Each year for the past 23 years,Spring has been heralded by Biltmore Estate. (Biltmore House is also fondly called by this Asheville bed and breakfast, “George Vanderbilt’s ‘unique, little fixer-upper'”…just kidding) From early Spring and into mid- May, Biltmore Estate celebrates with the “Festival of Flowers”. And it starts this weekend!
Now if you have never seen Biltmore Estate here in Asheville, North Carolina, you are in for a varied and interesting experience…any time of year. But in the Spring, the grounds and gardens, and even the interior of the house, are filled with lovely blooms. That’s no accident. About 100,000 tulip bulbs are waiting for you as well as flowering trees, followed by azaleas, then followed by rhododendrons.
Originally, George Vanderbilt purchased 125,000 acres of property next to Asheville, NC and well out into the Blue Ridge mountains. He had “purchased his view” when he built the huge chateau-style house and first lived there in the 1890s. As you might imagine, the views from the house are spectacular at any season…George Vanderbilt literally owned everything he could see, plus more. If you look out from the loggia,a porch that runs the full length of the long living room, you can see a mountain in the distance with a radio tower on it. It’s Mt. Pisgah and it’s miles away. George Vanderbilt also built a hunting lodge just below the summit there.
Today, Biltmore Estate still includes 8,000 acres of property…the house, pastures, wine grape vineyards, and so on. And Spring is definitely a wonderful time to see it all. Late daffodils, all those tulip varieties and other bulbs are an immense delight. Some of the gardens, including those in the Walled Garden near the house, have so many plants that it feels as if you’re looking at an amazing “sea” of blossoms.This is one of those times when “bigger is better”!
It’s easy to get to Biltmore from our Asheviile NC bed and breakfast. We’re located just a half mile north of Downtown Asheville North Carolina and Biltmore Estate’s entry is across town…about 2 1/2 miles from us on the south side of Downtown Asheville.Just a few minutes and you’ll be on the Estate property.
Abbington Green Bed & Breakfast is pleased to offer a special Biltmore Estate “Two-Consecutive Day Pass” for the price of a one day ticket! You can’t get this ticket at Biltmore…but you can get it at our Asheville bed and breakfast! The price is $60. per person for this adult pass and it also offers entry into the house on each of those days, if you like. the “Two-Consecutive Day Pass” offers a lot of flexibility for you about how you choose to see Biltmore. It can be two long days or breaking your visit into two “bite-size-chunks”…the choice will be yours!
We look forward to meeting you this Spring at our Asheville bed and breakfast and sharing your celebration of Biltmore Estate’s “Festival of Flowers” through May 15th. See you soon!