Filoli

Filoli is a made up word for the estate of the Bourn family built in 1917. The house has 36,000 sq. ft! There are 16 acres of formal gardens. It is located in Woodside California ,in the South bay area. Filoli stands for the motto of Mr. Bourn : Fight for a just cause; Love your fellow man; Live a good life. Li Lo Li = Filoli.
If you have not been there, you have really missed something. The house is filled with antiques of the period. You have seen it in several TV series such as Dynasty, as well as movies, like Heaven can wait.
The garden is breathtaking in it's beauty and variety. Actually it is a series of connected gardens, each specializing in some specific species. There are 500 roses. There is the knot garden, nearby, with interlocking patterns of herbs and other plant material. Wisteria climb gates and the house in various places. In the spring, there are thousands of tulips and daffodils.
What does it take to keep this garden up? 14 fulltime gardeners and 100 volunteers. They receive their orders from the head gardener.Wish I had that many working in my yard. Of course, in my yard, they would trip over each other. There is only little ole me to tend the plants, prune them and talk to them. Who do I get my orders from? The head Gardener who tends the garden of my soul, and like me, waters, prunes and talks to me.