From Staff Reports 

Summertime is when Biltmore Estate’s landscape is literally full of itself, when tropical plantings mix with manicured patterns, including the annual crop of bedazzling sunflowers that were in full bloom recently.

As for Biltmore’s sunflowers, a recent Biltmore press release stated, “Summer guests at Biltmore are always in awe of the acres of sunflowers that line the road to Antler Hill Village & Biltmore Winery — these beauties bloom in phases into September. 

“Besides serving as a visual treat and the perfect background for photos, the flowers provide meals for the diverse wildlife that lives on the estate including deer, mourning doves, song birds and migrating birds.

“These plantings are part of Biltmore’s Wildlife Management Program. Within this program, plants ensure wildlife on the estate has food and places to nest. Out of 500 acres of crop fields on the estate, some 50 acres are designated for wildlife feeding. Plantings of native warm season grasses and wildflowers provide both nesting and protective cover for a wide variety of wildlife,” the release noted.