It is located on 380 acres (1.5 km2) of rolling meadows, woodlands, and lakefront property in Belmont, North Carolina. Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden is a botanical garden in Belmont, North Carolina, located near Charlotte, NC. Established by Daniel J. Stowe, a retired textile businessman from Belmont, the estate boasts enormous manicured gardens, natural surroundings, including a wooded trail, brilliant fountains, and an Orchid Conservatory, among other features.
The attractive garden site has been in continuous usage by the locals for a long time. Originally, Native Americans from the Catawba and Cherokee tribes came to this area to trap, fish, hunt, and raise their families. Later, the area was home to early European settlers who established themselves there. The meadowlands of the garden have been used as grazing for farm animals in recent years, despite the fact that the majority of the site is covered by mature deciduous trees and pine forests.
Despite the fact that it is a relatively young site, the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden has a long and illustrious history. In 1795, the French botanist André Michaux rode his horse and went through the grounds of the park. Michaux discovered additional species in Gaston County, which is not far from the current garden, including the Bigleaf Magnolia, which is now in the garden, near Newell, NC.
On October 9, 1999, the garden celebrated the grand opening of 110 acres (0.45 km2) of newly created land on the same farmland that was established more than 200 years earlier. The opportunity to become a founding member came to an end with 5,297 people applying.
Today, the Robert Lee Stowe Visitor Pavilion, with pale yellow stucco walls flanked by 20 white Tuscan columns and a copper roof, stands sentinel over the newly developed region, guarding the entrance to the new area. Outside, guests can find 10 acres (40,000 m2) of beautiful gardens, 12 glittering fountains, and a 12-mile-long (800-meter-long) wooded track on the property.
More than 100 dedicated volunteers help the garden maintain its national and international reputation. The garden has 32 full- and part-time workers and over 100 volunteers. A number of publications, including HGTV and USA Today, have called it one of the nation's "20 Great Gardens," and USA Today has named it one of the nation's top 10 spots to "welcome October with a flourish."
The master plan's development will take place over the course of the next many decades. A home demonstration garden, a boat water entrance with a lakeside visitor center, a children's garden, a rose garden, a restaurant, and an Asian garden are all planned for the garden in the future.
The Charlotte Museum of History