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GARDENS

of the

GLOBE

From botanical wonders in Australia to tranquil havens closer to home in Ireland, let this guide help you to discover some of the most glorious gardens around the world
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United Kingdom and Ireland

Tresco Abbey Gardens

Tresco's powdery white sands and clear turquoise inlets are what first greets the approaching visitor — and what a greeting it is. This little island is a subtropical paradise just off the coast of Cornwall. A blooming delight all year round, its gardens boast bountiful colour even on the darkest of winter days. Start with a guided tour of the botanic mastery that is the island's Abbey Gardens, then follow it up by exploring the island's beaches and inlets yourself - pure bliss! For 25 years, Brightwater Holidays has provided well-planned and expert-led garden and special interest tours to individuals, private clubs and societies everywhere. If you're looking for a trip that doesn't follow the crowds, then step this way. From exploring the jungles of Costa Rica and the botanical triumphs of Japan, to experiencing the remoteness of the Scottish Highlands and islands, you really can do it all on a Brightwater Holiday. The tours offer the opportunity to explore popular places and private spaces not normally open to the public, all while relaxing in complete comfort and travelling in the company of expert guides and like-minded friends. Simply set the destination, budget, group size and any extras, and Brightwater will sort the rest. It will arrange all transport, accommodation and entry costs, as well as providing Tour Managers to ensure everything runs smoothly.

Find out more
Web: www.brightwaterholidays.org
Email:
Phone: 01334 657155

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United Kingdom and Ireland

Highgrove and Cotswolds

Consider this your cordial invitation to explore the private garden of the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall. Led by the Prince's guides, this exclusive tour provides the perfect royal introduction to the bucolic delights of the Cotswolds. But the tour doesn't begin and end at Highgrove - not when some of the country's finest gardens are found nestled among the rolling hills of Gloucestershire: Abbey House Gardens' spectacular herbs, Hidcote Manor's contrasting 'garden rooms', Kiftsgate's splendid floricultural vistas and, of course, Westonbirt, the National Arboretum. Each plays a key role in this magnificent tour. For 25 years, Brightwater Holidays has provided well-planned and expert-led garden and special interest tours to individuals, private clubs and societies everywhere. If you're looking for a trip that doesn't follow the crowds, then step this way. From exploring the jungles of Costa Rica and the botanical triumphs of Japan, to experiencing the remoteness of the Scottish Highlands and islands, you really can do it all on a Brightwater Holiday. The tours offer the opportunity to explore popular places and private spaces not normally open to the public, all while relaxing in complete comfort and travelling in the company of expert guides and like-minded friends. Simply set the destination, budget, group size and any extras, and Brightwater will sort the rest. It will arrange all transport, accommodation and entry costs, as well as providing Tour Managers to ensure everything runs smoothly.

Find out more
Web: www.brightwaterholidays.org
Email:
Phone: 01334 657155

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United Kingdom and Ireland

This is the great garden of County Donegal. At the centre of the vast wilderness that is Glenveagh National Park, and placed for romantic effect by the lake shore, Glenveagh Castle is surrounded by magical woodland gardens. The original Victorian garden for Mrs Adair dates to 1885 and the gardens were further developed in the mid-20th century for Henry McIlhenny, assisted by Jim Russell and Lanning Roper. The Pleasure Grounds are planted with rhododendrons and magnolias, while the Walled Garden is packed with colour and produce from March to October. Managed by National Parks and Wildlife Service.

Find out more
Web: www.glenveaghnationalpark.ie
Email:
Phone: 076 1002537

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United Kingdom and Ireland

Mornington Garden

Mornington is not a huge garden (it's only three-quarters of an acre) but it offers a wonderful atmosphere of peace and beauty. Located near the heritage village of Dalkey, the garden was planted in the mid-1930s and features trees, shrubs, herbaceous borders and water features. It's open to visitors by appointment.

Find out more
Web: www.dalkeygardenschool.com
Email:
Phone: 087 225 6365

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United Kingdom and Ireland

Carlow is a treasure trove of wonderful gardens to visit. Some of the best in Ireland are located here, including the beautiful Altamont Gardens and Arboretum Home & Garden Centre, which is regarded as the best garden centre in the country. What makes the Carlow Garden Trail so special is the unique range of large and small gardens that are lovingly cared for, with amazing plants, shrubs and trees at every turn. The trail includes great old gardens that have been lovingly restored and maintained throughout the years, and smaller gardens that are maturing beautifully with time, so there is something to stimulate both the novice and experienced gardener. Known for its mild and temperate climate, County Carlow in Ireland's sunny south east is the ideal destination for your gardening trip. Located 90km from the ferry and airports of Dublin and Rosslare, Carlow's central location also offers the perfect base to explore the bordering counties of Wexford, Kilkenny, Wicklow, Kildare and Laois. Open all year round, the Carlow Garden Trail currently features 21 different gardening attractions.

Find out more
Web: www.carlowgardentrail.com
Email:
Phone: +353 (0) 59 9130411

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United Kingdom and Ireland

RHS Garden Rosemoor

RHS Garden Rosemoor is an award-winning hidden gem located in a sheltered valley in Devon. Boasting 65 acres of formal and informal gardens, including the iconic Hot Garden, Cottage Garden and The Fruit and Vegetable Garden, plus woodlands, a lake, stream and waterfall. Rosemoor is also home to the largest rose gardens in the Southwest. Open every day except Christmas Day, it is delightful throughout every season and offers over 100 events, short courses and workshops to help inspire everyone to grow. Complete your visit with great food and drink, and shopping, in the fully-stocked Plant Centre and Gift Shop.

Find out more
Web: www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/rosemoor
Email:
Phone: 01805 624067

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United Kingdom and Ireland

RHS Garden Wisley

RHS Garden Wisley in Surrey is the flagship garden of the RHS and is one of the UK's best-loved gardens. As a hub of horticultural excellence and a top visitor attraction, the garden provides visitors with 240 acres to explore, and is home to some of the largest plant collections anywhere in the globe. It showcases inspirational gardening planting schemes and a cathedral-like glasshouse, which is home to the RHS's world-class tender plant collection. Each season boasts horticultural highlights, such as spring blossom, summer roses, autumn colour and winter interest, alongside an appealing programme of family-friendly events.

Find out more
Web: www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/wisley
Email:
Phone: 01483 224234

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RHS Garden Hyde Hall

Nestled in the heart of rural Essex, you can enjoy the peace and tranquillity of Hyde Hall, with its eclectic mix of styles from traditional to modern. With lots of space to think and breathe you'll find something to delight and inspire at every turn. Highlights include the Dry Garden with its fantastic range of drought-resistant plants, and the Hilltop Garden with its roses and herbaceous borders. There's also a Global Growth Vegetable Garden showcasing vegetables from around the world. Facilities at the garden include a café, restaurant, gift shop and plant centre.

Find out more
Web: www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/hyde-hall
Email:
Phone: 01245 400256

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United Kingdom and Ireland

RHS Garden Harlow Carr

Open all year, this family-friendly garden will inspire and delight all ages. Enjoy dramatic herbaceous borders, wildflower meadows, a large kitchen garden, an alpine house, woodland and streamside walks, all with dramatic seasonal planting displays. Children will enjoy the natural play features in the garden including the Tree House, bird hide and chicken run, plus holidays packed with family activities. The garden is also an inspirational backdrop for craft exhibitions, seasonal horticultural shows, summer outdoor theatre, music and cinema, and new winter illuminations. With Bettys Café Tea Rooms located in the garden, and a large RHS Plant Centre and shop, there is plenty to keep the family occupied.

Find out more
Web: www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/harlow-carr
Email:
Phone: 01423 565418

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United Kingdom and Ireland

Ventnor Botanic Garden

Ventnor Botanic Garden boasts an impressive collection of more than 6,000 rare and sub-tropical plants and trees. Spread across 22 acres of gardens, VBG's plantings are based on different geographical regions of the world. The garden is located in the unique microclimate of the Ventnor Undercliff, which is on average five degrees warmer than mainland UK - it really is Britain's hottest garden. In fact, it had a staggering 287 different plants in bloom one wintry New Year's Day!

Find out more
Web: www.botanic.co.uk
Email:
Phone: 01983 855397

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United Kingdom and Ireland

Discover magnificent award-winning gardens set in 125 acres of glorious grounds at Hever Castle. Dating back to the 13th century, the romantic double-moated Castle was once the childhood home of Anne Boleyn. The gardens are home to an ever-changing display of wonderful plants and shrubs throughout the seasons. With 4,000 rose bushes in the Rose Garden, more than 30,000 spring bulbs and 15,000 bedding plants planted in the gardens annually, you're guaranteed a breathtaking display no matter what time of year you visit. The Italian Garden is the setting for William Waldorf Astor's unique collection of statues and sculptures. It was inspired by Italian Renaissance gardens and is filled with fountains, grottoes and other water features.

Find out more
Web: www.hevercastle.co.uk
Email:
Phone: 01732 865224

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United Kingdom and Ireland

Hindringham Hall Gardens

Hindringham Hall is a small manor house that looks like it's straight out of a story book with its medieval moat and fishponds, working walled vegetable garden, and the formal and informal borders that wrap around the brick and flint Tudor hall. The current owners have developed the gardens over the past 25 years and they are now open to visitors twice a week from April to October. Make time to walk round the medieval fishponds and take tea in the café beside the moat, smell the roses, watch the black swans, listen to the birdsong and enjoy the peace and beauty of this special garden.

Find out more
Web: www.hindringhamhall.org
Email:
Phone: 01328 878226

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United Kingdom and Ireland

Iford Manor - Peto Garden

The romantic Grade I-listed Peto Garden was created by the Edwardian architect Harold Peto while he lived at Iford Manor from 1899-1933. In the garden, tucked away at the bottom of a tranquil valley near Bath, you'll find paths twisting and turning around ancient statues, columns, terraces and architecture, surrounded by ebullient planting schemes and leading you onto delight after delight. Set in 2.5 acres, this steep, terraced, Italianate garden affords the visitor wonderful views of the valley, which can be especially enjoyed from the casita, loggia and cloisters. Steeped in history, a visit to Peto Garden is often described as stepping into another world.

Find out more
Web: www.ifordmanor.co.uk
Email:
Phone: 01225 863146

Image © Simon Knight
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United Kingdom and Ireland

Chelsea Physic Garden

Hidden in the heart of London, Chelsea Physic Garden is a peaceful oasis and centre for learning.

Founded by the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries of London in 1673 for apprentices to study the medicinal qualities of plants, by the 18th century it was one of the world's most important centres of botany and plant exchange.

Today, its features include Europe's oldest rockery, the Garden of Medicinal Plants, and the World Woodland Garden. Over time the garden has evolved, but it remains a place that cultivates plants and ideas.

Find out more
Web: www.chelseaphysicgarden.co.uk
Email:
Phone: 01732 865224

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United Kingdom and Ireland

The gardens at Gravetye Manor are a very special place and can be considered among the most influential in English gardening history. The house, with its Grade II-listed gardens, was once the home of pioneering Victorian gardener William Robinson, the father of the English flower garden. Robinson's ideas about naturalised planting - allowing nature to flow into the garden - were groundbreaking. Now, head gardener Tom Coward, previously of Great Dixter, focuses on conserving and re-creating Robinson's work, as well as progressing the garden in homage to his experimental style of gardening. Today Gravetye is a mature, charming and very beautiful garden.

Find out more
Web: www.gravetyemanor.co.uk
Email:
Phone: 01342 810567

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United Kingdom and Ireland

Ballymaloe Cookery School is famous worldwide as a centre of culinary excellence, but it also has spectacular gardens. Winner of the EGHN Special Award for Kitchen Gardens in 2016, the collection of separate formal and production gardens provides plenty of interest for even the most seasoned garden traveller. As well as the main gardens, there is the spectacular shell house, a full-grown Celtic maze in Yew and Hornbeam, and a four-acre vegetable production area, which includes one acre of glasshouses, all open to garden visitors - it's well worth a visit. There is a shop and café on site in the summer.

Find out more
Web: www.ballymaloecookeryschool.ie
Email:
Phone: + 353 21 464 6785

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United Kingdom and Ireland

Hotel Endsleigh

Beautiful Endsleigh, now owned by the hotelier Olga Polizzi, is set in 108 acres of gardens, woodlands, follies and grottos created by Humphry Repton. Designed 200 years ago, this was one of Humphry Repton's last commissions and brings together the multitude of landscaping elements for which Repton was renowned. Immediately surrounding the house are formal gardens running down to the River Tamar. You'll also find a picturesque dell with little bridges crossing streams, huge Gunnera leaves and wonderful picnic spots here. Beyond the formal gardens is the arboretum, which contains unusual trees from around the world, still standing in the spots marked out with bamboo canes by Gerogina, The Duchess of Bedford, over 200 years ago. Some of the trees are national champions.

Find out more
Web: www.hotelendsleigh.com
Email:
Phone: 01822 870000

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United Kingdom and Ireland

Hunting Brook Gardens, home to horticulturalist Jimi Blake, is set in the foothills of the Wicklow Mountains, Ireland. A modern garden set in an ancient woodland landscape, it's famous for its borders, which are a contemporary fusion of prairie and tropical planting. With his passion for plants, Jimi vets all contenders for the garden and only the very best find a home here. Hunting Brook has one of Ireland's largest private collections of plants, and there are many examples of the fiercely colourful and theatrically beautiful large-scale planting combinations for which Jimi has become so well known.

Find out more
Web: www.huntingbrook.com
Email:
Phone: 087 285 6601

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United Kingdom and Ireland

Morton Hall Gardens

Perched atop an escarpment, Morton Hall Gardens has breathtaking views over the Worcestershire countryside, with the Welsh mountain ranges on the horizon. Designed for all seasons, the gardens feature one of the UK's largest fritillary meadows, sumptuous herbaceous borders, a striking potager, a majestic woodland rockery and an elegant Japanese Stroll Garden. The eight acres of garden and park combine historic and contemporary features in a highly aesthetic fashion and provide the backdrop for a collection of over a thousand plant varieties.

While there, make sure to take a guided tour with either the owner or the head gardener around the elegant manor house. You'll discover a series of distinctive but linked garden rooms, each of which is uniquely defined by landscape, planting style and colour scheme. Together they offer a sense of harmony and continuity, which turns a stroll into a journey with a defined beginning and end.

From the East Terrace in front of the late 18th-century main elevation, visitors embark on a walk through the individual garden rooms, on a route that is adjusted according to the season. In the spring, magnificent bulb meadows take centre stage, as well as woodland gardens and sumptuous tulip displays in herbaceous borders.

Later in the year, the focus is on the more formal gardens, with their intricate blend of perennial and annual planting in elegant colour schemes. There is a strong emphasis on rose and clematis combinations that seem to intermingle effortlessly, and the careful pruning and training methods developed to create this effect are explained on the walk, along with many other horticultural and design aspects, so a visit to Morton Hall Gardens is both an aesthetic experience and a horticultural masterclass. The journey concludes on the west side of the house with its spectacular views, framed by a bold Mediterranean-style garden.

Find out more
Web: www.mortonhallgardens.co.uk
Email:
Phone: 01386 791820

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United Kingdom and Ireland

Discover one of the great gardens of Sussex, the Grade II-listed High Beeches - a hidden gem, it's sensitively planted and maintained to retain the beauty and tranquillity of the natural landscape of the High Weald. Wander through a woodland garden of many glades, carpeted with wildflowers and surrounded by rare, exotic trees and shrubs from around the world. The natural ancient wildflower meadow is at its peak in June and the beautiful blue willow gentians are in flower throughout the garden in late July/August (High Beeches is the only garden in the country where they are naturalised). The autumn, meanwhile, brings a spectacular display of colour.

Find out more
Web: www.highbeeches.com
Email:
Phone: 01444 400589

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United Kingdom and Ireland

Grounded in its sense of place between the Preseli Hills and the Irish Sea, Dyffryn Fernant is made from the runt of land left over from a once prosperous, self-contained, productive place. This modern garden, at the end of a rough country lane, has rich and exotic planting in formal areas; journeys through a bog garden, wild marsh, pond and stream; then meanders through large blocks of ornamental grasses. The success of the garden is that, despite having many distinct areas, each with a subtle difference of style, its blurred edges encompass the rich, wild landscape beyond. A garden without boundaries.

Find out more
Web: www.dyffrynfernant.co.uk
Email:
Phone: 01348 811282

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United Kingdom and Ireland

Hidden Valley Gardens

Hidden Valleys is an intimate, three-acre cottage style garden and specialist plant nursery nestled in a secluded hidden valley in Cornwall. The award-winning garden is a wonderfully peaceful place to sit and dream amongst the borders and beds set with herbaceous perennials, shrubs and grasses, and collections of crocosmia, agapanthus and dahlias. There is a pond area with wildlife and bog planting, a shady Fernery and Japanese and Mediterranean areas, as well as an Iris Bed. Make your own refreshments in the Tea Hut and sample the delicious homemade cakes, plus buy plants at the nursery. Dogs on leads with are welcome. Parking, toilets and picnic tables are available. Open 20 March - 15 October (except Tues and Weds), 10am - 6pm. Entry is £5.00, which includes tea/coffee. Entry for Children including a prize Garden Quiz is free. In February there are special openings to view the Snowdrop collection.

Find out more
Web:
Email:
Phone: 01208 873225

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United Kingdom and Ireland

There are over 100 acres of beutiful gardens at Harewood - and they're full of variety, with plants from all over the world. All this in the setting of a magnificent landscape created by Lancelot ‘Capability' Brown. Head gardener, Trevor Nicholson, oversees the award-winning landscape, aiming "to put Harewood at the top of the list as a place for garden-lovers to visit". He manages projects on Harewood's dazzling range of gardens, including the Terrace, the Lakeside Garden, the Himalayan Garden and the Walled Garden. You can also enjoy the renowned Bird Garden, home to exotic species including penguins, owls, flamingos and parrots.

Find out more
Web: www.harewood.org
Email:
Phone: 0113 218 1010

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In 1805, the sixth Duke of Bedford commissioned the famous landscape gardener Humphry Repton to create designs to enhance the gardens and deer park for his family, friends and guests to enjoy. Following many changes over the 200 years since, the gardens team is now working to restore Repton's original plans.

The 28 acres of award-winning gardens are Repton's most realised landscape and, in 2018, they will play a pivotal role in celebrations marking his bicentenary.

Highlights of the Woburn Abbey Gardens include the Chinoiserie-style pavilion and rockery, the Chinese Dairy - the earliest structure of its kind in the UK. The Cone House, Hornbeam Maze and Camellia House are also not to be missed. Plus, explore the woodland glades and wild biodiversity areas, and see what's growing in the Kitchen Garden.

Find out more
Web: www.woburnabbey.co.uk
Email:
Phone: 01525 290333

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United Kingdom and Ireland

Set in the Pentland Hills, south of Edinburgh, Little Sparta is the artist Ian Hamilton Finlay's (1925-2006) greatest work. The garden, first planted over 50 years ago, is created out of the natural landscape - a beautiful and shaded place with trees, flower beds, running streams, bridges and ponds. Paths lead you past more than 200 artworks, many of them carved with inscriptions that take you into the world of classical Greece and Rome, poetry and philosophy, the French Revolution, and much more.

Find out more
Web: www.littlesparta.org.uk
Email:

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Judith Queree's Garden

In a beautiful valley in the north-west corner of the island of Jersey, Judith and Nigel Queree have worked tirelessly for 40 years to create a garden containing over 2,000 plants from all over the world. A large bog garden - fed with natural springs - is bursting with iris, primula and a huge variety of other damp loving plants. The garden, which is set around a 400-year-old granite cottage, is a haven for plants such as salvia and clematis, which prefer drier conditions. Organic principles guide all the work done on the garden, and the surrounding grass meadows are managed for wildlife, with wildflowers and habitats that encourage insects, birds and animals.

Find out more
Web: www.judithqueree.com
Email:
Phone: 01534 482191

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United Kingdom and Ireland

The creative and experimental home of Parterre Fragrances, Keyneston Mill is a new private botanic garden dedicated solely to aromatic and scented plants, with over 1000 varieties in a 50-acre estate. Here the key ingredients of Parterre luxury perfumes are grown, harvested and distilled. Enjoy a walk around the gardens and fragrant crop fields. Take a Scented Garden Tour led by one of our gardeners every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. Visit the Distillery. Relax in The Scented Botanist Bistro-Cafe.

Find out more
Web: www.parterreatkeynestonmill.com
Email:
Phone: 01258 456831

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United Kingdom and Ireland

Mount Stewart

Protected by the warm water of Strangford Lough, Mount Stewart will amaze you with its wealth of plants from all over the world. The flowering stretches all year round, and whenever your visit, you will find beautiful and surprising plants to admire. There are more than 70 acres of this tranquil, magical garden to explore. The formal gardens are packed with fanciful animal statues and beautiful plants, drawing from Irish and classical mythology. The woodland surrounding the lake is like a painting you can walk around in, stimulating the senses and changing in the course of a day.

Find out more
Web: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/mount-stewart
Email:
Phone: 02842 788387

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United Kingdom and Ireland

Blarney Castle's gardens are one of the most visited in Ireland and the 60 acres are a joy to explore. Visit the prehistoric Fern Garden, the deadly Poison Garden, and the magical Rock Close with its ancient yew trees and druidic stones. Make a wish on the famous wishing steps while the waterfall cascades alongside you. Stroll by the lake, river side and woodlands, or in the dazzlingly beautiful arboretums. The gardens are a constantly changing and evolving environment, and each visit is a new experience - and don't forget to kiss the famous Blarney Stone!

Find out more
Web: www.blarneycastle.ie
Email:
Phone: 00 353 21 438 5252

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Set in the Otter Valley near Exeter, Bicton Park Botanical Gardens are amongst the most beautiful of Britain's world-renowned historic gardens. Enjoy over 60 acres of soft sweeping lawns, elegant water features, fragrant English borders and formal gardens. Take a tranquil walk and meander through the arboretum among some of the most majestic trees in the country, including 18 designated champions of their kind in the British Isles. Steeped in history, the magnificent Palm House is one of the world's most beautiful garden buildings and has a fantastic collection of palms and tropical plants. You can also discover the temperate and tropical houses, the little house of shells, romantic Hermitage, secret garden, lake, streams and woodlands.

Find out more
Web: www.bictongardens.co.uk
Email:
Phone: 01395 568374

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Thirty acres of glorious gardens surround this magnificent 12th-century former monastery which is now a family home, with topiary lined avenues, England's tallest powered fountain and the renowned Mortlake tapestries. Walk in the footsteps of the monks and explore the exquisite interior featured in the latest Hollywood adaptation of ‘Far From the Madding Crowd.' Enjoy lunch or homemade cakes in our vaulted tea rooms and visit the gift shop, plant nursery and pottery exhibition. Events run all year round and include seasonal supper clubs, garden workshops, tours and festivals - see website for more information. Gardens open daily throughout the year from 10.00am - 4.30pm. House open 27 Mar - 31 Oct (except Mon & Sat) & Bank Holiday Mondays 12.00 noon - 4.00pm.

Find out more
Web: www.fordeabbey.co.uk
Email:
Phone: 01460 221290

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The visionary design influences of Mulberry founder Roger Saul can now be seen coming to fruition at his Kilver Court gardens in Somerset. His unique planting schemes using colour and texture are evident in his newly redesigned 100 metre colourist herbaceous border, formal parterre and subtropical island. This eclectic garden is also home to one of the largest sculptures in the world, a breathtaking 15 metre high Victorian viaduct. Explore the garden nursery too - a treasure trove of garden gifts, plants and tools.

Find out more
Web: www.kilvercourt.com
Email:
Phone: 01749 340410

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Bellefield House in County Offaly, Ireland, is the home of garden designer and architect Angela Jupe. When she purchased the property in 2004, the Georgian farmhouse and stables were in serious disrepair while the gardens hadn't been tended to for more than 30 years. The house and stable buildings were tackled first, with the latter now serving as accommodation for tourists. The restored two-acre walled garden, meanwhile, is home to a fantastical folly, a large glasshouse and a stone-lined rill, all built from salvaged materials. Gardens and an adjoining woodland house a collection of cyclamen, scilla, hellebores and more than 300 snowdrops in spring, followed by more than 60 varieties of old heritage daffodils and later, tulips. The early summer display includes many tree and herbaceous peonies, iris, old French roses and clematis, while later months bring lilies, dahlia, salvia, helenium, aster and other perennials into bloom. A large collection of old varieties of fruit trees produce cherries, apples, pears, plums, quinces, figs, mulberries and hazelnuts, feeding the birds, red squirrels and house residents.

Find out more
Web: www.angelajupe.ie
Email:
Phone: (+)353 8 660 02180

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Airfield Estate is a charitable organisation established by the Overend family in 1974 for educational and recreational purposes. The Overend sisters were passionate gardeners and that passion has been carried on ever since by enthusiastic gardeners and designers such as Jimi Blake and Arabella Lennox Boyd. Airfield Estate is home to six acres of diverse garden spaces, ranging from an ornamental walled garden to an extensive organic certified food garden. The temperate climate of south Dublin accommodates a large variety of plants to be grown on site, which provides year-round interest to visitors.

Find out more
Web: www.airfield.ie
Email:
Phone: (+)353 1 969 6666

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United Kingdom and Ireland

One of only a handful of ornamental gardens accredited by the Soil Association, the Yeo Valley Organic Garden features 6.5 acres of contemporary planting, quirky sculptures and bulbs in their thousands, as well as a glorious meadow, posh vegetable patch and cafe. Events, workshops and exhibitions are held throughout the year - see the website for further details.

Find out more
Web: www.theorganicgardens.co.uk
Email:
Phone: 01761 461 425

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The Whitlenge Gardens surround a 17th-century cottage that was once part of the Bishop of Worcester's estate and are filled with more than 800 varieties of mature trees, shrubs, perennials, alpines, heathers and more. Take in the sounds of the many water features, walk along the twisted brick pergola lined with apple and pear trees, relax in the award-winning hornbeam gazebo and explore the nursery, best known for its superb range of extra large specimen plants.

Find out more
Web: www.whit-lenge.co.uk
Email:
Phone: 01299 250720

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United Kingdom and Ireland

The glorious gardens at Kelmarsh Hall have been heavily influenced by the work of 20th-century tastemakers Nancy Lancaster, Norah Lindsey and Geoffrey Jellicoe. The historic walled garden peaks throughout summer, with visitors treated to an explosion of colourful flora at every turn, and there's a spectacular Dahlia festival in September. Soak up the stunning views while enjoying delicious treats from the tearoom.

Find out more
Web: www.kelmarsh.com
Email:
Phone: 01604 686543

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Logie House & Garden

Logie House and Garden sits above the spectacular River Findhorn in the northeast of Scotland. The low rainfall and vestiges of the Gulf Stream create a favourable climate for a wide variety of hardy perennials and interesting shrubs and trees to be grown in the old walled garden. In the Logie Steading Farm & Garden Shop you'll find many plants propagated from the garden for sale.

Find out more
Web: www.logie.co.uk
Email:
Phone: 01309 611222

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United Kingdom and Ireland

Take a relaxing stroll around David Austin's world-famous gardens and enjoy the spectacular displays of fragrant roses, which flower in flushes throughout the summer right up until the first frosts. Filled with more than 700 different rose varieties, the gardens are divided into six themed areas, each designed to inspire visiting rose lovers and gardeners.

Find out more
Web: www.davidaustinroses.co.uk
Email:
Phone: 0800 111 4699

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United Kingdom and Ireland

Known to millions as the home of BBC 2's Gardeners' World, Barnsdale houses Britain's largest collection of individually designed gardens, with something for every kind of gardener. Here you'll find veg plots, cottage gardens, a seaside retreat, woodlands and more. Treat yourself in the tea room, buy beautiful plants in the nursery or sign up for one of a wide range of courses and events.

Find out more
Web: www.barnsdalegardens.co.uk
Email:
Phone: 01572 813200

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United Kingdom and Ireland

Propelled to fame as a result of the BBC TV series 'A Garden Lost in Time', which followed its restoration, Aberglasney is one of Wales' finest gardens. A plantsman's paradise with a unique Elizabethan cloister garden at its heart, it boasts more than 10 acres of magnificent gardens to explore, as well as a shop and the picturesque Pool Garden Tearoom. For the ultimate Aberglasney experience, book a stay at one of the historic 5* cottages.

Find out more
Web: www.aberglasney.org
Email:
Phone: 01558 668998

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United Kingdom and Ireland

York Gate Garden

Arts and Crafts-style York Gate is considered to be one of the UK's best small gardens. This miniature masterpiece of just one acre is designed around 14 garden rooms, each with its own unique character, and laid out on a framework of yew and beech hedges. The garden's intimate scale makes it particularly inspirational, providing visitors with practical ideas to take home and try themselves. Created by the Spencer family during the 20th century, York Gate is now owned and managed by Perennial, the charity that supports everyone in the horticulture trade in times of need.

Find out more
Web: www.perennial.org.uk/garden/york-gate-garden
Email:
Phone: 01132 678240

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United Kingdom and Ireland

Fullers Mill Garden

Fullers Mill Garden is an enchanting and tranquil garden situated on the banks of the River Lark in Suffolk. It combines a beautiful site of light-dappled woodland with a fabulous collection of rare and unusual shrubs, perennials, lilies and marginal plants. The garden was the life's work of its creator Bernard Tickner MBE, and in 2013 it was gifted to Perennial, the charity that supports everyone in the horticulture trade when they are in times of need, so that it could continue to be enjoyed by the public.

Find out more
Web: www.perennial.org.uk/garden/fullers-mill-garden
Email:
Phone: 01284 728888

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United Kingdom and Ireland

The Laskett Gardens

The Laskett Gardens is the creation of historian Sir Roy Strong and his late wife Julia Trevelyan Oman, and tells the story of their marriage and their creative lives in the arts. Over almost four decades, they transformed a four-acre field into a series of stunning garden rooms, vistas, ascents and descents, including a rose garden, pleached lime avenue, orchard, knot garden, fountains, statues and parterres. In 2015, Sir Roy agreed to bequeath the garden to the charity Perennial, so that it will live on and can continue to be enjoyed by the public.

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Web: www.thelaskettgardens.co.uk
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United Kingdom and Ireland

Georgian villa Burtown House is surrounded by lush flower, vegetable and woodland gardens, as well as beautiful park and farmland walks. The gardens are made up of several different areas, including large herbaceous borders, shrubberies, a rock garden, a yew walk divided by a pergola, a sundial garden, an old orchard, a walled organic vegetable garden and a large woodland garden encircled by water. At Burtown House you'll also find the Green Barn Restaurant, based on old-style Scandinavian barns and serving the freshest seasonal produce, usually picked from the organic kitchen garden that same day.

Find out more
Web: www.burtownhouse.ie
Email:
Phone: 353 59 862 3865

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United Kingdom and Ireland

Step into the historic gardens at Hestercombe, where three centuries of stunning English garden design await you. Eminent Victorian garden designer Gertrude Jekyll collaborated with Sir Edwin Lutyens here to create many groundbreaking garden features. Almost completely lost in the mid-20th century, these have been painstakingly restored over the past 20 years based on drawings, journal entries, archive materials and original Jekyll garden plans which were rediscovered in a potting shed. Enjoy home-made lunches and cakes in the original equestrian fittings of the Stables Cafe (including gluten, soya and dairy-free, and vegan options), or treat yourself to a delicious Traditional or Champagne Afternoon Tea in the grand Column Room Restaurant overlooking the Formal Gardens. Included in the Admission price is entry to the acclaimed Contemporary Art Gallery.

Find out more
Web: www.hestercombe.com
Email:
Phone: 01823 413923

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United Kingdom and Ireland

Step into the historic gardens at Hestercombe, where three centuries of stunning English garden design await you. Eminent Victorian garden designer Gertrude Jekyll collaborated with Sir Edwin Lutyens here to create many groundbreaking garden features. Almost completely lost in the mid-20th century, these have been painstakingly restored over the past 20 years based on drawings, journal entries, archive materials and original Jekyll garden plans which were rediscovered in a potting shed. Enjoy home-made lunches and cakes in the original equestrian fittings of the Stables Cafe (including gluten, soya and dairy-free, and vegan options), or treat yourself to a delicious Traditional or Champagne Afternoon Tea in the grand Column Room Restaurant overlooking the Formal Gardens. Included in the Admission price is entry to the acclaimed Contemporary Art Gallery.

Find out more
Web: www.alnwickgarden.com
Email:
Phone: 01665 511350

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United Kingdom and Ireland

St Andrews Botanic Garden

St Andrews Botanic Garden is a beautiful living treasure in the heart of historic St Andrews. Mature trees and shrub plantings enclose the garden, and inspirational plant displays cover rock and scree hillsides, ponds, woodland and herbaceous borders. Botanical and geographic garden displays and huge glasshouses hold exquisite alpines, desert plants, orchids and tropical exotics. An immersive Tropical Butterfly House is open April to October. Enjoy the shop and tearoom, as well as browsing the plants sales area! Family activities, events, education and research programmes are held year round.

Find out more
Web: www.standrewsbotanic.org
Email:
Phone: 01334 476452

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United Kingdom and Ireland

Stroll around Cotswold Wildlife Park and watch the rhinos graze on the manor house lawns. With more than 260 different animal species in more than 160 acres of picturesque parkland, there’s plenty of space to relax and get closer to wildlife. The glorious gardens make a beautiful backdrop to the animals, with extensive swathes of ornamental grasses and perennials around the rhino paddock reminiscent of a savannah. Tree ferns give the feel of a temperate rain forest by the train station, while in the arid beds, cacti and succulents evoke the natural habitat of the meerkats. The tropical house is full of exotic planting, tropical birds, fruit bats, sloths and potoroos. Planting around the gothic manor house is more traditional with herbaceous borders, and the children’s farmyard has fruit and vegetable beds growing unusual varieties. In September and October 2019, the Park will be a RHS Partner Garden.

Find out more
Web: www.cotswoldwildlifepark.co.uk
Email:
Phone: 01993 823006

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United Kingdom and Ireland

Cambridge University Botanic Garden

Cambridge University Botanic Garden is one of the largest university-owned botanic gardens in the world. Based in the centre of Cambridge, it offers year-round inspiration with over 8,000 species from all over the world, spread over 40 acres of beautiful gardens and glasshouses. The garden holds the best collections of trees in the region. Other highlights include striking seasonal colour in the winter and autumn gardens; the richly fragranced scented garden; colourful bee borders; a dry garden; a woodland garden; a lake and the rising path, which showcases the systematic beds. Alpine and tropical plants in the glasshouse are also perfect for a cold day’s visit. Address: Cambridge University Botanic Garden, 1 Brookside, Cambridge, CB2 1JE.

Find out more
Web: www.botanic.cam.ac.uk
Email:
Phone: 01223 336265

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United Kingdom and Ireland

Beth Chatto OBE was an award-winning plantswoman who won numerous Golds at the Chelsea Flower Show. In the 1960s, she took an overgrown wasteland of brambles, parched gravel and boggy ditches, transforming it using the ‘right plant for the right place'. With just over seven acres of inspirational garden, the Beth Chatto Gardens are a beautiful example of what is possible when you work with nature, rather than against it. What was once a carpark is now a world-renowned gravel garden (never irrigated), and the dozens of plants Beth used to give to friends, have morphed into one of the UK's leading plantsman's nurseries.

Find out more
Web: www.bethchatto.co.uk
Email:
Phone: 01206 822007

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United Kingdom and Ireland

Ashwood Nurseries is a traditional working nursery and garden centre with a world-wide reputation for specialist plants– notably hellebores, hydrangeas, salvias, hepaticas, cyclamen, lewisias and Primula auricula. It offers one of the best plant selections in the UK, with each plant displayed in the beautifully maintained sales areas and glasshouses. Its mail order service will send plants, garden sundries and gifts to UK destinations, and there are special events throughout the year. The nurseries are open seven days a week throughout the year (except Christmas Day and Boxing Day).

Find out more
Web: www.ashwoodnurseries.com
Email:
Phone: 01384 401996

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United Kingdom and Ireland

Veddw Nurseries has two acres of ornamental gardens and two acres of woodland, and the dramatic reflecting pool is a favourite with visitors and gardeners alike. The local landscape of rolling hills is reflected in the sinuous hedges that lead to the pool and provide the perfect backdrop for other planting schemes. The history of the local landscape is incorporated into the garden design, in particular the large parterre of grass in a box hedge pattern is based on the local Tithe Map of 1842.

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Web: www.veddw.com
Email:
Phone: 01291 650836

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United Kingdom and Ireland

Stillingfleet is a tranquil organic wildlife garden filled with birds, butterflies and bumblebees. With cottage garden planting, a wildflower meadow, natural pond and double herbaceous borders, as well as a modem rill garden, there is much to enjoy. Many of the plants seen in the garden are available in the well-stocked nursery, specialising in herbaceous plants with a wide range of pulmonaria and hardy geraniums. Open 1 April - 30 September on Wednesdays and Fridays, and the first and third Saturday and Sunday each month 1pm-5pm.

Find out more
Web: www.stillingfleetlodgenurseries.co.uk
Email:
Phone: 01904 728506

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United Kingdom and Ireland

The Walled Garden Treberfydd is a beautiful old-fashioned plant nursery, set in the old walled garden of a Victorian Gothic house, specialising in hardy plants grown in Wales, which are structural, unusual, edible, herbal or fragrant. The long borders in and beside the walls, glasshouses, canals and raised beds are planted with a glorious profusion of foliage, flowers, fruit and vegetables. Located in south Wales between Brecon and Abergavenny, and there's a small café area for tea and cake.

Find out more
Web: www.walledgardentreberfydd.com
Email:
Phone: 01874 730169

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United Kingdom and Ireland

Cornwall's Best Gardens

Cornwall’s best gardens mix subtropical splendour with old English romance. They are most alive in spring, blooming with extravagance, backdropped by manor houses and coastal cliffs. This one-week tour celebrates the best of Cornwall’s gardens, including various gardens usually closed to the public. Estate owners are often your guides and the floral diversity is greater than anywhere else in the world. Welcome to a tour of both surprises and stately scenes.

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Web: www.violetsandtea.com
Email:
Phone: 079835 39389

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United Kingdom and Ireland

Charming Cotswolds & the Chelsea Flower Show

Honey-hued homesteads and bucolic landscapes set the scene on this intimate tour of the Cotswolds' finest gardens. Going behind the scenes we bask in the inimitability of gardens big and small, combining personal experiences with old-world English charm. Think secret walled gardens, 17th-century manors, romantic settings and exquisite champagne afternoon teas. After a celebration of the Cotswolds, you'll spend a day at the Members Only day of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show enjoying the world-famous annual spectacle.

Find out more
Web: www.violetsandtea.com
Email:
Phone: 079835 39389

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United Kingdom and Ireland

Sussex in Spring & the Chelsea Flower Show

Immerse yourself in the finest English gardens, just as they come into spring bloom. This luxury seven-night tour is handcrafted to celebrate the design pioneers and their gardens, from the home of Willian Robinson to the late Gertrude Jekyll. We will cruise between London and tranquil countryside, taking in all manner of grand gardens and botanical heritage. And as if that wasn’t enough, there's the RHS Chelsea Flower Show as well – plus a spot of champagne afternoon tea to start your holiday.

Find out more
Web: www.violetsandtea.com
Email:
Phone: 079835 39389

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United Kingdom and Ireland

The Hampton Court Flower Show

Blending stunning gardens with an exclusive flower show experience, this seven-day tour is the perfect balance of relaxed exploration and inspiring sights. Settle into the Cotswolds, wandering private gardens with their owners and celebrating the quintessence of rural England. Explore charming villages, relax in bucolic settings, and find tranquility along with floral splendour, before enjoying the preview evening of the RHS Hampton Court Flower Show, experiencing all its beauty before the crowds arrive.

Find out more
Web: www.violetsandtea.com
Email:
Phone: 079835 39389

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United Kingdom and Ireland

A Touch of Magnificence

Celebrating the most magnificent gardens in England, this six-day tour immerses you in royal estates, private residences and the grandest floral displays. The tour runs at a leisurely pace, showcasing the rural splendour of southern England. It’s a holiday packed with exclusive experiences, revealing gardens not open to the public and stories that stir the soul. This is quintessential England for garden lovers looking for a unique and memorable holiday.

Find out more
Web: www.violetsandtea.com
Email:
Phone: 079835 39389

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United Kingdom and Ireland

Late Season Colour

Fiery late season colour and opulent estates abound on this beautiful tour. With contrasting historic estates, sublime walled gardens and contemporary masterpieces, you'll visit the best gardens in Yorkshire and marvel in their historical tales and the ambitions of their creators. While the world may end with a whimper, these gardens certainly end the season with a bang!

Find out more
Web: www.violetsandtea.com
Email:
Phone: 079835 39389

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United Kingdom and Ireland

The Garden Inspiration Tour

This is an inspiring tour for all garden lovers seeking enjoyment and inspiration in the garden. You'll visit iconic English gardens that have shaped garden design globally over the last century, and meet with owners of exceptional private gardens to see how they created their own masterpieces. Best of all, you will attend a fascinating workshop with one of England's leading contemporary garden designers and writers. So sit back, relax and enjoy this inspiring tour of beautiful gardens.

Find out more
Web: www.violetsandtea.com
Email:
Phone: 079835 39389

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United Kingdom and Ireland

The Kylenmore Walled Garden at Kylemore Abbey is an oasis of splendour in the wild heart of Connemara, Ireland. Here you can marvel at the immaculate Victorian bedding set on velvety green lawns, the lovely vegetable and herb garden, and the impressive rockery. The views are worth it alone – majestic mountains stretching in every direction. With such treasures, the restored Victorian garden is a must for horticulture enthusiasts visiting Ireland.

Find out more
Web: www.kylemoreabbey.com
Email:
Phone: +353 95 52001

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United Kingdom and Ireland

Derreen Garden in County Kerry, Ireland, is a 150-year-old treasure trove of winding paths, mature trees and lovely shrubs from around the world. It’s right on the shore of Kilmakilloge Harbour, so you can marvel at the surrounding striking coastal views and Caha mountains while you walk. The gorgeous garden is open year-round, with a café serving homemade food open from April to October.

Find out more
Web: www.derreengarden.com
Email:
Phone: 083 166 2160

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United Kingdom and Ireland

The Swiss Garden in Shuttleworth, Bedfordshire, is a Victorian delight. Created by Lord Ongley in the 1820s and embellished 50 years later by Joseph Shuttleworth, the garden’s nine-acre grounds are home to 13 listed buildings and artefacts. It’s the only complete example of a Regency landscape in the UK, as many of the delicate structures in other gardens dating from this period have not survived.

Find out more
Web: www.shuttleworth.org
Email:
Phone: 01767 627 927

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United Kingdom and Ireland

Lovingly restored by its owners, Chilham Castle is a Jacobean house surrounded by 25 acres of enchanting gardens. The gardens have been allowed to evolve naturally – preserving its history and character – and it includes a tropical garden, lake and topiary. The gardens are open to the public every Tuesday between June and September, and group bookings are welcome mid-week.

Find out more
Web: www.chilham-castle.co.uk
Email:
Phone: 01227 733 100

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United Kingdom and Ireland

Set in the beautiful Carmarthenshire countryside, the National Botanic Garden of Wales is a fascinating blend of the modern and historic. Here, you’ll find an inspiring range of themed gardens, including the Great Glasshouse designed by Lord Norman Foster – one of the largest single-span glasshouses on the planet, it's home to one of the best collections of Mediterranean climate-zone plants.

The recently restored Regency parkland is another must-see. It features new dams, bridges and a newly-filled lake that dominate the wider estate, which in its heyday was one of the finest waterparks in Britain. And don't miss the amazing daily flying displays by the team at the British Bird of Prey Centre, as it has a remarkable collection of UK native raptors.

Add the national nature reserve, a rich mosaic of special habitats housing native orchids and incredible waxcap fungi, to all the other attractions available at the National Botanic Garden of Wales, and you have a great day out for all the family!

Find out more
Web: www.chilham-castle.co.uk
Email:
Phone: 01558 667149

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Mainland Europe
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France

Claude Monet Garden

Welcome to the world of the painter and gardener Claude Monet. For more than 40 years, until his death in 1926, Giverny was his home, his site of creation and his masterpiece. A world of senses, colours and memories, the house in which the artist and his family lived notably contains his studio-sitting room, and his exceptional collection of Japanese prints. The gardens are composed of the Clos Normand, with its flowerbeds, and the Water Garden, planted with Oriental vegetation, weeping willows and water lilies, plus its Japanese bridge painted green.

Find out more
Web: www.fondation-monet.com
Email:
Phone: +33 (0) 232 51 28 21

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France

Versailles

The gardens of the Palace of Versailles are a superb example of French-style formal gardens. Designed in 1661 by André Le Nôtre, the grounds boast 372 statues, 55 water features, 600 fountains, 35km of canals, countless immaculately clipped topiaries and a spectacular orangery. ECT Travel can create bespoke, small group tours to this world-class garden, combining a day at Versailles with guided visits to other gardens such as the extraordinary rose garden, Roseraie de Bagatelle with its 1,200 different species of rose, and Château de Fontainebleau, home to the largest formal garden in Europe.

Find out more
Web: www.ecttravel.com
Email:
Phone: 0800 298 0588

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Belgium

Royal Greenhouses Laeken

The annual opening of Belgium's Royal Greenhouses at Laeken is one of Europe's must-see spring events. The elaborate steel and glass complex, designed in 1873 by Alphonse Balat, is home to many rare and valuable plant species, including varieties of azaleas and geraniums, which come into full bloom during the three-week opening. ECT Travel's weekend tour to Laeken also coincides with Floralia Brussels, a colourful and fragrant show of one million bulbs set in the park of the 17th-century Groot-Bijgaarden Castle. The tour ends with visits to the beautiful, historic gardens of Les Jardins d'Annevoie and Chateau Freyr.

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Web: www.ecttravel.com
Email:
Phone: 0800 298 0588

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Netherlands

Keukenhof

Keukenhof's annual spring festival is one of the world's most spectacular floral events. Seven million flowering bulbs turn the garden into a heady celebration of tulips, anemones, daffodils, freesias and hyacinths (themed around the idea of 'Romance in Flowers' for 2018), and there is also a spectacular sculpture area, where visitors will discover extraordinary displays created by the world's leading floriculturists. ECT Travel's weekend flight tour not only takes you to see this internationally-acclaimed garden at its vibrant best, it also includes time to explore the historic cities of Delft, Haarlem and Amsterdam.

Find out more
Web: www.ecttravel.com
Email:
Phone: 0800 298 0588

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Italy

Rome, Ninfa and Castel Gandolfo

On this Roman adventure, ancient botanical romance is part of everyday life. Open by special arrangement, the gardens are fit for a Pope at the traditional papal residence, Castel Gandolfo. And nearby Ninfa will win you over with stunning floral displays that spill generously over poetic ruins of an ancient village. As if that wasn't entrancing enough, you'll also pay visits to the great Renaissance gardens of Villa Lante and Villa d'Este. The latter is a 16th-century spot famed for its use of water features - a spell-binding composition of cascades and fountains.

For 25 years, Brightwater Holidays has provided well-planned and expert-led garden and special interest tours to individuals, private clubs and societies everywhere. If you're looking for a trip that doesn't follow the crowds, then step this way. From exploring the jungles of Costa Rica and the botanical triumphs of Japan, to experiencing the remoteness of the Scottish Highlands and islands, you really can do it all on a Brightwater Holiday.

The tours offer the opportunity to explore popular places and private spaces not normally open to the public, all while relaxing in complete comfort and travelling in the company of expert guides and like-minded friends. Simply set the destination, budget, group size and any extras, and Brightwater will sort the rest. It will arrange all transport, accommodation and entry costs, as well as providing Tour Managers to ensure everything runs smoothly.

Find out more
Web: www.brightwaterholidays.com
Email:
Phone: 01334 657155

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France

Domaine de Chantilly

The gardens of the Château de Chantilly are the result of trends from different periods: the French-style garden created by André Le Nôtre in the 17th century, the Anglo-Chinese Garden in the 18th century, and the English Garden in the 19th century. These grounds provide a unique testament to the relationship between men and nature in the western world over more than three centuries. It's in this haven of 115 hectares that the Chantilly flower shows are organised twice a year, in May and October.

Find out more
Web: www.domainedechantilly.com
Phone: +33 (0)3 44 27 31 80

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Italy

Located in the Italian province of South Tyrol, The Gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle is encircled by Alpine peaks, and offers a unique combination of nature, culture and art from around the globe. Its mix of historical and contemporary architecture, Artist Pavilions, Experience Stations, diverse events and seasonal blooms make Trauttmansdorff an interactive experience for visitors of all ages. Named Italy's Most Beautiful Garden in 2005 and Europe's No. 6 Garden in 2006, Trauttmansdorff was honoured with the International Garden of the Year award in 2013. The botanical garden was created by Laimburg Research Centre for Agriculture, and is now part of the Agentur Landesdomäne.

Find out more
Web: www.trauttmansdorff.it
Email:
Phone: +39 0473 255600

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France

The kitchen garden at Château de Saint-Jean de Beauregard is completely walled, like most 17th-century castle kitchen gardens, but it's one of the few to have actually survived fully intact. A masterpiece of a flowering kitchen garden, it covers two hectares and houses a whole host of rare and forgotten flowers, fruit and vegetables in a series of beautiful - and often-renewed –compositions. The restoration of the garden in 1984 was made possible by the discovery of its original plans in the chateau's archives. Classified as a historic monument in 1993, and recognised as a Jardin Remarquable in 2005, this outstanding garden is a choice destination for garden lovers from all over the world, as well as a source of constant inspiration for many gardeners.

Find out more
Web: www.chateaudesaintjeandebeauregard.com
Email:
Phone: +33 (0)1 60 12 00 01

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France

The gardens of Château du Rivau have been called ‘remarkable' by France's Ministry of Culture and contain a collection of more than 450 different roses, all chosen purely for their fragrance. Combined with the thousands of other plants in the garden, they make a botanical paradise. Created by Patricia Laigneau over more than 20 years, they are contemporary gardens that evolve with the seasons. And botanical excellence isn't the only thing that defines them - they're also exceptionally original, as each one is inspired by a medieval legend and features surprisingly unique plant groupings. The RHS partner gardens are also cultivated without the use of chemicals.

Find out more
Web: www.chateaudurivau.com
Email:
Phone: +33 (0)2 47 95 77 47

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Germany

Chinese Garden in Bochum

Qian Yuan, the "hidden garden" that sits within the Botanical Garden of Ruhr University in Bochum, Germany, is an authentic southern Chinese scholar's garden. Designed by Professor Zhang Zhenshan of Tongji University in Shanghai, it was created in 1990 as an anniversary gift and a token of friendship between the two twinned universities.

Following oriental tradition, the garden is enclosed by a wall to protect its tranquillity, but it has many openings that enhance the overall atmosphere of the garden. Inside, a meandering path encircles a large pond and hugs the wall, passing through a succession of pavilions and landscapes, offering new views with every step.

Plants, buildings, rocks, water and sky combine to create an enchanting place of repose that's imbued with Taoist symbolism - the whole gives rise to a miniature world as Chinese philosophy sees it. The Chinese landlord would have relaxed here with friends while meditating upon the harmony of man and nature, but even Westerners not versed in the Taoist symbols and metaphors will find a charming and inspiring environment in which to escape the hustle and bustle of the world outside.

In another sense, the Chinese Garden is a theme park based on the famous Legend of the Peach Blossom Spring, in which a fisherman, intrigued by a blossoming peach orchard, accidentally discovers a hidden idyllic land - an outcrop of Paradise - which once he returns home can never be found again. This tale is engraved on a stone tablet in the garden, and many of its elements are represented within it.

Entry is free and the garden is accessible 10am to 6pm in the summer, 4 pm in the winter.

Find out more
Web: www.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/cgev
Email:
Phone: +49(0)234/32-23098

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Switzerland

The Brissago Islands - Botanical park

The Brissago Islands are the botanical park of the Swiss canton Ticino. In 1885, the baroness Antoinette Saint Leger transformed the islands into a residence where painters, sculptors, musicians and writers could meet. The big island became an exotic garden. In 1927 the new owner, the businessman Max Emden from Hamburg, had the actual palazzo, dock and Roman bath built and increased the cultivation of exotic plants.

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Web: www.ticino.ch
Email:
Phone: +41 91 791 43 61

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Switzerland

Parco Ciani, Lugano

There are few better views in southern Switzerland than from Parco Ciani. While strolling through the park, pause and sit on one of the red benches and admire the scenic view of Monte Bré, Monte San Salvatore and Campione d'Italia. Parco Ciani is a true all-rounder - even at night, you can witness a spectacular view of Lugano as the city lights reflect off the lake.

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Web: www.ticino.ch
Email:
Phone: +41 58 220 65 00

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Switzerland

Vincenzo Vela Museum and Park

This magnificent park surrounds a beautiful country villa built for sculptor Vincenzo Vela. Built in the 19th-century, the villa now houses the Vincenzo Vela Museum and visitors can share in the delights of the park during the months the museum is open to the public. The original features of the park have been faithfully re-created, like the formal Italian-style garden which leads down to the pretty village of Ligornetto, the broad, sloping English lawn and the chestnut copse north of the villa. Today, the park also has an interesting camellia shrubbery with many little-known botanical specimens, plus a citrus grove with some very rare species of lemon-tree.

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Web: www.ticino.ch
Email:
Phone: +41 91 640 70 40

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Switzerland

The Locarno Camelia Exhibition

This wonderful celebration of the Camelia takes place from 27-31 March and is the largest event of its kind outside of Japan. Set in the grounds of the magnificent Visconteo Castle, the Camelia Park will be open to visitors every day during the exhibition. It features more than 200 varieties of this stunning flower, splendidly arranged by experienced gardeners to show it off in all its glory.

Find out more
Web: www.ticino.ch
Phone: +41 848 091 091

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Switzerland

Monte Verita's tea plantation

On a hillside above the city of Ascona lies Europe’s only tea plantation. It’s all thanks to a unique microclimate and the plantation’s creator, Peter Opplie – an expert in medicinal plants and self-named ‘tea philosopher’. Visitors can follow the pathway known as ‘The Tea Way’, which has been built according to Japanese tradition, and experience how tea is grown, before enjoying a ritual tea ceremony in the tea house.

Find out more
Web: www.ticino.ch
Email:
Phone: +41 91 785 40 40

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Switzerland

San Grato Park

The botanical garden of San Grato offers unique natural characteristics, but also an exceptional panoramic view on the immediate surroundings and on the peaks of the alpine chain. Visiting the Park, you've got the sensation of entering an enchanted world, where colors and odors of azaleas, camellia and rhododendrons make you feel unforgettable emotions.

Find out more
Web: www.ticino.ch
Email:
Phone: +41 58 866 49 50

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Switzerland

Scherrer Park

Take a trip to this extraordinary park where past and present, history and nature co-exist in perfect harmony. Scherrer Park was created by Arthur Scherrer, a passionate gardener and romantic. In 1930 he bought a little house with a stable overlooked by vineyards and a chestnut grove. On this space, he created a ‘Garden of Wonders’ using many exotic plants collected on his travels. A path leads visitors through Mediterranean-style gardens created in the Renaissance and Baroque style, before continuing through an oriental landscape of bamboo forests scattered with buildings faithfully reproduced in Siamese, Arabian and Indian style.

Find out more
Web: www.ticino.ch
Email:
Phone: +41 91 996 21 25

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Switzerland

Schynige Platte Alpine Garden

Slow down the pace and explore this Alpine wonderland while enjoying stunning views of the Eiger, Munch and Jungfrau. Every few steps, visitors have to stop to admire the wonderful flowers that bloom on the alpine meadows. Some of the gems to be discovered include pretty Edelweiss, the exotic paradise lily and more than 650 other species. A site of scientific research and a nature conservation, this garden which sits at 1967m above sea level, is the perfect place to get a closer look at the beauty, wealth and secrets of Alpine flora.

Find out more
Web: www.jungfrau.ch
Email:
Phone: +41 33 828 73 76

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Switzerland

Chateau de Prangins

The kitchen garden of Chateau de Prangins has become a centre of conservation, with more than one hundred rare fruit and vegetable varieties on show. In fact, it’s a fine example of 18th-century growing. After touring the garden, visitors are also invited to view a fascinating free exhibition, ‘Discovering the Garden’. Suitable for all ages, it explores issues of agronomy and botany in an entertaining and interactive way. There is also a tour plan for children and an audioguide helping visitors learn more about some of the key plants growing in the garden.

Find out more
Web: www.nationalmuseum.ch
Email:
Phone: +41 22 994 88 90

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Switzerland

The Flore-Alpe botanical garden is a captivating space situated at an altitude of 1500m above sea level. It’s resplendent with paths that meander between the rocks and over small bridges that overlook crystal pools of water. Visitors can contemplate the magnificent and unique panorama of Lake Champex and the snow-capped peaks of Les Combins. Four thousand species of plants bloom on these hillsides, featuring local flora as well as plants from the neighbouring mountains of Europe and other continents.

Find out more
Web: www.valais.ch
Email:
Phone: +41 27 327 35 90

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Switzerland

The Chateau’s 18th-century architecture, 75 acres of parkland and medieval foundations overlooking Mont Blanc and Lake Geneva, plus its important contemporary sculpture collection, make Vullierens a remarkable Swiss heritage site. It has been in the same family for 700 years. Themed gardens and flowers include late tulips, rhododendrons, peonies, irises, roses and day lilies. The iris collection is perhaps Europe’s most modern – a mosaic of 50,000 blooms in the spring, and re-flowering varieties in the autumn. Stroll through the Enchanted Woodland and discover the ‘large tree collection’, which includes one of the oldest tulip trees in Europe. You can even enjoy Vullierens’ award-winning wines and its historic cellar. In 2019, Château de Vullierens is open from 21 April to 28 July, plus every weekend in September and October.

Find out more
Web: www.chateauvullierens.ch
Email:
Phone: +41 21 869 88 80

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Italy

The botanical garden of Villa Cipressi in Lake Como is a haven of perfumes and magical sensations. Walk its green path and you’ll discover historic indigenous plants that tell the story of the Italy’s rich and varied biodiversity. There’s contemporary architecture to marvel at, too. So, if you love green travel and history, visit Villa Cipressi to enjoy them at their best.

Find out more
Web: www.hotelvillacipressi.it
Email:
Phone: +39 0341 830113

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Madeira
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Madeira

Municipal Garden of Funchal

The Municipal Garden of Funchal is a place of natural beauty located in Madeira’s capital. The garden is on the site where the São Francisco Convent once stood, but it now houses beautiful plants and flowers from across the globe including sausage trees, garcinias, frangipanis and pandanus. Representing Madeira’s flora there are also barbusanos, dragon trees and much more.

Find out more
Web: www.visitfunchal.pt
Email:
Phone: (+351) 291211138

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Madeira

Santa Catarina Park

Stretching for 36,000 m2, Parque de Santa Catarina is a beloved nature park which offers breathtaking views over the bay of Funchal. In this urban oasis, you can read a book in the shade of the trees, spot local wildlife or walk amongst fascinating flowers and trees.

Find out more
Web: www.visitfunchal.pt
Email:
Phone: (+351) 291211138

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Madeira

Monte Palace Tropical Garden

Wandering around the Monte Palace Tropical Garden is sure to awaken your senses. You’ll hear the peaceful sound of water throughout the 70,000 m2 garden as it has relaxing waterfalls, lagoons and much more. It also houses a huge exotic plant collection, which includes cycas and laurel forests. What's more, you’ll also find over 40 panels which tell the history of Portugal.

Find out more
Web: www.montepalacemadeira.com
Email:
Phone: (+351) 291780800

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Madeira

Quinta da Casa Branca

Nestled in the heart of the city of Funchal, you’ll find the secluded gardens of Quinta da Casa Branca. Along the paths, you’ll discover spectacular flora including kapoks, dombeyas, markhamias, vigandias and much more.

Find out more
Web: www.quintacasabranca.pt
Email:
Phone: (+351) 291700770

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Madeira

Botanical Garden

A must-see for plant and botanical lovers, The Madeira Botanical Garden is bursting with life. Located in Quinta do Bom Sucesso, this colourful garden is home to over 2,000 types of plants, some of which are on the brink of extinction. A stone's throw away you'll also find tranquil lakes, the Natural History Museum and an Arboretum.

Find out more
Web: www.ifcn.madeira.gov.pt
Email:
Phone: (+351) 291211200

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Madeira

Monte Municipal Garden

Located at an altitude of around 550m, the Monte Municipal Garden is distinctive for its crisp fresh air, its century-old trees, as well as its indigenous and exotic flora. With 26,000 m2 of green spaces for you to explore, it’s a beautifully romantic spot. For something different, be sure to check out the distinctive map of Madeira carved into stone.

Find out more
Web: www.visitfunchal.pt
Email:
Phone: (+351) 291211138

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Madeira

Quinta do Santo da Serra

Located at an altitude of 700m, Quinta do Santo da Serra is a public garden which offers vast lawns, trees and flowers overlooking the parish of Machico. Among camellias, azaleas and agapanthus, you’ll also find find beeches and oak trees. This historic garden also houses farm animals, including peacocks and horses.

Find out more
Web: ifcn.madeira.gov.pt
Phone: (+351) 291552234

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Madeira

Quinta Vigia

Quinta Vigia is a historic estate that was once home to Queen Adelaide of England. Walk along the garden's cobblestone paths and you'll pass colourful flower beds, lagoons, trees and sculptures. It’s a garden where you can absorb the history of the property, admire the baroque and neoclassic architecture and enjoy an exclusive sea view over the port of Funchal.

Find out more
Web: www.montepalacemadeira.com
Phone: (+351) 291214660

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Madeira

Quinta das Palmeiras

Quinta das Palmeiras is a cosy oasis in Porto Santo, Madeira. This botanical garden and mini-zoo is filled with vegetation and flowers, including roses, hibiscuses and daturas. Its lakes are a local attraction too, because they’re home to a range of fish, turtles and swans. Plus, you’ll also find plenty of exotic birds roaming freely.

Find out more
Web: www.facebook.com/quintadaspalmeirasportosanto/
Email:
Phone: (+351) 291983625

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Madeira

Quinta dos Jardins do Lago

With more than 500 different species of plants spread across an area of 2.5 hectares, this garden is a must-see. It preserves rare specimens of century-old trees such as Madeiran dragon trees, camphor trees from China and Japan, jacaranda trees from Argentina as well as pandanus from Madagascar.

Find out more
Web: www.jardinsdolago.com
Email:
Phone: (+351) 291750100

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Madeira

Belmond Reid’s Palace

Located on top of a cliff, Belmond Reid’s Palace offers astounding panoramic views over the Atlantic Ocean and the bay of Funchal. Internationally renowned, the charming gardens cover 4 hectares and house over 500 species of rare plants and flowers. You’ll find trees from all over the world as well as climbing plants, geraniums, acacias, bougainvilleas, wisterias, hibiscus and sages.

Find out more
Web: www.belmond.com
Email:
Phone: (+351) 291717171

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Madeira

Pestana Village Hotel

Majestically overlooking the mountaintops of Madeira, the Pestana Village Hotel garden is truly breathtaking. Palm and banana trees are its main attraction, but along the walk you’ll also find lush grass areas, indigenous trees as well bougainvilleas.

Find out more
Web: www.pestana.com
Email:
Phone: (+351) 291701600

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Madeira

Quinta das Cruzes Garden

Nestled in the capital of Funchal, this incredible garden is home to camphor trees, eucalyptus, rose apple trees and much more. It’s also rich in history. Here you’ll find cavernous caves, 16th century Manueline windows carved out of basalt, as well as an old manor house which now operates as a museum.

Find out more
Web: mqc.madeira.gov.pt
Email:
Phone: (+351) 291740670

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Madeira

Quinta Magnólia Garden

Quinta Magnólia Garden has got an extraordinary range of flora for you to enjoy, from exotic araucarias, magnolias and jacaranda trees to indigenous barbusanos and vinháticos.

Find out more
Web: www.madeira.gov.pt
Email:
Phone: (+351) 291239130

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Madeira

Dragon Trees Nucleus

If you want to see a cluster of magnificent dragon trees then a trip to the Dragon Tree Nucleus is a must. The garden is a protected heritage site and, because it's located at a high altitude, it also offers unique views over the bay of Funchal. Be sure to try one of the garden's guided tours if you want to find out more about its nature and biodiversity conservation.

Find out more
Web: ifcn.madeira.gov.pt
Email:
Phone: (+351) 291795155

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Madeira

Pallheiro Gardens

These gardens stand out for their cinematic views as well as the rich vegetation which grows here despite the climate. Highlights of the gardens include century-old trees, proteas from South Africa, a rose garden from the United Kingdom, the eye-catching Sunken Garden as well as arboreal ferns from Australia and New Zealand.

Find out more
Web: www.palheironature.com
Email:
Phone: (+351) 291793044

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Sweden

Discover a landscape of biodiversity and beauty at the Botanical Garden in Gothenburg, one of Europe's largest and most stunning gardens, home to plants from all over the world. With a world-class rock garden just one of the many wonders you'll find at the Gothenburg Botanical Garden, come and explore and take in the sight and smells of plants you've never come across before.

Find out more
Web: www.botaniska.se
Email:
Phone: (+)46104737777

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Sweden

Tjolöholm Castle is Sweden's leading Arts and Crafts property. The castle was built between 1898 and 1904 in Tudor style on the west coast of Sweden, close to Gothenburg. Its gardens are beautifully situated on a peninsula by the sea and blend seamlessly into the adjoining countryside, giving the impression that the castle has grown from its surroundings. The castle's garden is now being restored back to its former Arts and Crafts style under the guidance of head gardener John Taylor.

Find out more
Web: www.tjoloholm.se/en/
Email:
Phone: (+)46300404600

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Sweden

The Uppsala University Botanical Garden is the oldest botanical garden in Sweden, and attained worldwide fame in the days of Olof Rudbeck and Carl Linnaeus. The old garden is today known as The Linnaeus Garden, while the modern botanical garden is situated by Uppsala Castle and houses more than 7,000 plant species. Linnaeus' Hammarby preserves an authentic 18th century milieu unlike many other Swedish manor houses. The Linnaeus Garden and Linnaeus' Hammarby are open to visitors between May and September, so book your trip to enjoy three gardens that have successfully combined botany and horticulture for more than 350 years.

Find out more
Web: www.botan.uu.se
Email:
Phone: +46 18 471 28 38

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Japan

Sengan-en

Sengan-en is a stately home and landscape garden along the coast north of downtown Kagoshima, Japan. Built in 1658 as one of the residences of the powerful Shimadzu clan, the garden's most striking feature is its use of both the active volcano, Sakurajima, and Kagoshima Bay as borrowed scenery. The subtropical gardens cover more than 12 acres and include calming ponds, gently bubbling streams, mysterious shrines, a bamboo grove and a mountain hiking trail. The Shoko Shuseikan Museum and Sengan-en were recognised as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site related to Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution in 2015.

Find out more
Web: www.senganen.jp
Email:
Phone: (+81)099-247-1551

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Singapore

Gardens by the Bay

Gardens by the Bay, Singapore's awe-inspiring urban garden, is home to towering super trees, the tallest waterfall on earth and, in July 2018, the seventh edition of the biennial Singapore Garden Festival. This is the world's leading celebration of tropical gardening, and the 2018 programme promises innovative show gardens, extraordinary displays of floral artistry and competitions in which top designers vie to outdo each other with their creative flights of fancy. ECT Travel combines a trip to this inspirational event with a tour of Singapore, Penang and Kuala Lumpur. Stay in luxurious five-star hotels, see landmark sites, discover hidden gems and experience three vibrant cultures.

Find out more
Web: www.ecttravel.com
Email:
Phone: 0800 298 0588

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Morocco

Le Jardin Secret

Le Jardin Secret is opening its doors to the public for the first time in its history. The origins of the complex date back to the Saadian Dynasty, more than 400 years ago, and rebuilt in the mid-19th century, Le Jardin Secret has been the home of some of Morocco and Marrakech's most important political figures.

The exotic garden is part of the great tradition of stately Arab-Andalusian and Moroccan palaces, and as a result, visitors can discover its gardens and buildings, which are outstanding examples of Islamic art and architecture. Le Jardin Secret is also filled with plants from all over the world, recalling the experimental aspect of the great gardens of Marrakech.

The Islamic garden was restored following the likely 18th century layout. Closely linked to riad structures, this type of garden is an oasis of peace, where you can indulge in idleness and contemplation thanks to the shade of the trees and the intimacy of the enclosed space.

Find out more
Web: www.lejardinsecretmarrakech.com
Email:
Phone: +212(0)524 39 00 40

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Morocco

André Heller’s ANIMA is a magical garden where nature meets art. It sports hundreds of botanical influences from around the world, blended together with artworks by Picasso, Haring, Rodin and more. It’s a place of sensuality, wonder, contemplation, joy, healing, and inspiration. Perfect for finding respite from crowded Marrakech and recharge your batteries with homemade smoothies, lemonade and fresh dishes featuring ingredients from the garden.

Find out more
Web: www.anima-garden.com
Email:
Phone: +212(0)524 48 20 22

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Jerusalem

The Jerusalem Botanical Gardens are a tranquil oasis in the heart of Israel's ancient city. Just a short hop from Museums Row, the gardens offer a welcome respite from the hustle and bustle of the city with an impressive 30 acres under cultivation.

Wander along meandering paths and enjoy enchanted corners, water pools and shaded seating while admiring over 6,000 species of plants from all over the world - including some 400 of Israel's endangered species. You can even sit by the lake and enjoy a cool drink or fresh local food at the Caffit B'Gan Café.

Find out more
Web: www.botanic.co.il
Email:
Phone: 00 972 2 6794012

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United States

Denver Botanic Gardens is considered one of the top botanical gardens in the United States and a pioneer in water conservation. The Gardens' living collections encompass specimens from the tropics to the tundra, showcasing a plant palette chosen to thrive in Colorado's semi-arid climate. This dynamic, 24-acre urban oasis in the heart of the city offers unforgettable garden experiences as well as programming for all ages, plant conservation research programmes and world-class art exhibitions. Denver Botanic Gardens strives to entertain and delight, while spreading the collective wisdom of the gardens through outreach, collaboration and education.

Find out more
Web: www.botanicgardens.org
Email:
Phone: 720-865-3500

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United States

Strawbery Banke interprets the history of the waterfront neighborhood of Portsmouth, NH from 1695 to 1955 through restored furnished houses, exhibits, historic landscapes and gardens, traditional crafters and costumed roleplayers. The seasonal gardens include a colonial kitchen garden, Victorian ornamental plantings, a Colonial Revival garden and hemlock grove, a Ukrainian immigrant's vegetable garden, a 1943 Victory Garden and chicken coop, and several heirloom apple orchard as well as a community garden. The museum is recognized as one of just four sites in the world teaching about change over time in the landscape.

Find out more
Web: www.strawberybanke.org
Email:
Phone: 603-433-1102

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United States

Longwood Gardens is one of the great gardens of the world, encompassing 1,083 acres of formal and informal gardens, woodlands, a Meadow Garden, majestic fountains, a 10,010-pipe Aeolian organ, and 4-acre grand Conservatory. Longwood's founder, industrialist Pierre du Pont (1870-1954), purchased a small farm near Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, in 1906 to save a collection of historic trees from being sold for lumber. Throughout his life, Mr. du Pont indulged his passion for gardening, turning Longwood into a magnificent horticultural showplace that today welcomes more than 1.5 million guests each year, making it the most visited public garden in the United States.

Find out more
Web: www.longwoodgardens.org
Email:
Phone: 610-388-1000

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Canada

Casa Loma in Toronto, Canada, was completed in 1914. It took 300 men nearly three years to build the almost 200,000 square foot castle at a cost of $3,500,000 (at the time). Set on five acres, it was once the largest private residence in Canada, and today, it's one of Toronto's top tourist attractions and hospitality venues. Each year over 650,000 visitors tour Casa Loma and the estate gardens. A perfect backdrop for special occasions, it also plays host to over 350 private events annually and the unique architecture has made it a highly desirable location for film, television and photo shoots.

Find out more
Web: www.casaloma.ca
Email:
Phone: 416-542-3789

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Canada

Tangled Garden is a wild and subtle floral tapestry, as well as a working herb and fruit farm. Thirty years in the making, it showcases a passion for beauty and flavour. Wander through garden rooms hedged in box, yew and beech. Explore a dry stream bed flanked by statuesque grasses and contemporary sculpture. At the high point of the garden where the land has been carved into tiers, a flowering labyrinth offers a meditative walk with sweeping views of the Bay of Fundy.

Find out more
Web: www.tangledgarden.ca
Email:
Phone: 902-542-9811

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United States

There’s nothing like a stroll through Biltmore’s magnificent gardens on a beautiful North Carolina day. George Vanderbilt’s 250-room chateau (America’s Largest Home®) sits at the centre of 8,000 breathtaking acres, nestled among the Blue Ridge Mountains in Asheville. Enjoy the freedom to explore them all, including the final masterpieces of renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted. Discover quiet moments of reflection in his formal Italian Garden, meander through the astonishing Walled Garden and perfume-filled Rose Garden, peruse the exotic blooms in the glass-roofed Conservatory, and marvel at all 15 acres of the azaleas. Every detail of Olmsted’s vision has been preserved for your pleasure.

Find out more
Web: www.biltmore.com
Phone: 800-411-3812

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Barbados

Andromeda Botanic Gardens in Barbados was founded in 1954 by Iris Bannochie, winner of numerous accolades including three Chelsea Flower Show Gold Medals. She created Andromeda as a private retreat and bequeathed it to the Barbados National Trust when she died in 1988. Andromeda is the only RHS Partner Garden in the West Indies and is comprised of numerous stunning gardens and an incredible collection of plants.

Find out more
Web: www.andromedabarbados.com
Email:
Phone: 001 246 433 9384

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AUSTRALIA

Western Australia

Ten days with a botanical guide in a small group. Explore nature's garden, rare and spectacular wildflowers and delightful private gardens, plus some of the iconic sights of the southern region of Western Australia. Discover rare orchids in the south of the state, which is home to more than 3,000 different species.

Highlights
• Admire the spectacular wildflowers of Western Australia
• Enjoy the Valley of the Giants and the Tree Top Walk
• Sample wines at Margaret River
• Marvel at the beauty of the Swan River on a special lunchtime cruise
• See the Secret Garden designed by Paul Bangay
• Visit private gardens not normally open to the public
• Enjoy time to explore historic Fremantle

Find out more
Web: www.botanica.travel
Email:
Phone: 0800 046 3377

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AUSTRALIA

Victoria

Visit Victoria on a seven-day tour with a botanical guide in a small group. Explore Victorian homesteads, beautiful private gardens and stately mansions, combined with the spectacular scenery of the Grampians, Coonawarra and the Great Ocean Road. Stay in the famous Royal Mail Hotel in Dunkeld and enjoy dining at their famous restaurant.

Highlights
• Learn about the history of the homesteads and regions you visit
• Tour historic Narrapumelap Homestead
• Be captivated by the Grampians and visit private gardens
• Admire the Great Ocean Road scenery
• Discover the grand Como and Rippon Lea Mansions' gardens
• Explore historic Werribee Park Mansion and Victorian State Rose Garden
• Visit Melbourne and Geelong Botanic Gardens

Find out more
Web: www.botanica.travel
Email:
Phone: 0800 046 3377

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AUSTRALIA

Come relax, unwind and enjoy Perth’s hidden gem in the Perth Hills. Araluen Botanic Park is located just 35km from the Perth CBD in Roleystone. Nestled in the Darling Range with Stinton Creek cascading through its spectacular gardens all year, the park features an impressive collection of camellias, roses and other exotic plant species, all flourishing amongst a native backdrop of Australian bushland. Pack a picnic and sit by the running water of Stinton Creek or visit the Chalet Healy Café. Special events, festivals, concerts and kids’ activities are held regularly in the park – there is always something happening at Araluen.

Find out more
Web: www.araluenbotanicpark.com.au
Email:
Phone: +61 (0)8 9234 2200

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NEW ZEALAND

Larnach Castle is a gothic revival colonial home in the South Seas, positioned at 300m (1,000ft) on Otago Peninsular. Its surrounding 10-acre garden has been renewed and replanted on the footprint of the Victorian carriageways and dry stone walls. Themed gardens flow one into another - the inner garden is traditional in spirit, while the other areas reflect the environment. The South Seas Garden features coastal plants from the islands and coasts of the South Pacific. The temperate rain forest garden is planted with native podocarps and massed tree ferns. The strong design has spectacular vistas of the surrounding scenery.

Find out more
Web: www.larnachcastle.co.nz
Email:
Phone: 00 64 3 476 1616

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Take a break from gardens

Enjoy traditional British cruising on four beautiful ships

Book your 2019 cruise with Newmarket Holidays today and take advantage of dozens of introductory buy-one-get-one-free offers on a number of new voyages onboard CMV Flagship Columbus, Magellan, Marco Polo or Astoria.

Discover a wide range of destinations and find an itinerary suited to you - from cruises of the British Isles to round the World trips, Newmarket Holidays' cruises visit many wish-list locations. You just have to decide where you would like your next adventure to begin!

Whether you're new to cruising and looking for a short weekend starter break, or you've been an avid cruiser for a while and would like to go in search of the Northern Lights, there are plenty of itineraries to choose from. As well as destinations, Newmarket Holidays also offers a variety of themed cruises, which are great if you don't have a particular location in mind.

Newmarket Holidays is offering buy-one-get-one-free discounts on selected 2019 sailings, for bookings made before midnight on 31 May 2018. These great-value prices include full-board accommodation based on two people sharing a twin cabin, fascinating ports of call where a wide range of optional shore excursions are on offer, on-board prices in sterling, first-class entertainment, a wide range of on-board leisure facilities, excellent service from an attentive crew and informative guest speakers.

Find out more
Web: www.newmarketholidays.co.uk
Phone: 0330 160 8067

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Take a break from gardens

Established in 1998, this UK-based company offers general interest rail, nature and culture holidays by rail from the UK to more than 30 destinations all over the globe. PTG believes in the utmost comfort, small group size, enjoyment, leisurely days and friendship, and specialises in countries and areas not covered by other operators. The company is one of the only rail holiday companies that are both ATOL and ABTA bonded. A separate programme of "rail enthusiast" holidays using charter trains is also available. The majority of PTG's trips are for people who want to see the culture and scenery of the destination country, travelling by train and staying at great hotels. Destinations include France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Hungary, Portmeirion and Snowdonia, Douro Valley, Slovakia, Slovenia, the Baltic States, Scandinavia, Sardinia, Corsica and Bulgaria. Long haul destinations include Sri Lanka, USA, Taiwan and Colombia.

Find out more
Web: www.ptg.co.uk
Phone: 0330 160 8067

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South Africa

Old Nectar in Stellenbosch, the heart of the famous Winelands, is the only privately-owned Heritage-listed garden in South Africa and is the creation of the late South African gardening doyenne, Una van der Spuy. The centerpiece of Old Nectar is the iconic Cape Dutch manor house, which was built between 1700-1815 and is surrounded by huge oak trees, and there are 12 individual gardens, each with its own character. Streams, waterfalls and ponds, as well as the 18th and 19th century guest accommodation buildings, occupy the sloping land that boasts breathtaking views of the craggy 1,000-metre Jonkershoek Nature Reserve sandstone mountains. Old Nectar is just 40 minutes from Cape Town International Airport.

Find out more
Web: www.oldnectar.com
Email:
Phone: +27 (0)21 866 1133

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South Africa

Babylonstoren is one of the oldest Cape Dutch farms, dating back to 1692. It has a fruit and vegetable garden that is both beautiful and diverse, with majestic views of the Simonsberg, Du Toitskloof and Franschhoek mountains. Visitors can enjoy unique accommodation, fine food and a sense of wellbeing too. Every aspect of Babylonstoren – including the contemporary Farm Hotel & Spa, the Farm Shop and Bakery – is led by the ever-changing tapestry and botanical diversity of the garden, which comprises 15 clusters spanning vegetable areas, stone and pome fruits, nuts, citrus, berries, bees, herbs, ducks and chickens, a prickly pear maze, and more. Babylonstoren is located in the Cape Winelands of South Africa, about an hour’s drive from Cape Town and close to popular culinary destination Franschhoek and the bustling student town Stellenbosch.

Find out more
Web: www.babylonstoren.com
Email:
Phone: +27 (0)21 863 3852