Surrounded as Asheville and our Asheville bed and breakfast is by mountains and forest,what would make the North Carolina Arboretum stand out? Why would more greenery be important? Why would you want to spend time visiting the Arboretum if you live in Asheville or if you’re visiting this area?

Frederick Law Olmsted, renowned landscape architect of the late-19th century and designer of the drive and the gardens for George Vanderbilt at Biltmore Estate, dreamt of establishing an arboretum on the Biltmore property here in North Carolina. However, he died in 1898 before that dream became a reality.

But that dream was not forgotten and was taken up in the 1980s with a feasibility study for a mountain arboretum. By 1986 a 426-acre site was selected adjacent to the Blue Ridge Parkway at Asheville and the work began in earnest. The property’s ‘mission statement’ includes acting as a education and cultivation resource to this area, the state and the nation. Teaching teachers and enthusiasts, cultivating demonstration gardens, acting as a focal point for conservation…all these things can be found at the Arboretum.

And not to forget the everyday Arboretum visitor who will be happy to find a place to walk and breathe and smile. So I am happy to suggest that you put on a pair of comfortable shoes and add to your visit to Asheville a visit to the Arboretum!