Horticultural History at Filoli (April 25, 2026)

Sat, 25 Apr 2026 20:00:00 GMT

Colorful borders at Filoli. Photo by Janet Gracyk

Spend a spring Saturday with CGLHS at Filoli. Hear from our invited guest lecturer on the Bay Area's nursery and plant history, and experience expertly guided tours of hidden corners in the gardens. Presented in partnership with Filoli House and Gardens, this is also a rare opportunity to engage directly with staff horticulturalists. New and returning members receive a year-long membership to CGLHS.

Program

The afternoon will begin with a presentation by Eric Hsu, who will speak about the Domoto family, including prominent horticulturalist and nurseryman, Toichi Domoto (1902-2001). In his research, Hsu combed through Filoli's collections (archival and plant), recording the specimens supplied to the estate by the Domoto Brothers Nursery.

After the lecture join a specially curated tour of a section of Filoli’s historic garden - some not usually open to the public. You will have the option to choose between a stroll through the Formal Garden featuring Domoto's tree peonies, an in-depth look at the diverse fruit collection, or a behind-the-scenes visit to the greenhouses. The tours will be led by Filoli experts Haley O’Connor, John Chau, and Jim Salyards, along with Hsu and Filoli-alumni and Past President of CGLHS, Keith Park.

The lecture and tours will offer rich insights into the garden’s history, design, and horticulture.

Schedule

1:00 pm: Mingling and light refreshments (iced tea and lemonade).

1:30 pm: Flowers of Fortune and Fortitude: The Domoto Dynasty

Anyone who grows azaleas, camellias, chrysanthemums, and fruit trees today is a beneficiary of the Japanese American immigrant families who established nurseries in the Bay Area. Foremost was the Domoto family, a prominent horticultural dynasty that influenced California gardens and landscapes at a time when the post-Gold Rush economic boom transformed the Golden State into a national powerhouse. Entrepreneurial and hard-working, the family capitalized on the need for plants, importing them in large quantities from Japan and Europe. It was through Domotos' vision, shared with Chinese and Italian immigrants, that the San Francisco Flower Market came to fruition. The Domotos also encouraged former employees to start their own businesses, spurring the cut chrysanthemum industry in Redwood City. This talk will trace the beginnings of the Domoto brothers, who immigrated from Wakayama, Japan, to the descendent Toichi Domoto and his renowned Hayward nursery.

The presentation will be followed by an opportunity for Q&A, and a short break.

3:00 pm: Small-group Tours

The tours will end around 4:00 pm, but guests are welcome to stay and enjoy Filoli's gardens and trails until they close at 5:00 pm.

About our Invited Guest Lecturer

Eric Hsu is the Plant Information Coordinator at Chanticleer Gardens in Pennsylvania. He earned his bachelor's degree in Plant Science from Cornell University, and master’s degrees from both the University of Reading in England and the University of Tasmania in Australia. He is a frequent contributor to The Plantsman, the prestigious quarterly published by the Royal Horticultural Society in the United Kingdom. Hsu's research into the Domoto family will also be featured in an upcoming issue of CGLHS's quarterly journal, Eden. Outside of his professional and academic duties, Eric grows tropical cattleya species and begonias under lights. He enjoys cooking and dining, and his favorite Bay Area 'culinary' attractions are ACME Bread, Berkeley Bowl for its produce, and Kermit Lynch Wines.

Toichi Domoto with Bonsai Tree. Photo courtesy Haley O'Connor.

Seating for this event is limited. A waitlist will be opened if needed. Should you purchase a ticket and need to cancel, full refunds will be available thru Thursday, April 16th. Refunds will not be issued for cancelations after the 16th.

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Horticultural History at Filoli (April 25, 2026)