a favorite sequence of Biltmore conservatory shots

This sequence of photos contains several of my personal favorites. Each captured the real essence of the plant and the atmosphere for me.

I loved the spiny-trunked palm particularly juxtaposed with the delicate flower behind it, and the texture of the aged terra cotta pots.

The other tree really called to me with the patterned trunks and the incredible way the light came through all those leaves.

The shot upward is a study in light and reflection and what is real and not real, as well as what looks like a reflection but is actually not. I loved this one b/c I put the bamboo "fence" in at the bottom - it was so much to take in, but not in any way overwhelming.

and still more biltmore

If you click on the individual photos you'll see just how much texture and color is in each one. The veins of the leaves, individual flowers, the background and understory plantings, and even the conservatory structure itself created layers of visual interest. That these things actually grow out in the world as native plantings is miraculous to me.

I think my favorite photo in this batch is the last one, which gives a sense of the size and scope of the conservatory. Everywhere I looked there were lines and textures and light that shifted depending on where I stood or what room I walked into. I've really never been in such a stimulating environment - and yet it was mostly quiet - the various sounds of fans and misters and windows opening and closing weren't a constant - but almost like a clock marking this very special kind of time.

I left thinking I would absolutely love to have a place like this at home. If you've seen the movie Green Card, think of that penthouse apartment with the rooms like this, and the rooftop garden. I wonder just how much time it takes to maintain this place?

another batch of Biltmore conservatory photos

I started out trying to record the names of each plant but then decided I simply didn't care - I just wanted to walk around and find the ones I liked and get photos.

I also thought that it would be so easy to hide in the conservatory and get locked in there. It would be fun until it got dark and then it would probably be a bit scary, with all the fans and misters and various windows shifting and sliding. It was like the entire conservatory was its own living organism.

more Biltmore conservatory photos

 

the conservatory at the Biltmore Estate

One of the places we went this trip was the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. I've been numerous times during my life, but my children have only been once before, and my mom hadn't been in many years, so we decided to take an afternoon there.

The estate itself is incredible, but this trip I discovered a section I'd never been in before: the conservatory.

I'm not sure what captivated me the most - the labyrinthine rooms and walkways, the gorgeous plants, the light, or the periodic sound of levers turning and windows shifting, and misters spraying. It was absolutely mesmerizing. I took a lot of photographs, which I'll be adding here as the day rolls on.

Here are a few to get me started:

I think there is a book with a conservatory just like this one in my writing future.