San Franciscan who, during his three years at Cambridge University Cambridge University, at Cambridge, England, one of the oldest English-language universities in the world. Originating in the early 12th cent. (legend places its origin even earlier than that of Oxford Univ. , admired the style and architecture of the houses and gardens of England. The modified Georgian residence was designed by Bourn's friend and architect Willis Polk Willis Polk (October 3, 1867-September 10, 1924) was an American architect most well known for his work in San Francisco, California. He was born in Jacksonville, Illinois and was related to United States President James Polk. . Construction began in 1915, and William and Agnes Bourn moved into the 43-room, 36,000-square-foot house in 1917. (Bourn was president and owner of Spring Valley Water Co. and owner of the Empire Gold Mine at Grass Valley.) The residence features carved interior moldings, marble fireplace facades, inlaid in·laid v. Past tense and past participle of inlay. adj. 1. Set into a surface in a decorative pattern: a mahogany dresser with an inlaid teak design. 2. parquet floors, French doors and a Spanish tile roof. Rooms on the first floor have 17-foot ceilings, giving them a dramatic sense of space and proportion. The name Filoli is derived from the first two letters of three words (Fight, Love, Live) in a credo Bourn admired: FIght for a just cause; LOve your fellow man; LIve a good life. Only main-floor rooms are open to the public - including the portico, foyer, reception room, transverse hall, kitchen, butler's pantry but·ler's pantry n. A serving and storage room between a kitchen and dining room. , dining room, drawing room, library, stairway hall, study and trophy room. They are furnished with 18th-century English antiques. When you take your self-guided tour A self-guided tour is where one navigates a route themselves as opposed to an escorted tours where a tour guide person directs the route, times, information, and places toured. Many self-guided tours come with suggestions, maps, instructions, directions, and items to see or do. (maps are available as you enter the house), don't miss the highlight - the spectacular and elegant 32-foot-wide, 70-foot-long ballroom. It's breathtaking, with its oak parquet floor, French crystal chandeliers, massive baroque marble fireplace and original ``watergreen'' paint walls trimmed with gold leaf and decorated with murals painted in oil on canvas. The scenes depict the Muckross House Muckross House (Irish: Theach Mhucrois) is located on the small Muckross Peninsula between Muckross Lake and Lough Leane, two of the lakes of Killarney, km ( mi) from the town of Killarney in County Kerry, Ireland. , the Abbey and environs of the 11,000-acre estate Bourn bought for his daughter and her husband in 1910 on the Lakes of Killarney The Lakes of Killarney are a renowned scenic attraction located near Killarney, County Kerry, in the Republic of Ireland. They consist of three lakes - Lough Leane, Muckross Lake (also called Middle Lake) and Upper Lake. in Ireland. William P. and Lurline B. Roth bought Filoli - including its furnishings - in 1937, a year after Agnes and William died. The Roths lived there with their three children, during which time Lurline, an avid horticulturist, preserved, renewed and enriched the plantings and gardens without altering the original design. In 1975, Lurline generously deeded Filoli to the National Trust for Historic Preservation and gave about $2 million to create an endowment to perpetuate the property, noted Thomas Rogers Thomas Rogers was a common man's name:
The house currently contains some original furniture along with items on loan from the San Franciso Fine Arts Museums, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. Rogers. However, the loan items are soon to be returned because of a recent gift: During my visit at the end of May, Rogers and Filoli volunteers were abuzz with excitement. Filoli had just inherited a large collection of furnishings and porcelain from the late Melville Martin, a Palos Verdes Palos Verdes is often used to refer to a group of coastal cities on the Palos Verdes Peninsula in the Los Angeles/South Bay area of California. This affluent bedroom community is known for its dramatic views, good schools [1] extensive horse trails [2] antique collector. The collection will be incorporated into the house as quickly as possible, said Rogers. Allow a couple of hours for a leisurely stroll around the grounds and house - even more if you plan to eat (light lunches and refreshments) in the Quail's Nest Cafe at the visitor and education center near the parking area. After taking in the house, it's time It's Time was a successful political campaign run by the Australian Labor Party (ALP) under Gough Whitlam at the 1972 election in Australia. Campaigning on the perceived need for change after 23 years of conservative (Liberal Party of Australia) government, Labor put forward a to move into the gardens. You'll want to spend plenty of time enjoying them; small surprises await at every turn. On the glorious sunny Friday I visited, only self-guided tours were feasible. However, if you visit on another day of the week, docents guide visitors through the gardens, highlighting the interesting plantings, designs and history. The gardens - inspired by European influences - are a succession of separate areas containing ornamental patterns, lawns, a pool, rose gardens and more. From different vantage points along the way, you'll be afforded views of the garden, house, fields and hills. This is a gardener's fantasy - and paradise! Start at the sunken garden with its expansive view past hedges and swimming pool to the hills beyond. As you enter, be sure to look at the intricately carved gate from the San Francisco Bourn house that separates this area from the Garden Shop. Then pass the Chartres and walled gardens (peruse pe·ruse tr.v. pe·rused, pe·rus·ing, pe·rus·es To read or examine, typically with great care. [Middle English perusen, to use up : Latin per-, per- them on your return) and head for the rose garden, which was abloom with more than 500 different varieties of roses in an array of fabulous colors and names like Futura, Lilli Marlene, Europeana and Playboy. From there it's on to the Knot Garden, with its complicated and interesting interwoven in·ter·weave v. in·ter·wove , in·ter·wo·ven , inter·weav·ing, inter·weaves v.tr. 1. To weave together. 2. To blend together; intermix. v.intr. plantings, and the cutting garden, where flowers are grown to use in arrangements in the house. Head to the high place and look back at the house and expansive vistas. On the return walk beside yew allee (which was closed off during my visit), you'll pass the orchard and daffodil daffodil: see amaryllis. daffodil Bulb-forming flowering plant (Narcissus pseudonarcissus), also called common daffodil or trumpet narcissus, native to northern Europe and widely cultivated there and in North America. It grows to about 16 in. field and once again the rose garden before getting back to the walled garden, entirely enclosed by a brick wall, with its quaint, beautiful Garden House. Don't miss walking through this lovely marble-floored single room with its wonderful floral arrangement made with garden flowers. Italian Renaissance in style, it was designed by architect Arthur Brown Jr Arthur Brown, Jr. (1874-1957) was an American architect, based in San Francisco. He graduated from the University of California, Berkeley in 1896, where he and his future partner, John Bakewell, Jr, were protégés of famed Bay Area architect Bernard Maybeck. ., who also designed San Francisco City Hall The City Hall of San Francisco California, opened in 1915, in its open space area in the city's Civic Center, is a Beaux-Arts monument to the brief "City Beautiful" movement that epitomized the high-minded American Renaissance of the period 1880-1917. and Coit Tower. Brown also designed the garage (now the garden shop), which is dominated by a clock tower. In the center of the walled garden is a sundial inscribed in·scribe tr.v. in·scribed, in·scrib·ing, in·scribes 1. a. To write, print, carve, or engrave (words or letters) on or in a surface. b. To mark or engrave (a surface) with words or letters. , ``Time began in a garden.'' Walk over to the wedding place and Dutch garden before heading out to the swimming pool and up some stairs to view the tennis court nestled on a second tier in a wooded area in what seemed like a couple of blocks from the house. Return to the area of the sunken garden and then walk by the southwest and northwest terraces adjacent to the mansion. Before exiting the gardens, stop by the garden shop for all kinds of mementos and gifts with pretty floral designs. Strolling the manicured acres of gardens, the serenity and quiet were overwhelming, as was the beauty of nature. Everywhere it was a feast for the eyes and senses. According to curator Rogers, a full-time paid gardening staff of 15 is required for proper upkeep of the gardens. In addition, 100 volunteers also work in the garden. Filoli also has more than 1,000 active volunteers who assist with tours of the property, hospitality and library tasks, staffing the garden shop and helping out in the membership office. The extensive library specializes in horticulture and garden design along with the decorative arts. Discover Filoli on your next trip north. It's a little off the beaten path, but worth the detour. IF YOU GO Filoli is about 25 miles south of San Francisco at 86 Canada Road, Woodside, Calif. From San Francisco, take I-280 south to Edgewood Road, and take the West exit. Turn right onto Canada Road and go about 1-1/4 miles to the main entrance on the left. Admission is $10 per person; $1 for children 2-12 years; free admission for children younger than 2. The house is open Tuesdays through Saturdays Feb. 15-Nov. 1; closed most holidays. Also open Nov. 28-Dec. 5 for special Christmas events (call to inquire). An annual jazz concert series is offered once a month June-October ($35 per concert; $130 for the series of five). A horse exhibition fund-raiser will be held July 17-19; family day is July 19; $15 per person. Two-hour docent tours of the garden and residence are given Tuesdays through Thursdays, with reservations required; tours at 9:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.; 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday and Saturday. You can take your own self-guided tour (brochures available to explain the points of interest). Docent-led nature hikes in the hills around Filoli also are offered by reservation only Mondays through Fridays; call for information; $10 per person. Hikers can visit the Sally MacBride Nature Center, which contains exhibits of American Indian artifacts artifacts see specimen artifacts. and wildlife. The facilities also include the Visitor and Education Center with the Quail's Nest Cafe and the Garden Shop. For information and reservations, call (650) 364-8300. If you want to dine in the vicinity after you visit Filoli, head for Viognier, (650) 685-3727, on the second floor in Draeger's, an upscale market at 222 E. Fourth St., San Mateo; (650) 685-3715. The restaurant offers Mediterranean fare with a global influence. Lunch Mondays through Fridays; dinner daily; brunch Saturday and Sunday. Gary Danko, formerly of San Francisco's top-rated Ritz-Carlton dining room, is the chef. The $23.95 fixed price brunch (which included a basket of breads and muffins, juice, coffee or tea, main dish and dessert) was delicious, and offerings included main courses such as Cinnamon Brioche French Toast Filled With Cream Cheese and Strawberries; Grilled Chicken Breast Salad With Pecans and Honey Grain Mustard Dressing; Open Faced Ravioli With Smoked Chicken; Bellwether Ricotta ri·cot·ta n. 1. A soft Italian cheese that resembles cottage cheese. 2. A similar soft cheese made in the United States. and Spinach Pasta; and Seafood Omelette With Rock Shrimp, Mussels, Scallops and Fine Herbs. Allow time to peruse the market and bakery - it's like a foodie fairyland. - Natalie Haughton CAPTION(S): 4 Photos, Map, Box Photo: (1--Color) The sunken garden, with its tranquil pond, is a focal point focal point n. See focus. at Filoli. (2--Color) The Garden House, designed by architect Arthur Brown Jr., is Italian Renaissance in style. (3--Color) The Knot Garden features complicated interwoven plantings. (4) The ballroom at Filoli features an oak parquet floor, walls trimmed in gold leaf and murals of scenes in Ireland. Natalie Haughton/Daily News Map: Filoli Box: IF YOU GO (See Text) |
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