Forestiere Underground Gardens in Fresno CA

We had some time this weekend in Fresno, California, and like I usually do, I checked Pinterest to find places of interest unique to the city. This place was the most common posting so I decided to check it out and it was awesome!!

I was initially drawn to the Mediterranean look of the photos with the description that it was all underground! But it wasn't just an underground garden. The owner/builder Baldassare Forestiere decided to just build his whole living space below ground since Fresno is so hot. He started planting citrus trees and other plants down there as well and they thrived. This guy was an immigrant from Italy (thus the design inspiration) who was a completely self taught architect, builder, botanist, etc. Amazing! 

His "bathroom" looks like some kind of secluded Mediterranean spa! I would love to have a soak in those surroundings. 

Here's a selfie of me and my cooperative child who took the tour with me. For lack of a nicer way of saying it, our two year old got kicked out. They gave Victor a refund and tried to be nice about it, but he didn't want to stay quiet and restrained, was disrupting the whole tour (you can't do anything self guided), so they gave him the boot. Yikes. Poor Victor had to deal with him above ground while I took the tour. When my tour guide said to me "he wants his mama, I heard him crying your name," I replied, "well, mama wants to see the gardens." Sorry, J. But more sorry to Victor.

Anyway, if you ever find yourself in Fresno, you should check this place out! So fascinating, so pretty, and nice and cool if you're trying to escape the Fresno heat ;)