In the shadow of the Biltmore House you will delight in some of the finest formal and informal gardens in the United States. Frederick Law Olmstead, a founder of landscape architecture, had completed Central Park in New York and had landscaped the campuses at Boston University, Yale and Stanford when he was approached by George Vanderbilt in the 1880s. Vanderbilt had begun purchasing land which would eventually total 125,000 acres around Asheville, NC. Amid construction of the well known estate, Olmstead transformed the surrounding grounds.
Today, Biltmore Estate’s forests, grounds and gardens reflect Olmsted’s plans from nearly a century ago. Estate staff manage approximately 5,000 acres of forest and woodland as well as maintain the estate grounds and greenhouses. Their jobs include pruning some 80 varieties of roses in the rose garden, planting 50,000 tulip bulbs in the English Walled Garden each year, raising and planting 20,000 bedding plants annually, and growing more than 1,000 poinsettias which decorate Biltmore House every Christmas.
Once you visit, you will have a hard time deciding which is your favorite season! Now is the time to see an explosion of tulips, azaleas, rhododendron and dogwoods. Plan your visit now and BE INSPIRED!
Gina Smith
864-979-9116
