Mountain Oasis

Flowering, green growth and beauty abound in the mountain springtime. One way to drink it all in is to visit gardens where plant lovers’ passions have created enchanting landscapes. From public botanical gardens near downtown Asheville, Boone and Highlands, to elegant plantings at Biltmore Estate, and the remote majesty of Southern Highlands Reserve, here’s the scoop on a bevy of botanical destinations.

Biltmore Estate Gardens

The Backstory:
George Vanderbilt III, youngest son of shipping and railroad tycoon William Henry Vanderbilt, created the Biltmore estate with the intention that it would be self-sustaining. With a personal interest in horticulture, agriculture and forestry, Vanderbilt had the means to employ the nation’s top designers and practitioners in those areas. Frederick Law Olmsted, considered the father of American landscape architecture, had already designed New York’s Central Park and the Capitol Grounds in Washington, D.C. when Vanderbilt approached him to design the Biltmore. >>READ MORE

North Carolina Arboretum

Nature, culture, and conservation are on display at the North Carolina Arboretum. The 434-acre forested site is home to 65 acres of cultivated gardens, including a variety of formal gardens and demonstration sites, plus beautiful hiking trails. The Baker Visitor Center showcases nature-inspired art year-round. 

The Backstory:
At the turn of the 20th century, George Vanderbilt purchased the land that would become the Arboretum as part of his original Biltmore Estate. He worked with early foresters to begin reforesting the degraded farmland and over-logged forest that were there. This work continued after he sold the parcel to the US Forest Service in 1917. >>READ MORE

Asheville Botanical Gardens

This special 10-acre native plant sanctuary is tucked at the edge of the UNC Asheville campus, just minutes from downtown Asheville. Visitors are welcome to stroll, picnic, purchase locally-made botanical arts and crafts, or take a class and get to know dozens of species of beautiful and fascinating native plants.

The Backstory:
After World War II, development boomed around Asheville and local plant-lovers Bruce and Tom Shinn and friends regularly went on rescue missions ahead of bulldozers, transplanting natives into their private gardens for preservation; in the early 1960s they began to run out of space. >>READ MORE

Daniel Boone Native Gardens

This quiet oasis in an urban landscape welcomes visitors daily, dawn until dusk, and is minutes from downtown Boone. Home to over 200 varieties of native plants across ten acres, the gardens also host community gatherings including plant sales, hands-on workshops, traditional music concerts, outdoor yoga classes and an annual “Fairy Day.” 

The Backstory:
In 1957, landscape architect H. Stuart Ortloff noted that studying native Appalachian plants was difficult because so many of them were inaccessible. >>READ MORE

Southern Highlands Reserve

Part conservation project and part work of art, the Southern Highlands Reserve began as two nature-loving parents’ endeavor to instill that same reverence in their kids. High atop a mountain, 4,500 feet above sea level near Lake Toxaway, this stunning 120 acre arboretum and center for hands-on conservation and research boasts unique plants that only thrive at high elevations, along with familiar local beauties. 

The Backstory:
In 2002, outdoor enthusiasts Betty and Robert Balentine created the Southern Highlands Reserve as a North American Land Trust conservation easement when they noticed their children’s disconnection from the natural world. >>READ MORE

Highlands Botanical Gardens

Perched nearly 4,000 feet above sea level, the Highlands Botanical Gardens are the highest in the country and offer opportunities to explore many ecosystems in one place. Walking through the 12 acre garden can be relaxing, inspiring, and also powerfully educational. Active research happens there year-round exploring the unique ecology and dazzling biodiversity of the Highlands plateau. 

The Backstory:
The Highlands area, with its high elevation, abundant rainfall, and resulting unique ecology has been a hot-spot for botanists and naturalists for centuries. >>READ MORE