Filoli Gardens, a 654-acre estate in Woodside, California, is known throughout the world for its magnificent gardens. Based on European design, the grounds include soothing water gardens and endless terraced gardens.
Back in 1915, the area was nothing but woods. Wealthy business people from San Francisco wanted to build large estates and create formal gardens with influences from Italian and French formal gardens. The formal style of design included separating garden rooms with hedges of yew and myrtle using many different plants. That was the vision of William Bourn, the designer of Filoli Gardens.
The view is framed with beautiful Irish yews. There are about 210 of them on the property, and they serve to separate different garden rooms. One of the rooms, called the sunken garden, is a premiere annual display with a very traditional formal look typically seen in France and Italy.
The hedges surrounding the gardens are meticulously groomed. Some special tricks help speed up the grooming process. The first thing you'll need when you undertake a hedging project is a pair of sharp, heavy-duty shears. Generally, it's best to start with the side of a hedge; removing most of the side material first leaves less material to cut off the top. Once the sides are complete, it's time to tackle the top. Stakes and string can be used as a guide to create the straightest hedge possible. Remove about 90 percent of the top growth and make final touches by close pruning.
It's a tough job tending the gardens of Filoli, where the attention to detail is remarkable. It's what has preserved the beauty of this place and made it one of the world's premiere garden estates.
)
)