A Virtual Tour of Biltmore Gardens in the Spring

At Biltmore, spring explodes with floral fireworks as over 80,000 blossoms burst into bloom. Nothing shouts spring like tulips, which fill the Walled Garden with a rainbow of hues. The Biltmore gardeners work to create picture-perfect scenes. “Our gardeners get to enjoy spring’s beautiful, long procession of blooms,” says Parker Andes, director of horticulture.

Biltmore counts on daffodils to deliver classic spring beauty, tucking different varieties into planting beds. “By choosing varieties that flower at different times, you can have daffodils in bloom for two months,” Andes says. “Start with ‘February Gold,’ then ‘Tete-a-Tete,’ and then ones like ‘Ice Follies.’ Daffodils are big and bright. You can cut them, stick them in a vase, and they last a long time.”

For perfumed bulb blooms, Biltmore includes hyacinths in spring bulb displays. These pretty flowers appear in early spring, breaking ground while frost is still in the forecast. Sometimes a hard freeze can nip the tips of leaves, turning them brown, but flower buds are typically untouched. Look for hyacinths with blooms in shades including blue, purple, pink, yellow and white. A cluster of hyacinth bulbs can scent a small garden.

Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Biltmore Gardens and Grounds unfold across 8,000 acres. American landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted designed the gardens, which include formal and informal styles. The takeaway from Biltmore’s lavish gardens is simple. “Create the kind of garden that you like,” Andes says. “It’s okay to have a formal entry and an informal garden in the back. The goal is to design a garden that you love.” Like the team at Biltmore, try to craft stunning seasonal snapshots within your garden.