Today Filoli is California State Historic Landmark number 907 and is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places. Filoli Center continues a commitment to stewardship, preservation, and interpretation. Unlike other historic resources, gardens are unique examples of living art with a special set of challenges and threats.
Plants grow and continue to change over time and are directly affected by changes in the environment. These changes affect the management of the garden. Formal gardens must be continually renewed to maintain the original design and keep the gardens dynamic and healthy. Woodlands and vegetation can encroach and block important historic views. Tree canopies increase, and shade compromises the health of plants and the integrity of aggregate features below. Sometimes catastrophic events occur causing trees to fail. Environments can change drastically requiring the construction of special temporary shade structures for long periods of time. Pests and diseases take their toll on historic plants and clonal replacements are often unavailable, unless their replacements have been planned and propagated in the greenhouse.
Some of Filolis historic plants are part of aggregate features, like allees or formal hedges. The loss of just a few plants can ruin the entire feature. Other plant specimens have been trained for decades to achieve specific forms and shapes in the landscape. Garden preservation depends on the training of gardeners to maintain the health of the plants and the continuity of the design. With every pruning cut, gardeners carry the art and tradition forward into the next season and provide continuity.
Long-range planning must also be ongoing to address maintenance, renovation, replacement and propagation of woody plants, and production of period flowers for the parterres. Filoli has been well-cared-for by three different owners and, although its use has changed, it still maintains its original country place character, its plants, ornamentation, and historic integrity.
Filoli is open to the public for the enjoyment of its beauty and serenity. It provides many opportunities to the community for learning and professional development in subjects including history, art, architecture, design, landscape preservation, conservation, botany and horticulture. Filolis use policies and etiquette were developed to protect its historic resources and to enhance the visitor experience in keeping with Mr. Bourns original vision that Filoli will continue to be an interesting place, enjoyed for several hundred years and more.