Biltmore Historic Gardens

 

Located in Ashville, North Carolina, Biltmore was built in 1888 by American Art Collector, George Biltmore. He was a member of the famous Biltmore family who amassed a fortune through steamboats, railroads, and other business ventures. The 250-room mansion is the largest privately owned home in the United States. Biltmore hired famous landscape designer, Frederick Law Olmsted to design the 8000-acre garden that surrounds the mansion.

You can begin your garden tour at the library terrace where 100-year-old wisteria and trumpet creeper flowers add a splash of color to the surroundings. Enjoy the breathtaking views of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the estate's vast acreage. 

 Moving on to the Italian garden, exotic water lilies, tropical plants, and koi fish provide an elegant and symmetrical example of aquatic gardening.

Winding paths lead to the 15-acre azalea garden which in the spring pops with vibrant pink and red colors. 

The walled garden is the most well-known, with geometric designs of changing colors and textures, reflecting the flora of each of the four seasons. Other gardens include the rose garden, butterfly garden, and conservatory. 

Admission, while a pricey $99 per person, includes entry into both the home and gardens. Hours are daily from 9-5. If you can do it, this is a place to see at least once in your lifetime. 

Gardening tip: Use Epsom Salt to take care of house plants. Use 2 tablespoons per gallon of water and feed plants monthly. Epsom salt is magnesium sulfate. It helps seeds germinate, plants grow fuller, produce more flowers, and keeps slugs away.  

 

Transitioning Native Plants into your Landscape Design

 

When I first came to Georgia twelve years ago, I quickly discovered that the plants I loved and grew in Ohio didn't work with the soil and climate of Georgia. Instead of fighting a losing battle, I decided to use plants native to the area. They thrived and worked well with the different kinds of wildlife in the area. If you'd like to transition to native plants in your landscape design, here's how to do it:

1. Assess your site. Figure out drainage and sunlight exposure. Determine nutrients in your soil by taking soil samples. If needed, add organic material like compost, or topsoil, preferably to a depth of 6-8 inches.

2. Plan your design. Group similar plants together by their water and sunlight needs. Plant taller plants in the back and shorter ones in the front. Use a variety of plant types that will provide year-round interest. 

3. Select native plants:  Trees, shrubs, perennials, and grasses. In my area, White Oak, American holly, Eastern White Pine, oakleaf hydrangea, black-eyed Susan, purple coneflower, sunflowers, switchgrass, and river oats work well. 

4. Remove invasive, non-native species.

5. Mulch and water.

6. Plant to attract pollinators:  milkweed for monarchs, bee balm for bees...

7. Maintain properly. Allow plants to reseed and spread naturally.

8. Use local resources. Your state probably has organizations and plant societies dedicated to native plant gardening. You can look for them online.

Today's IWSG question is:  If you could sit down and have an adventure, fight, or enjoy a beer or wine with a fantasy character, who would it be?  Dumbledore from Harry Potter. I wouldn't want to fight him, but it would be cool to have an adventure with him or sit down and chat. He's such a cool, wise old dude. Who would you choose?

Gardening tip:  You can soak dish sponges in water and put them at the bottom of your potted plants to help them stay hydrated. Do this before you add the soil.

 

Yerba Buena Garden

 

The Yerba Buena Gardens are located in San Francisco, California.  Basically, it's two blocks of public parks in downtown San Francisco.  It provides over 100,000 square feet of green space for the residents.  There's grass, gardens, streams, and fountains, and even a 100 year old carousel (built in 1906) that children can enjoy.

   Children can also find a playground, a labyrinth made of hedges, and an area where they can alter the flow of the streams to create dams or irrigate the gardens.

The park is open daily from dawn to dusk.  The Carousel is open daily from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM.  The cost for two rides on the carousel is $3.00.

I'm going to begin posting the IWSG questions of the month here instead of on my Mama Diaries Blog. For those of you who don't know, I lost my son in a motorcycle accident on February 2nd. I've decided to leave my Mama Diaries blog as a tribute to him since there are many stories from his childhood there. 

The question of the month is if you could be someone else for a while, who would you be and why. Actually, even with all the pain and sadness I've been through, I wouldn't want to be anyone else. I'm perfectly happy as myself.   

Gardening Tip:  To get rid of fruit flies on houseplants, pour apple cider vinegar into a container, cover with plastic wrap, and poke holes in the top. The flies will go in and not come out. 

The Jimmy Carter Center Gardens

 

In honor of the passing of our 39th president, I thought I'd share information about the gardens at the Jimmy Carter Center. 

The Jimmy Carter Center Gardens, located in Atlanta, Georgia, is a thirty-seven acre wooded park that contains a formal garden, wild flower meadow, cherry orchard, Japanese garden, a couple of lakes, and waterfalls.  The rose garden contains about 400 plants with 80 different varieties.

Of course the gardens aren't the only thing to see here.  The Jimmy Carter Library and Museum is here, which features an exact replica of the Oval Office and the Nobel Prize awarded to Jimmy Carter.

The gardens are open Monday through Saturday from 9:00 -4:45 and Sunday from 12:00 - 4:45.  Admission is $8.00 for adults.

  

Tip of the Day:

Dryer sheets have insect-repellent properties. Place them in the corners of rooms, on rafters, along window sills, in potted plants, or anywhere you tend to see spider webs. You can also rub the sheet on bare skin to discourage mosquitos from biting you.   

Fruit and Spice Park and a New Release

 

The Fruit and Spice Park, located in Homestead, Florida, is a unique place to visit. It is a thirty-acre public park that features 500 varieties of fruits, vegetables, spices, herbs, and nuts. Guided tours are available, and visitors can quite literally munch their way through the garden.  (There's a tasting counter at the park shop to sample things you can't yank off the plants and eat.)  If you want to learn about fruits and vegetables and see how they are naturally grown (especially ones that aren't found in your area), this is the place to visit.

The park is open daily from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM.  Cost of admission for adults is $5.00, and for children, it is $1.50.

And here's my new release, the last book of the Bubba and Squirt series:  

Book links: Amazon / iTunes / B&N / Kobo / Goodreads

Garvan Woodland Gardens

 

Garvan Woodland Gardens is located about six miles from Hot Springs National Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas.  The garden was started by Verna Cook Garvan in the 1920s.  After her death, she left the garden to the Department of Landscape Architecture of the University of Arkansas.

The gardens are simply breathtaking.  They cover 210 acres and contain waterfalls, picturesque bridges, gorgeous overlooks, and a Japanese garden.  It's a perfect place for nature lovers.

The gardens are open February through November from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM and in December from noon to 9:00 PM.  Admission is $10.00 per adult and $5.00 per child.

Cragfont Gardens

 

Cragfont Gardens are located in Castalian Springs, Tennessee.  They are part of the frontier mansion of Revolutionary War hero, General James Winchester.  The mansion, built in 1802,  now serves as a museum, and the gardens are a popular place for weddings.  There is a gazebo, a lake with a fountain, and a plethora of colorful blooms.

The gardens are open April 15th through November 1st.  Hours of operation are Tuesday through Friday 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Saturday from 10:00 - 5:00, and Sunday by appointment.  Cost of admission is $5.00 for adults, and $3.00 for children.