Are you an avid green finger? Consider yourself a garden enthusiast? Or perhaps you adore finding peace and tranquillity amongst nature? The world is full of amazing gardens, all with their own unique flora and creations. If you love exploring new green spaces on your travels, here are six gardens that you must visit in your lifetime.
Butchart Gardens, Canada
The small island of Victoria in Canada’s British Columbia area is the home of Butchart Gardens. Considered to be Canada’s best garden, Butchart Gardens attracts over one million visitors annually. Named after its founder, Jennie Butchart, this 22-hectare space was born from her incredible vision. In the early 1900’s, Jennie decided to turn her husband’s disused limestone quarry into a garden. Today, it features over 700 varieties of plants including an Italian- and Japanese-inspired garden. We recommend visiting between March and October when the garden is in its prime.
Singapore Botanic Gardens, Singapore
Found near the hustle and bustle of Orchard Road, the Singapore Botanic Gardens provides an urban oasis. So much so, that it has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Spread over 80 hectares, if you’re short on time, we recommend discovering its three key areas:
- The National Orchid Garden – a paradise for orchid lovers, this garden features over 1,000 orchid species as well as 2,000 hybrids!
- The Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden – created to instil a love and learnings around nature in children with its important theme, ‘Life on Earth Depends on Plants’; and
- The Healing Garden – chock full of over 400 types of medicinal plants
Le Jardin Majorelle, Morocco
Likened to a desert oasis, you’ll find the quirky Le Jardin Majorelle in Marrakech. First begun in 1923, the French Orientalist artist, Jacques Majorelle, created a vision of cacti, bougainvillea, jasmine, weeping willows, palm trees and water lilies. The garden was joined by a vivid blue cubist villa in the 1930’s, built by another Frenchman – an architect, Paul Sinoir. The entire property was bought by Yves Saint-Laurent and Pierre Bergé in the 1980’s, undergoing a restoration to the garden you see today.
Monet’s Gardens, France
Not far from Paris lies the charming town of Giverny, famous for being the beloved home of Claude Monet for 43 years. Not only was Monet an incredible artist, but he was also a dedicated gardener, creating several gardens that continuously inspired his works – such as his famous Water Lillies series. You can also visit his home, a colourful place with its pink walls and green shutters.
Kenroku-en, Japan
Considered to be one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan, Kenroku-en is a year-round garden in Kanazawa. Its name loosely translates to ‘Garden of the Six Sublimities’, meaning it was carefully constructed around the values of spaciousness, tranquillity, artificial construction, antique elegance, water features and magnificent view. With the historic Kanazawa Castle as its backdrop, admire its towering trees, bubbling streams and fountains, and its ancient tea house built in 1774.
Keukenhof, Netherlands
Last but certainly not least, we couldn’t forget the bloomin’ beautiful Keukenhof. The Netherlands is famous for its tulips, and Keukenhof is almost an ode to its national flower. With over 7 million bulbs planted annually in anticipation of spring, this colourful garden also features water gardens, sculptures and – of course – windmills.
Which of these gardens is on your bucket list? Join us on an Avalon Waterways river cruise, or a Globus or Cosmos tour to one of these six gardens.
