Nature designs the most scenic destinations, but the right human touch and artistry can make it a little more cozy and accessible being staged right in the midst of human dwellings. Plant lovers looking for inspirations can always find fabulous and serene gardens to complete their travels. Every tired visitor looking for quiet moments after a tiring adventure, shopping spree or gastronomic meal can always appreciate a restful moment in a beautiful garden, even if you can’t tell a tulip from a wild carnation.
How can you resist the millions of tulip blooms blanketing the expansive hectares of grounds in the Netherlands? How can you stop yourself from being amazed in the middle of the gardens that tell centuries of history, such as the Royal Botanic Garden at Kew in London? It’s hard not to be stirred by the beauty of 17,000 species of plants that you think can’t thrive in the arid deserts of Arizona.
Sarah Schlichter takes you to a multisensory experience down the well-trodden paths of the
The World’s 9 Most Gorgeous Gardens posted in Independent Traveler.
A visit to a garden can add a touch of beauty and serenity to any trip. It might be a zen rock garden outside a Japanese temple, a maze of box hedges around a French chateau or an oasis of cacti and palms in the midst of Marrakesh; even if you can’t tell a dandelion from a daffodil, it’s hard to resist their appeal.
We’ve stopped and smelled the roses all around the world to come up with this list of the planet’s most gorgeous gardens.
- Butchart Gardens, Canada: This garden began as an unpretentious, rugged, spent limestone quarry that Jennie Butchart creatively transformed into the jaw-dropping Sunken Garden. This is now expanded to include a Mediterranean Garden, a Zen garden and a verdant lawn where guests can sprawl to watch the firework displays and concerts.
- Hamilton Gardens, New Zealand: This famous garden can take you around the world with its collection of gardens with themes and inspirations from all over – Italian Renaissance Garden, Indian Char Bagh Garden, the Rogers Rose Garden, and Bussaco Woodland to name a few.
- Jardin Majorelle, Morocco: Developed by an artist, Jacques Morelle, this garden explodes with Morrocan fountains and buildings in cobalt blue and its hallmark greens consisting of cacti and palm trees.
- Villandry, France: The Loire Valley chateau is a mixture of spectacular ornamentals and a patchwork of vegetables. It has three levels of impressive Renaissance gardens, including the geometric Ornamental Garden with symbolic plants as well as a labyrinth of box hedges. The Kitchen Garden is an exhibition about 40 species of colorful vegetables.
- Daitokuji, Japan: With numerous serene and meaningful Zen Gardens all over, picking is arduous. You can find some of the best ones in Kyoto’s Daitokuji. These surround temples.
Wandering Off to Other Spectacular Gardens
Schlichter also writes about Keukenhof in Netherlands, Yuyuan Garden in China, Inhotim in Brazil, and Hidcote in England.
It will be hard not to include Keukenhof Garden, a Dutch masterpiece in Lisse that only opens two months (during spring) each year. It is, after all, home to millions of tulips, hyacinths, daffodils and many other Dutch blooms.
Yuyuan (or Yu) Garden, China is a five-acre retreat in the heart of busy Shanghai. It is a charming, old garden built in the 16th century with pavilions, Koi ponds and rock gardens.
For artists and gardeners, Inhotim is one garden you must include in your bucket list if you get the chance to travel to Brazil. It is a 5,000-acre, open-air modern art garden with pavilions and galleries of sculptures and opulent landscaping.
Hidcote Gardens were built in the 20th century by Lawrence Johnston, an American horticulturist. The space has been divided into rooms by lush boxed hedges; each is characteristically different and exceptional in design and color.
So, say HELLO SPRING. These gardens are great places to visit when you chance to be in any of these locations. Have a restful moment after a rushed day, smell the flowers and dream…
