Spring Details at Filoli

I love the details in a garden – all the small touches, whether authored by the gardener or nature, that bring the garden to life. Last week my parents, aunt, and I visited Filoli, about 30 miles south of San Francisco. Filoli is an estate house and garden designed in the early twentieth century.

Purple and white tulips stand out against blue and purple flowers

Quite a few years ago, my aunt, uncle, and folks visited Filoli after a wet winter following a prolonged drought. They have spoken many times about the exceptional beauty (everything had bloomed at once that year). We were eager to see the garden this year in a similar circumstance – after a wet winter following a five-year drought.

Pink tulips seem to float over the blue forget-me-nots

While at the garden, I simply absorbed all its beauty. Later, I studied my photographs for interesting color combinations, the spring color palette, and the effects of various colors, using ideas from Penelope Hobhouse in Color in Your Garden.

Lovely palette of pinks, blues, and spring green (with a pop of red)

Some of these concepts are distilled in Color Theory and Designing with Color. Light transmits in wavelengths (blue has a short wavelength; green and yellow have a mid-wavelength; and red has a long wavelength). Blue and red force the eye to refocus. Red objects appear to advance to foreshorten the distance, appearing closer and retaining their form as you move away. Blue objects appear to recede into the distance, and blur as you move away.

The red azaleas are strong even into the distance of the Wedding Garden

I also just enjoyed the details of the garden hardscape and plants. The floral arrangements are extravagant and lovely, using material from the Cutting Garden. The raised planter is perfectly positioned to grow herbs at waist height. The Garden House is still my favorite place for its garden view, floral arrangements, and the fantasy of enjoying morning coffee and newspaper in the light-filled room. The garden shop is filled with beautiful plants and accessories. The garden is designed for multiple seasons.

Floral arrangement in the House	Floral arrangement in Admissions
Raised-bed herb garden	Garden House tulips
Crow fountain in the Gift Shop	Seasonal plantings in the Rose Garden

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Filoli is also a great spot to explore nature - birds, bees, lizards, seeds and seed pods, and seasonal interest. They are all part of the details that bring a garden to life.

Lizard spotting

I’m looking forward to visiting Filoli again one fall, to complete our seasonal tour of Filoli Gardens!