HGTV named this spot as the best garden in North Carolina. Here’s why.

HGTV recently published a list of the top gardens in every state. Here’s what they picked as best garden in North Carolina.

The “most beautiful garden” in North Carolina, according to HGTV’s state-by-state list, is right here in Asheville.

The HGTV website is home to plenty of articles and lists recognizing countless impressive homes and gardens. The site’s recent list of “The Most Beautiful Garden You Can Visit in Every State” included a full 50 gardens.

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Perhaps coming as no surprise to residents of Western North Carolina, the Biltmore Estate Gardens in Asheville was HGTV’s pick for the state. Here’s what writers said about the Biltmore Estate Gardens, plus other gardens in the Southeast that were recognized and more.

HGTV’s pick for ‘most beautiful’ garden in NC? Biltmore Estate Gardens, Asheville

“With 8,000 acres, America’s most visited garden surrounds the country’s largest private home,” the HGTV list said of the gardens. “The century-old walled garden transforms seasonally, while the bass pond offers reflective views of the Blue Ridge Mountains beyond.”

The estate’s gardens make up 75 acres on the property. The Biltmore website suggests the following itinerary to visitors:

• Begin at the Library Terrace, with century-old wisteria, vibrant trumpet creeper flowers and a bird’s-eye view of the estate’s 8,000 acres
• Head down the stairs, left of the South Terrace, to visit the shady Pergola
• Meander to the Italian Garden, filled with exotic water lilies, tropical bananas, papyrus and koi fish
• Walk 10 acres of paved paths through the Shrub Garden to view over 500 plant varieties, including the golden rain tree, North Carolina State champion river birch, Japanese maples and vibrant viburnums
• Turn off the paths onto the gravel of the Spring Garden to see forsythia and spirea among towering white pines and hemlocks
• Wander the 15 acres of paths through native azaleas and dawn redwoods in the Azalea Garden, home to over 20,000 plants
• Visit the famous Walled Garden, home to geometric beds of “ever-changing colors and textures to reflect the seasons,” from vibrant tulips in spring to chrysanthemums, asters and ornamental grasses in the fall
• See the semi-circle Butterfly Garden below the Rose Garden and before the Conservatory to meet “delicate pollinators fluttering amidst nectar-rich blossoms, sheltered from the wind by the surrounding walls”
• Head indoors to the Conservatory to be “transported to a tropical oasis” of exotic orchids, ferns and towering palms, plus more seasonal blooms
• “Save your energy for the final spot on your garden tour” by driving or walking to the water’s edge at the Bass Pond

What are the best gardens in the South?

In the Southeastern region of the U.S., HGTV’s picks for most beautiful gardens included:

• Alabama – Bellingrath Gardens and Home (Theodore)
• Arkansas – Garvan Woodland Gardens (Hot Springs)
• Florida – Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden (Coral Gables)
• Georgia – Atlanta Botanical Garden (Atlanta)
• Kentucky – Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest (Clermont)
• Louisiana – Longue Vue House and Gardens (New Orleans)
• Mississippi – Crosby Arboretum (Picayune)
• North Carolina – Biltmore Estate Gardens (Asheville)
• South Carolina – Brookgreen Gardens (Murrells Inlet)
• Tennessee – Cheekwood Estate & Gardens (Nashville)
• Virginia – Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden (Richmond)

Reporting by Iris Seaton, Asheville Citizen Times / Asheville Citizen Times