Located in historic Midwood, The VanLandingham Estate Inn & Conference Center includes the historic Harwood home and five-acres of the oldest premier gardens in Mecklenburg County. Both are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

These magnificent gardens are home to several rare treasure trees, a butterfly garden, a historic lily pond and an array of dazzling plants and flowers from both the Piedmont region and from around the world. As with all of The Estate's renovations, great care has been taken to preserve the historic nature of the gardens and to restore them to their original splendor.

The gardens are most noted for their Springtime beauty when the azaleas, dogwoods and rhododendrons are in full bloom. However, there are surprises to be found throughout the year. The gardens provide a year-round focus on sound and texture by combining plant and wildlife with the soothing sounds of water and with seasonal splashes of color.
As you stroll the grounds, note the whimsical stone statues that grace the gardens, the one-of-a-kind mosaic fountain and the playful tree swing that has served as a romantic seat for many local bridal portraits. Enjoy!

The VanLandingham garden is a rare surviving example of a gentleman's garden designed to be enjoyed as an extension of the home itself. Leigh Colyer was commissioned to design the five-acre garden. In keeping with the mountain theme of the home, he used stone to outline the numerous garden beds throughout the estate and planted the beds with rhododendrons, azaleas, dog hobble, ferns, and various evergreens such as hemlocks and firs.

This garden was poised and balanced with clues taken for plant placement from nature, and with many trees found on the site fully integrated into the plan. Colyer coupled this informal style with formal terraces near the house for entertainment and extended the spaces with a graceful brick. This walk that brought the walker into a lush formal rose garden complete with a fountain. From here you walked through a boxwood topiary, followed by steps to a rock garden and lily pond. The vision was to have many different spaces held together with masses of evergreens and rhododendrons.

Many of the plants we see at the VanLandingham today were added later and perhaps were practical additions such as, the hedge along Belvedere Avenue and The Plaza. Also, during the estate's ownership by the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, many unusual species such as the large California Redwood and the Bald Cypress were added.