Daffodils at Filoli
No other flower says spring like the daffodil! The pleasure of seeing a whole field of bright yellow trumpets, planted en masse, is a heart-warming and exhilarating experience. What better…
Hustle and Bustle at Filoli: Winter in the Greenhouse with Kate
By Kate, Horticulture Production Manager For the greenhouse horticulturists, winter is particularly full of activity as we prepare for spring. By January, thousands of bulbs have been planted in the…
All About Bonsai
Did you know that Filoli’s collection includes more than 50 bonsai? They’ll be on display through the end of February in the Garden House and on the Dining Room Terrace.…
Through the Garden Gate: Filoli’s Bonsai Collection
Bonsai has graced the Filoli estate dating back to the Bourn era and continues today as a sizable and stunning collection. Jim Salyards, Director of Horticulture Peter del Tredici, emeritus…
Missing at Filoli: Black and Latinx Stories
Census reports indicate that there were no Black staff at Filoli in the Bourn era, and records do not mention Black performers. Today — through new soundscapes in the Ballroom — we can experience this room filled with the music of Louis Armstrong, or we can imagine Duke Ellington playing Filoli’s grand piano. Both were famous Jazz Age band leaders during the Bourn era.
Chinese Exclusion Act: Chef Kee Low
The Roths’ chef Kee Low had a talent for duplicating dishes from the family’s international travels. Though census records mark Kee’s birthplace as California, his descendants state that he emigrated…
Early Women Entrepreneurs: Bella Worn
Filoli will celebrate the role of women in Horticulture, starting with Bella Worn who was a principal garden advisor and florist to the Bourn and Roth families. In 1888, she…
Japanese Internment During World War II: Toichi Domoto, Teikichi Taga & Mai Arbegast
Toichi Domoto’s nursery supplied plants for Filoli during the Roth era, including many varieties of camellias. Despite the challenges the Domoto family faced — including economic hardship during the Great…
Learn How Filoli’s Fruit Press Works!
See our fruit press in action! As summer winds to a close, our staff harvests the fruit from the Gentleman’s Orchard and the Family Orchard in the Garden. With more…
Essential Gardening | Revisiting the Spring of COVID-19
In this excerpt from Essential Gardening: Public Gardens in the Spring of COVID-19, from the Arnoldia, a publication of the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, director of horticulture Jim Salyards, and former plant collections fellow Terry…