Asheville #1

Our caravan experience ended in Asheville. We had a tour of the Biltmore, then a farewell dinner. Biltmore has always held some fascination for me. The grandeur, the furnishings, the size, and the incredible wealth behind it are almost too much for me to take in. Several times I have experienced a bit of melancholy upon leaving the estate and heading back to my little ranch house and my basic, humdrum life. This time, that didn't happen. In fact, I hated the tour of the Biltmore home! It was so crowded, I couldn't even get into the rooms, or if I did, I was wedged in and my field of vision was limited to what I could see over someone's shoulder, and past their ear.

I love the craftsmanship and the detail. I can't even begin to imagine what it would cost in today's dollars to have a home built with this sort of attention to detail.... if you could even find the craftsmen! Several years ago Mr. Dreamy and my son attended some classes at the College of the Building Arts in Charleston. This college was started in response to Hurricane Hugo (1989) when it was realized the artisans just aren't available to do the level of work required to repair or rebuild older buildings. My men took classes in ornamental blacksmithing. The college had a hard time holding on to their students because the kids would take a year or two of classes, and then would be offered jobs before they even finished the program!

Oops, I've wandered again... back to Asheville!

So, I didn't enjoy the inside of the Biltmore, but we Dreamers enjoyed a brief saunter through the gardens. The flowering trees and shrubs are just waking to spring. They are lovely.

The walled gardens was a riot of color.

As we strolled through the garden beds I wondered how many bulbs they had planted. Now that I have access to the Internet, my question was answered:

96,000

Wow! That's a lot!

We took a few moments to thaw out fingers visiting the greenhouse.

One of the garden photographers was there, shooting flowers for the "What's Blooming Now?" report and the Biltmore Blooms web page. Wouldn't that be a fun job?

She captured this incredible orchid.

One of the gardeners had tipped her off, letting her know how spectacular the blooms were.

Here's another orchid. 

The blossoms seem so delicate.

When we stepped outside, I noticed this guy.

He was singing to the glory of spring!

Do you blame him?!