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| Water lily in the Italian Garden |
The property owned by Vanderbilt was extensive, so Olmsted
had a lot to work with. He was used to working on a large scale. At the
Biltmore the entry drive to the mansion is three miles long, and
after you finish touring the house the exit drive is another five miles in
length. All of this was thoughtfully designed by Olmsted to enhance the arrival
and departure experience, and to create a variety of views, and a sense of
openness or enclosure. The roads are lined with towering trees. The open fields
are shaped to draw you in and punctuated with groves of white flowering
rhododendrons.
Olmsted created a lagoon and a sinuous pond with a curved
and arched brick bridge to drive over. The outflow from the pond drops about
thirty feet so he could include a waterfall and shady picnic area at the base
of the falls.
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| Walled Garden, conservatory and stormy sky |
The mansion is surrounded by formal gardens. There is the
Italian Garden with three lily ponds, the minimalist South Terrace, the Walled
Garden – filled with flowering perennials, the Shrub Garden, the Spring Garden
and the Azalea Garden. These are connected by formal paths and informal trails.
Olmsted included a boathouse and large, multi-room conservatory, designed by
Hunt that houses an extraordinary collection of plants – far more extensive
than I’ve ever seen. And, it seemed that nearly everything in the conservatory
was in bloom the day I visited.
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| South Terrace |
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| Classical sculpture in the Italian Garden |
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| Formal Walled Garden filled with perennials |
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| Hollyhocks |
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Detail in the 236 foot long arbor in the
Walled Garden |
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| Canna leaves |
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| Hydragea in the Walled Garden |
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| Formal paths in the Walled Garden |
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| Cannas in the walled garden |
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| Walk shaded by ancient Wisteria |
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| Conservatory designed by Hunt |
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| Interior of the conservatory |
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| View of the house over the ponds in the Italian Garden |
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| One of three formal ponds in the Italian Garden |
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| There were several colors of water lilies |
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| Water plants and self portrait |
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| Remarkably subtle beauty |
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Double allee of Liriodendron line both sides of the entry lawn
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| Nicely detailed brick bridge crossing the lagoon |
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| Carefully crafted bridge and an enticing view |
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| Olmsted's waterfall from the Bass pond |
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