Biltmore Estate Gardens
Biltmore Estate Gardens
The Biltmore’s gardens sprawl across the estate’s 8,000-acre landscape. The Walled Garden is one of the most well-known on the property due to its geometric layout and ever-changing florals to match the season.
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.
Olmstead was in touch with the emotional impacts of landscapes on people moving through them; he valued and cultivated a sense of place in his design of over 75 acres of formal and informal gardens at Biltmore. To do this, he intentionally created transitions between symmetrical, manicured French style areas and informal landscapes in the British style. Some of his designs wouldn’t mature until decades after planting. Visitors to Biltmore today get the pleasure of enjoying fully-mature plants and landscapes that Olmstead dreamed up over a century in the past.
He purchased the land Shiloh, a thriving community of recently-freed African Americans, who lived and worshiped there on land they owned. Their homes, school, church, and even graveyard had to be relocated for Vanderbilt to realize his dream.
Vanderbilt lived at Biltmore and also used it as a place to entertain his many guests. Olmstead designed every detail to provide beauty and draw people into the landscape, including year-round blooms, thanks to the conservancy greenhouse in wintertime.
The Latest:
Biltmore blooms in spring with thousands of flowering shrubs, including low-lying tender annuals and bulbs, along with shrubs and trees. In March colors emerge as daffodils, hyacinths, pussy willows and others are the first courageous plants to show their flowers. Then in April one of the most popular spring destinations is the Walled Garden, where literally thousands of tulips show off their peak beauty throughout the month. After that, in May, the rose garden takes center stage and over 200 varieties of the iconic flower open to reveal a range of colors and exquisite fragrances. Along with these well-known plants, literally dozens more bedeck the formal and informal gardens throughout the 8,000 acre estate. Biltmore horticulturists and gardeners update the established garden areas with new plants over the fall and winter, so spring is a time to marvel at the fruits of their labors.
Hurricane Helene caused flooding and damage across the Biltmore, especially in lower-lying areas such as the main front entrance, which required significant repairs. The house, formal gardens, and winery were unscathed. In response to devastation in the surrounding communities, the Biltmore Estate established a $2 million relief fund to support recovery efforts and donated food, water, and warm-weather supplies to local aid organizations.
Plan a Visit:
With over 20 miles of trails in addition to the gardens, house, winery, and Antler Village with shops and restaurants, you could spend several days exploring Biltmore. Entrance into the estate is by ticket only and includes parking. Access options include: grounds only; house and grounds; house, exhibition hall and grounds; or exclusive tours. Several lodging options exist at the estate, from private cottages to an inn and hotel. When you stay at one of these, you automatically have access to the other features of the estate. The Biltmore is a world unto itself, but is also just minutes from downtown Asheville and the Blue Ridge Parkway.
The Details
Address: 1 Lodge St., Asheville
Hours: Open daily; varying hours by day and time of year
Fees: $67-$420
Website: biltmore.com