Well, we are home again at Gilmore Gardens. While I am catching up on weeding, cutting down spent allium and foxgloves, etc, I thought I would post a few pictures from our trip south. We were able to squeeze in a few garden visits on the way (hooray!) and I am excited to share them with you all.
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| View to the house over one of the Italian garden pool. |
The Biltmore Estate is located in Asheville, NC. The house - containing 250 rooms - was finished in 1895 by George Vanderbilt and an entire community of craftsmen. The grounds and gardens around the house were first designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, who is considered the father of American landscape architecture. (He is most famous for designing Central Park in New York City, but also designed another of our favorite American gardens,
The Bok Tower Gardens in Florida.)
Vanderbilt had a love for horticulture, leading to the creation of the main formal gardens and natural walking paths surrounding the house area. Beyond are countless trails for horse riding, biking, lakes and streams for fishing, etc. The first managed forests in the country were here at Biltmore. It is a true pleasure grounds that would have wowed any of Jane Austin's heroines for sure. (We wondered on drive to the house if we would reach it before nightfall.)
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| View from the main patio over the Blue Ridge Mountains. |
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| Wisteria arbor leading to another lovely overlook of the mountains. |
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| Bust under the wisteria arbor. |
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| Waterlilies in the Italian Garden. |
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| Pink water lotus in the pools. |
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| The walk down to the Walled garden, Rose garden and Conservatory. |
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| Unwelcome hail damage to the glass conservatory from just a few days before our arrival. A gardeners nightmare! |
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| One of the exuberant borders in the Walled Garden. I love the banana in this situation. |
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| My favorite section of the borders: White mophead hydrangeas (very tender in my climate), white sage and a tall white grass. |
Anyone know this grass' name?
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| Espaliered pear tree on the wall. I love the right-angled training. |
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| My kids favorite part: the fountain under the wisteria arbor. |
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| Sillies splashing in the water. Oh, the joys of being a child! |
It was a quick visit, but well worth the stop for us. We only toured the first floor of this amazing house and the kids were ready for lunch. But the gardens were my favorite part anyway, of course. And running down the walks and grassy areas did their little legs some good.
Hope you enjoyed a peek at our visit!
Stop back in to see
another wonderful road stop further down in
South Carolina.
Beautiful!!!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a 'house' that is! More like a castle. There must be an army of people needed just to do the dusting. The gardens are beautiful. I love the shot of the kids splashing in the water. They look like they are having great fun!
ReplyDeleteI have been there a few times, and am always impressed. It's been a while, so I loved seeing your tour. Your took some great pictures.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed visiting with you. We are long time members and have visited many times... not in the past few years though (too busy in our own garden LOL). But it is a magnificent place and the Cecil family has done a wonderful job of maintaining and sharing it! Your pix are great!
ReplyDeleteOhmigosh, those lotus...~swoon~ My most favourite plant in the whole wide world.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your photos, what a house, just imagine doing the dusting !!! The garden looks really lovely with beautiful planting, no wonder you enjoyed it
ReplyDeleteGreat Post! That wisteria pergola is to die for! and very southern Italian looking, It looks as if the garden was inspired by one in Ravello. The white Hydrangea, salvia combination is very interesting. Thanks for sharing your trip. Christina
ReplyDeleteBeautiful grounds!
ReplyDeleteWow! Those gardens are BEAUTIFUL!! I remember going to visit the house when I was younger, but I don't think that I payed much attention to the grounds then! I can see now why you wanted to make that detour to visit the gardens!
ReplyDeleteWonderful pictures! My in-laws have been after me to visit the Biltmore every year that we go to North Carolina. One of these days, I'm going to have to make it priority when I'm "Just Passing Through."
ReplyDeleteJulie, I really want to get to the Biltmore some day and your photos make me want to even more. Love the angle on the waterlily photos--will have to remember that. Carolyn
ReplyDeleteThe scale is right.
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