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Best Gardens Around the World
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items When I travel, I seek out gardens and spend hours in the best ones. These are my favorites around the world. Leave me your favorites in the comments so I know where to head next. Enjoying nature is a fabulous break during traveling, as good as any ar...
Map
I spent over four hours wandering through these gardens. There is an ornate palace and cool ruins, as well as moss-covered rocks, a waterfall, and tranquil pond. Worth visiting to escape the crowds in Sintra.
Park and Palace of Monserrate
Large park filled with hundreds of cool Buddhist and African sculptures as well as realistic animal sculpture. Northwest of Lisbon and worth visiting in the city.
Buddha Eden
Coimbra can be easily reached by train from Lisbon and has many amazing sights, including this garden next to the university campus.
Jardim Botânico da Universidade de Coimbra
Best place to hang out in Boston. Beautiful in every season. Immense old trees, a ton of benches to rest on, and a lovely pond and bridge in the center.
Public Garden
Truly unique garden packed with a diverse collection of cacti and succulents. Beautiful in any season. Many special events, including my favorite, Las Noches de Las Luminarias in December.
Desert Botanical Garden
It's a bit of a drive from downtown Chicago but well worth the trip. Many diverse gardens and a fabulous cafe.
Chicago Botanic Garden
About an hour drive from downtown Phoenix. A vast, beautiful park with various desert plants from around the world. Many interesting classes and events, including Forest Bathing which I guide once monthly November through April.
Boyce Thompson Arboretum
Oasis in the heart of downtown Phoenix. Gorgeous manicured garden with waterfall and stream pouring into a koi-filled pond. Many educational, enjoyable special events and workshops, including Shinrin Yoku which I guide once monthly.
The Japanese Friendship Garden of Phoenix
Part garden, part zoo, part museum - fun, beautiful place on north side of Tucson, Arizona.
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
It's worth a weekend trip from Chicago to the small town of Janesville just to see this garden, but there are other fun and historic things to do as well. The garden includes a fabulous Japanese garden and lovely lake with wooden benches with nature ...
Rotary Botanical Gardens
I lived in Omaha when this garden first opened and spent a ton of time there. It was gorgeous then and is likely even better now. I need to plan a trip to Omaha just to see this (and the zoo which is also fabulous).
Lauritzen Gardens
Most of the garden is within the 14-room glasshouse which was built in the 1880s. The conservatory is surrounded by a large park.
Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens
The temple is surrounded by beautiful manicured grounds with a large, lily-pad packed pond.
Tōfuku-ji Temple
The draw is the golden temple but the grounds around it are gorgeous and tranquil.
Kinkaku-ji
The gardens in Porto, Portugal are beautiful and there are amazing views of the river and city.
Jardins do Palácio de Cristal
Possibly the best day trip from a major city anywhere. Be sure to go on a day when the fountain shows are occurring then time your walk around the gardens to catch them. It is worth renting a bike to explore the entire grounds.
The Gardens The art of perspective
Extensive grounds with manicured spaces around fountains and spacious more natural areas. Great views of Florence.
Boboli Gardens
Most of your time in Rome should be spent in ruins but a visit to Borghese Park is worth a morning or afternoon. The Borghese Gallery and Rome Zoo are in the park.
Villa Borghese
Gorgeous garden in a gorgeous neighborhood of Cologne. Great cafe with spacious outdoor patio overlooking a cascading water feature.
Flora und Botanischer Garten Köln
Vast gardens with a lovely greenhouse, canopy walk in the treetops, and a stand of redwood trees. Easy train trip from central London.
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
I spent a entire day walking through the adjoining gardens of London. Kensington was probably my favorite but all the gardens in London are beautiful.
Kensington Gardens
Huge arboretum in western suburbs of Chicago. You can drive to multiple parking lots to walk in various types of foliage, from forests, to meadows, to grasslands. Nice visitors center with cafe and restaurant and large children's garden.
The Morton Arboretum | To plant and protect trees for a greener ...
Beautiful conservatory in the middle of a large park on the west side of Chicago. A large, multi-room greenhouse is an oasis in the middle of the city. Great to visit anytime of year. Green line el stop nearby, but its best if you can drive there.
Garfield Park Conservatory
One of oldest conservatories in USA with tropical plants and a variety of flowers. Also has a Japanese tea garden and 55 acres of open space and gardens.
San Francisco Botanical Garden
Wonderful garden in the middle of Paris with lake, carousel, bocce fields, and sculptures. Great place for a stroll or to grab a green chair and have a wine and cheese dinner.
Jardin du Luxembourg: a walk through Parisian history
Next to the Louvre in Paris, this garden spreads out with tons of flowers and a beautiful fountain.
Tuileries Garden
Kauai overall is stunning. This garden is worth visiting while there.
McBryde & Allerton Garden, National Tropical Botanical Garden
I have not visited this garden since I lived near there, but I had friends visit recently and said it is still just as lovely.
Allerton Park & Retreat Center
This is the most beautiful miniature golf course with so many flowers and decorative features.
Kauai Miniature Golf and Botanical Garden
I met a friend here when I was in Portland and it was so peaceful to hang out and chat.
Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden