Cheerful potted arrangements welcome you where they take your money, miles from the final destination.
An American Castle begun in 1889 and completed in 1895 with shipping and railroad money.
An illegal interior shot of one of the hundreds of classical friezes that covered the upper walls and formed much of the trim detail.
Busted. No photographs allowed. The Banquet Room with triple fireplace, 40 foot long oak dining table and Pipe Organ.
Things on the roof.
Front exterior courtyard. Behind the windows is the Winter Garden, a glass roofed room. It's ceiling detail was in a previous post.
Exterior detail. The banister was actually a narrow walkway and stair to clean the windows.
Welcome to the Gardens.
Side view of the American Castle from the South Terrace.
Gentleman in the arbor.
A really big tree in the Shrub Garden, possibly a Beech Tree. It looked to have some damage from the Easter freeze.
A nice Weeping Cedar
Looking out on the extensive beds in the walled Garden.
Eucomis comosa, the Pineapple Lily.
Temperate Hibiscus.
Grass, Alocasias and either Coleus or Perilla.
An unknown to me, so if anyone recognizes it speak up. I like its stature at six feet at least, structure and big leaves.
The Conservatory.
Ho hum, been there, done that. Wrong! This was done to the max, an over the top extravaganza of very healthy big tropical plants. Well Done!
Pink Flamingos feeding in the garden.
What's that you hear?
Time to head back to the real world.
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10 comments:
I've visited Biltmore in spring and fall but never in summer, I think. So thanks for the tour. Go back in the fall if you get the chance.
Christopher, I think that your mystery plant is a "plume poppy" but I don't know much about them other than they supposedly abundantly spread. (Don't remember if that's self-seeding or what.)
I loved the tour and am glad to see some contraband pics of the inside, too. Those pink flamingoes from the conservatory still have me giggling--what were they made out of? I clicked to get a bigger pic but still couldn't tell.
Thanks Kim. The flamingos were made of wire frames stuffed with spagnum moss and probably soil inside. The plant was a small Polka dot plant, Hypoestes phyllostachya.
I think you are right about it being a Plume Poppy, Macleaya cordata. I'll do a little reading on it. There are enough spreaders around here now.
The Biltmore is worth another visit. A bit on the pricey side. They even have a nursery and I bought a delphinium, sedum and a sempervivum while I was there. The plant prices were very reasonable. Better than other places I have been.
Looks like heaven! Never heard of it before now.
Wondering if they are looking for a horticulturist to join the team ?
Or are you holding out for a position with the Arboretum ?
How's the job hunt going ?
I did apply to the Biltmore before I left Hawaii for a gardener position, foot in the door thinking. Didn't get it, no surprise because of the distance. Currently they have lawnmower and farmer positions available.
The Arboretum has a current Horticulture Technician I/Greenhouse Assistant position open and is taking applications until 7-31. I completely re-applied there, all new paperwork, for that job. I hope they are interested in me. It's a Gov'ment job so procedures have to be followed.
If I don't hear from them by the first week of August I will need to start really looking for a job. I need to be employed by September 1st. I can go longer, but I want to start seeing money coming in. The gravy train heads back to the Florida Beach for a month, back here for the fall color, then closes down for the winter by 1st week of November.
Today we have been building the temporary power pole/meter that will need to be inspected. Finally the trackhoe guy has shown up and is moving the horrible pad of soil that was put in for the cabin and bringing it back to the natural grade. Once that is done we can lay out the cabin again and dig the footings for the foundation.
Never been to the Biltmore in all my visits there. I never really thought about the gardens - they're not so obvious from the road. Maybe worth a visit? What's "pricy"?
I'll be in your area in less than three weeks, the week of August 12. You can drop me a line through the email address in my Blogger profile.
Christopher,
You probably already know this but I'll repeat myself ... if you really want the Arboretum position you have to stand out from the crowd.
I learned this when applying to a very competitive college and then the two horticultural internship programs that were also extremely difficult to get into.
I submitted the regular application along with a cover letter but I also followed up with a 'extended binder of information' that impressed upon the review boards that I was really very dead serious about attending their institutions.
That was 18 and 28 years ago so way before the time of the personal computer and all the nifty things you can do on like create slide shows, CD's and great looking photo essays.
I guess what I am getting at, is that won't hurt to send on a nice little 'emphasized' package highlighting your skills and talents .
Michelle
We've been through Ashville but never toured the Biltmore - we were always on our way to somewhere else, and sometimes it was in December. You've made it look very interesting, Christopher.
Good luck at standing out from rest of the horticultural applications -
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
Great tour! I love those gargoyles with the outstretched necks-scary! Definately a neat place to tour. I'm digging those flamigoes, too.
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