 |
| ||
Garden HistoryThe National Trust and Filoli Center (1975-Present)When Filoli was given to the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 1975 and opened to the public, changes were made to the garden to accommodate the needs of the fledgling non-profit Filoli Center in its new role as a cultural center. Significant changes were made outside the gardens, including the development of a parking lot within the olive and mixed orchard and, more recently, the construction of the Visitor and Education Center in 1996. Some of the changes in the garden that occurred during the National Trust period involved converting the tennis court to a reception area for fundraising events. The garage was converted to the Filoli Garden Shop and the laundry drying yard in the service courtyard was developed into a lath house for selling plants. A shrub border was planted in the olive orchard north of the swimming pool for providing more foliage for flower arranging to support floral design programs. A collection of historic roses was added outside the formal garden to the west of the lower lawn terrace for interpreting the horticultural history and development of the modern hybrid tea rose. Other changes to the garden made by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and Filoli Center were located mostly in the panel gardens, including the development of an experimental trial garden in space once used for growing cut flowers. The rose garden was reorganized from a mixed garden to separate color beds. Two new matching Celtic knot gardens were designed by members of the Woodside Atherton Garden Club and planted in an area that was also, formerly, rows of cut flowers. A 300-foot-long English style perennial border was planted in what was originally a bed of fruit trees along the English laurel hedge and main garden walk to the greenhouses. This addition was a project of the Hillsborough Garden Club. Other additions to the panel gardens were a tree peony collection in one of the cutting garden beds, a collection of English and species ivies planted along the perimeter deer fencing, and adult ivies in the area south of the fruit garden to be used for cut foliage. The fruit trees in the fruit garden and along the garden walk to the greenhouses were removed to develop a fall color garden which was never implemented. The fruit trees were replaced several years later to restore the original fruit garden. A long border of historic iris was added west of the yew allée for interpretation of the history of bearded iris in California. Part of the upper vegetable garden was developed for a new propagation house and cold frames because of the increased plant production needs. Another significant enhancement was the restoration of the original 10-acre mixed fruit orchard east of the gardens. Several collections of historic plants were accepted from the Domoto Nursery before it closed including tree peonies, mume plums, and Japanese maples. Other collections of historic plants were accepted for germ plasm preservation including ivies, roses, iris, and fruit. |
|
