GIVE GARDENS A CHANCE

Theme parks, shrines, local markets, tall and large structures – these are just some of the places that one usually goes to when taking time off in a new travel destination. What is often forgotten or left last on the list are places that make one closer to nature, specifically gardens. Walking through a beautiful garden leaves you with a special and refreshed feeling. You get peace of mind, undeniable joy and a deeper sense of appreciation for nature. Aside from the rows of beautiful flowers and lush green plants plus the chirping of birds and fresh breeze, gardens are a wonder to behold considering the history that comes with it. Give yourself a chance to experience their beauty and relive history by visiting one (if not all) of 5 of the world’s best gardens.

Desert Botanical Garden, Phoenix, Arizona, USA

 

Source: Artotem

Flights to the USA are as readily available as entrance to this world-renowned desert garden. Founded by the Arizona Cactus and Native Flora Society in 1937 and established at its site in 1939, the Desert Botanical Garden displays a large collection of arid-land plants mainly from the deserts of Southwestern North America. It has also been designated as a Phoenix Point of Pride that offers a unique glimpse of a variety of desert flora. It spans 140 acres and has more than 21,000 desert plants from 139 different species. It is also renowned for its collection of 169 rare species of desert plants and 1350 different types of cactus plant.

Walking is made easier for visitors since there are well-maintained paved trails, but be prepared for the heat and dryness. It is good to note that the desert garden welcomes plenty of beautiful butterflies every spring season.

Claude Monet’s Garden, Giverny, Northern France

 

Source: Harvey Barrison

Located in the property of Oscar Claude-Monet, a well-known painter and the founder of French Impressionist painting, this magnificent garden was designed by the painter himself as inspired by his Japanese paintings – brightly colored patches that are messy yet balanced. Claude-Monet started designing his new garden in 1890, where he diverted the river near his house into a beautiful pond garden filled with water lilies. He also built a bridge across the bridge.

If you plan to book a flight to France soon, make sure that you get to visit thegarden that is divided into two parts, a flower garden and a water garden. The flower garden, located in front of Claude-Monet’s house is mixed with lots of flowers from different species. The climbing roses and the number of fruit trees are two of the main attractions in this garden. The water garden contains a lot of willows on the bank of the pond. The small bridge covered with beautiful wisterias and the clear water in the pond are breathtaking scenes you should not miss.

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London

 

Source: Katie Hannan

Originally designed by Princess Augusta (Mother of King George III) in 1759, the impressive Royal Botanic Gardens encompasses 326 acres of land and has more than 50,000 different species of plants.

Visit the palm house, the most attractive green house in the gardens. It is an impressive glass house that is home to many tropical rainforest plants.Make it a point to drop by the Princess Wales conservatory –a greenhouse that contains 10 different climate zones controlled by computers. You can find desert plants, carnivorous plants and different types of orchids in this conservatory. There is also a 59 feet high treetop walkway that brings a beautiful view of the surrounding places. Also, get a chance to explore the art galleries, greenhouses, unique edifices and climatic zones.

NongNooch Tropical Botanical Garden, Pattaya City, Thailand

 

Source: Thrillseekr

Make it a point to visitNongNoochTropical Botanical Garden – a popular tourist attraction in Pattaya City. This is a 500-acre botanical garden with a symmetrical design,which displays the largest collection of flowering plants in the country from more than 670 native species.

Get to explore its beauty by taking the 1.1-km long walkway. Be in awe of the bonsai, ferns, palms, cactuses and orchids as they are distributed in separate sections in the garden. You can also see perfectly trimmed shrubs while walking through the garden.

Apart from beautiful gardens,it also offers a Thai cultural show, car museum, fishing pond and elephant show for the visitors. You can also enjoy cycling, elephant riding and boat paddling in the garden.

Gardens of Versailles, France

 

Source: Jason Burmeister

Known as one of the most beautiful and largest gardens in the world and as an outstanding example of formal French garden design, the Gardens of Versailles is a magnificent garden that spans across 800 hectares of land. This was commissioned by Louis XIV in 1661 and took forty years to complete. UNESCO recognized the gardens of Versailles and the palace as a world heritage site in 1979. It contains 300 hectares of forest, hundreds of acres of flower beds, 35 kilometers of canals, 600 fountains and 372 statues. It is also home to 200,000 trees and more than 210,000 flowering plants.

There is a 1.5-kilometer long Grand Canal located in the lower level of the garden, where you can see many oak trees, wild cherry trees and ash trees on the bank. Take note that the boat trip in the Grand Canal offers a magical view of the vast Gardens of Versailles.The fountains are another attraction at the gardens of Versailles. All main fountains in the garden feature colossal statues that depict mythological characters including Saturn, Cupid, Ceres, Flora and Neptune.

Flights to France are readily available so missing the beauty of this garden is not an option. In fact, be one of the more than six million visitors that this garden has in a year – making it one of the most visited public sites in France.