Look around at the azaleas making fuchsia star bursts in spring... and realize that life is glorious, and that you have no business taking it for granted. - Anna Quindlen, Author
One of my favorite places to visit during April is the Azalea Garden at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. Actually, this area is more than a garden because it is a sprawling 15 acre section of the Estate in a valley that used to be called The Glen, designed by Frederick Law Olmstead.
This valley of azaleas is charming with many paved and unpaved pathways, some of which follow streams. Each path twists and turns from one section of azaleas to another with displays of different color blooms, including lavender, white, red, orange and magenta.
The Azalea Man
Chauncey Beadle, the botanist and horticulturist who worked at the Biltmore Estate from 1909 until 1950, created this garden with 3,000 azalea plants that he collected for his farm in Asheville. In 1940 he donated these plants to the Estate to fulfill his vision for an azalea garden. Creating this garden became his life's work and his legacy, which we can enjoy today. In 1940 Edith Vanderbilt named this area the Azalea Garden and installed a plaque in honor of Chauncey Beadle.
For fourteen years Mr. Beadle and three friends traveled through Western North Carolina and Tennessee looking for native azaleas of the Southeast and recording detailed notes of what they found. They dug up plants, identified them, and brought them to Mr. Beadle's farm. Over the years, these "azalea hunters," as they called themselves, collected thousands of plants. Because of Chauncey Beadles' passion, he became known as the "Azalea Man." One of his favorites was the Flame Azalea, a native plant with bright orange and yellow blossoms. This vibrant plant grows throughout the Southeast and is one of many in this historic garden.
Azaleas are in the genus Rhododendrun. There are many other species of rhododendrons blooming in April as well, adding their own beauty to the azalea display at Biltmore. The Estate's website has a convenient "Bloom Report" where you can check on the progress of the flowers throughout the different gardens.
An Environment of Beauty and Sound
It is a treat to visit the Estate in April and walk down the stone staircase below the Conservatory to the Azalea Garden. Next to the railings are azaleas with red, white and pink blooms. As you proceed down the path, you will see many more azaleas. Some have buds that are about to open, but many will have colorful blooms. This display goes on throughout the spring since Chauncey Beadle chose plants for their different bloom times.
I always enjoy going off the Azalea Garden's beaten path to check on the growth of ferns and wildflowers that grow along the creek banks. The many mature trees throughout the garden create cool shady areas. It is a peaceful experience to wander through this natural environment, listen to the sounds of birds and flowing water, and admire the vivid azalea blossoms. Thanks to the life work of Chauncey Beadle, we can all enjoy this colorful springtime garden.
Judith Canty Graves is an award-winning columnist with a home garden in Asheville. Follow @TheObservantGardener on Instagram to see new garden photos daily. This article appears in The Laurel of Asheville.