Biltmore Fun

To start off our Christmas Holiday Break, my husband took me to see one of the most wonderful places in the world, especially for someone who loves public gardens so much: the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina.  It was the first time I had ever been to the Biltmore and Christmas was such a great time to go.  This offered a chance to see a garden in what might be considered the off season because of the lack of living plant material, however it was still beautiful.  I think that winter offers a much more abstract and structural view of a landscape than summer simply due to the leafless trees and flowerless beds.  It is one of the best times to view a garden for a designer as it forces you to think about the potential of a space in all seasons. 

The Christmas decorations in the house were unbelievable—and my favorite were the floral arrangements made from greenery grown on site and flowers from the conservatory.  The floral designs had to be a challenge for the designer simply because of the need to fit the expansive scale of the home.  The grounds were slightly less set up with Christmas décor with the exception of the massive Christmas tree display on the front lawn.  The gardens did not appear prepared for nighttime visitors, and I think that adding lighting might take away from the natural forested look of so much of the property.  Lighting added to the formal gardens nearest the house might, however, open up extended hours of visitation and perhaps draw new crowds to the estate without parting from the original mission of this now public estate.

Visiting the Biltmore Conservatory was probably my second favorite aspect of the trip.  The orchids were stunning as were so many other plants.  One of my favorite things about greenhouses is their ability to combine architectural and horticultural beauty.  In fact, each of those areas makes the other more impressive. 

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Be sure to visit the Biltmore if you can—it truly is worth it.  And, be sure to check back to the blog to see more of what the Public Horticulture Program is doing this semester at Auburn.  Welcome back! Happy New Year!

-Leah Rogers