A Photo Highlight Tour of the Biltmore Estate Gardens
We’re going to go ahead and get this out of the way: you don’t even have to like plants to appreciate the gardens.
Why? Because if you can appreciate design and architecture you can still enjoy the thought, planning and strategy that went into creating these grounds. The park-like landscape was designed by Frederick Law Olmstead, whose portfolio pieces include New York City’s Central Park and the Niagara Falls Reserve. So, you know, nobody special or anything.
As you exit the Biltmore house, you walk out to the right (on the south side) and are treated to the main formal garden, consisting of a fountain area and a blooming showcase. Take a look below to see what you can expect, and don’t forget to check out the resources at the end.
The Main Mall
Hi Alice, welcome to wonderland! The seasonal garden on the south side of the house is tended daily by who-knows-how-many dedicated caretakers, and is deliberately designed to showcase an eye-catching landscape year-round.
The cars in this picture are part of the steady stream of traffic coming in from the main entrance and snaking around the gardens to get to the winery and Antler Hill Village on the far side of the estate. 
Peripheral Park Trails
The showcase garden is flanked on the west side by park trails that will take you on a pleasant stroll to take in different tree and shrub species. Every so often you’ll see a park bench where you can take in the breeze and relax for a bit.
As you wander, refer to your grounds map so you can stop in at the shrub and rose groves.
The Greenhouse
As mentioned before, if you can appreciate architecture you will delight in taking in this stunning greenhouse. You’ll have to keep reminding yourself that you’re not on a movie set. Take a look:
Inside the Greenhouse
Once you walk inside, you may start to get an oxygen high, so densely packed with plants is this greenhouse. There are different areas or “rooms” within, presumably precisely tuned to serve the particular plants in each area. You’ll find everything from tropical to succulent specimens. 
Passionflower
Nature is an amazing architect and designer – take a look at the complexity in this enormous passionflower. That’s actually my hand in the back for scale.
Biltmore Orchids
There is what could best be called an “orchid room” in the greenhouse, where you can enjoy a variety of cultivars like these:
Additional Resources:
Read up on landscape architect Frederick Law Olmstead (Wikipedia).
Book a week in advance and save $12 on the price of each Admission Ticket.
Go back to the main Asheville Travel Resource Portal.
We could have easily spent an entire day exploring just the park and garden grounds, so please be generous with your time when you visit the Biltmore Estate!
While Darren captures the eye candy, Lisa’s in charge of the words around here. She wants you to prioritize travel because self-discovery and wonder are good for you. Have you downloaded our free travel wallpaper files to remind you of this daily? You totally should.
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