Carina ClaassensWhether you’re visiting top tourist destinations in Europe or backpacking through Asia, there’s always time to take a stroll in a garden. Here’s a roundup of Garden and Home’s must-see gardens around the world.
You might also like: Attracting birds to small gardens
Château de Versailles
Versailles, France
chateauversailles.fr
A visit to Château de Versailles is not complete without a stroll through the gardens, designed by Le Nôtre. The Park is decorated with statues, fountains and outstanding buildings such as the Grand Trianon, the Temple de l’Amour and the Hamlet of Queen Marie-Antoinette, Austrian princess and wife of Louis XVI, who remains one of the most fascinating figures of the history of Versailles.
Powerscourt Gardens
Enniskerry, County Wicklow, Ireland
powerscourt.ie
READ MORE: Oriental garden landscape plan
Powerscourt Gardens offer visitors a combination of formal gardens, sweeping terraces, statues and ornamental lakes. The gardens were designed from 1731 onwards and include The Walled Gardens, The Italian Garden, The Dolphin Pond, The Japanese Gardens, Pets Cemetery and Pepperpot Tower, among other features and attractions.
Butchart Gardens
Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada
butchartgardens.com
In 1904, the Butchart family developed a quarry and built a cement plant at this spot on Vancouver Island. After exhausting limestone deposits Jennie Butchart decided to create the stunning gardens. She had tons of top soil brought in by horse and cart and used it to line the floor of the abandoned quarry. Today the gardens receive close to a million visitors each year and is a must-see for any botanical enthusiast.
Villa d’Este
Tivoli, Italy
Villa d’Este is a UNESCO world heritage site and the grand structures and the series of terraces bring to mind the hanging gardens of Babylon. The addition of water (including an aqueduct beneath the city) evokes the engineering skill of the Romans themselves.
Dumbarton Oaks
Washington, D.C., USA
doaks.org
In 1920, after a long and careful search, Mildred and Robert Woods Bliss found their ideal country house and garden within Washington, DC. Within a year the Blisses hired landscape gardener Beatrix Farrand to design the gardens. Visitors can relax on a wisteria-covered terrace overlooking the lower gardens, stroll through bright yellow, blooming forsythia, explore the kitchen garden and much more.
Yuyuan Garden
Shanghai, China
travelchinaguide.com
Yu Garden is believed to have been built more than 400 years ago, during the Ming Dynasty. The beautiful layout, scenery, and traditional architecture have made the garden one of the highlights when visiting Shanghai. Try to book a trip during the lantern festival. It’s a must-see and attracts thousands of tourists from all over the world.
Dichtergarten (Poet’s Garden)
Munich, Germany
In 1982 this garden was dedicated to poets and writers associated with the city of Munich. Wander through and find the statue of Confucius; erected to commemorate a 20 year partnership between the Shandong province of China and the state of Bavaria.
Keukenhof
Lisse, The Netherlands
keukenhof.nl
There are more than 7 million bulbs in bloom during spring, including a total of 800 varieties of tulips. Visitors can expect 32 hectares of stunning flowers as well as flower shows, inspirational gardens, unique artwork and other events.
