Blossoms, palaces and palm houses: 10 unmissable gardens around the world

1. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Why you should visit
Kew Gardens has something to inspire every type of gardener, from tough tiny alpines to the famous rose garden and tropical glasshouses. The Great Broad Walk Borders are among the longest in the country at 320m, and feature eight themed circular beds - more planting ideas than anyone could wish for. At the end of this walkway is the Palm House which houses many rare and threatened tropical species.

Garden highlights
Don’t miss the record-breaking giant waterlily in the Waterlily House, a view of the gardens from the Great Pagoda and the collection of rare plants in the Temperate House, the world’s largest Victorian glasshouse.

Best time to visit
There’s something to see year-round.

Expert tip
Follow one of Kew’s tailored trails to make sure you don’t miss anything, because the grounds are huge and with 326 acres to explore, it’s best to be selective.

2. Sissinghurst Castle Garden, Kent

Why you should visit
One of the most famous gardens in England, Sissinghurst is the creation of Vita Sackville-West and her husband Harold Nicolson. Combining her flair for planting and his interest in formal design, each style complements the other in this garden. The garden is arranged in rooms, with themes that include roses, cottage style planting and herbs. Sissinghurst is most famous for its White Garden, featuring only white, grey, green and silver plants. Within the boundaries of yew and box hedges Vita planted tall white flowers that include a mass of foxgloves, pom pom dahlias, Japanese anemones and delphiniums.

Garden highlights
The variety and colours within the Rose Garden and the serenity of the White Garden.

Best time to visit
June to July when the roses are out

Expert tip
Visit Great Dixter while you’re in Kent. Christopher Lloyd’s renowned garden is only half an hour from Sissinghurst by car.

3. Keukenhof, Nisse, The Netherlands

Why you should visit
Keukenhof has a spectacular collection of spring bulbs including crocuses, daffodils, hyacinths and tulips. This world famous attraction is set within 79 acres, planted with around 7 million bulbs. The gardens were designed around Keukenhof Castle in 1857 and have been a focal point for bulb enthusiasts ever since 1949, when twenty prominent bulb growers came up with a plan to use the gardens to exhibit spring flowering bulbs. Explore the gardens along winding pathways past flowerbeds packed in intricate designs with every type of tulip as well as water features and feature gardens.

Garden highlights
People come primarily for the tulips at their peak, but look out also for the exhibitions in the pavilions, or admire the bulbs on a boat ride down the waterways.

Best time to visit
The garden is only open between March and May – visit from mid April to see the tulips.

Expert tip
Head 40 miles north to Kop Van Noord-Holland, the largest tulip area in The Netherlands and spend a few days cycling through the bulb fields. There are also tulip fields to explore outside Keukenhof.

4. Butchart Gardens, Vancouver Island, BC, Canada

Why you should visit
In 2004, to mark its 100th anniversary, Butchart Gardens were made a National Historic Site of Canada. From its beginnings as a garden created on a limestone quarry, it has expanded to 55 acres, with five main areas that cover planting styles from Mediterranean to Japanese. This is a spectacular setting that will inspire every type of gardener. For plant enthusiasts there is a huge variety on show throughout the year, including 265,000 annuals, 100 varieties of dahlia and 2000 shrubs.

Garden highlights
Look out over the Sunken Garden from a limestone mound, created on the site of the original quarry. There are 151 flowerbeds and an impressive fountain. In the Rose Garden there are 2,500 roses, from floribundas to rambling roses and climbers in a spectrum of colours.

Best time to visit
There’s something to see year round, but spring is a highlight for thousands of spring flowering bulbs, and summer is the best time if you want to see the Rose Garden.

Expert tip
If you’re staying longer than a day on Vancouver Island, explore some of its other gardens including the the Gardens at HCP, which are in a conservation park and the Kitty Coleman Woodland Gardens, which has one of the largest rhododendron collections in Western Canada.

5. Jardin Majorelle, Marrakesh, Morocco

Why you should visit
Created by the French artist, Jacques Majorelle, in the 1920s, Jardin Majorelle reflects his passion for colour. The bold art deco buildings and hard landscaping are painted in a cobalt blue the artist trademarked as ‘bleu Majorelle’. For the planting, he sourced exotic species from five continents, including an impressive collection of cacti and succulents. Yves Saint Laurent and his partner Pierre Berge saved the garden from destruction in 1980.

Garden highlights
The use of colour in the garden is not the only highlight. The plants are spectacular too. Marvel at the enormous cacti growing outdoors in the cacti and succulent garden.

Best time to visit
The best time to visit Morocco is between March and May or September to November when the weather isn’t too hot or cold.

Expert tip
Visit the Pierre Berge Museum of Berber Arts and Yves Saint Laurent Museum while you’re there.

6. Kirstenbosch Botanic Garden, Cape Town

Why you should visit
Kirstenbosch Botanic Garden is set on the eastern slopes of Table Mountain. It has many plants that are endemic to South Africa. In spring the gardens are full of colour with Namaqualand daisies in shades from red and orange to yellow and purple, exotic looking strelizia as well as a garden of protea, a plant that is native to South Africa, with dramatic flowers. Explore the erica garden, the Dell with its collection of shade-loving plants, or take one of the trails.

Garden highlights
Walk along the Centenary Tree Canopy Walkway, known as the Boomslang, for views of the surrounding mountains. It’s 130m long and climbs up from the forest floor to wind through the trees of the arboretum.

Best time to visit
To see the maximum amount of plants in flower and the fynbos (natural shrubland) at its best, visit at the end of winter, in spring or early summer. This is between August and November.

Expert tip
Take a free 90-minute tour with a guide to see the highlights of the season and different areas of the garden. There are free tours every week day apart from on public holidays.

7. Nong Nooch Tropical Garden, Thailand

Why should you visit
This is not only a garden but a tourist attraction – a botanical garden for plant lovers, with features such as Dinosaur Valley for family days out. Set out over 600 acres, Nang Nooch includes themed gardens – a French garden, Orchid garden and a Cycad garden holding one of the world’s largest collections. The French garden is inspired by the Gardens of Versailles, with a geometric design. As well impressive plant displays, visitors can experience cultural shows, life size dinosaurs and a car museum.

Garden highlights
Don’t miss the Gardens in the Sky, an experience that feels like being in a jungle, with two floors of plants. There are ferns hanging from the ceiling, plant towers and green walls.

Best time to visit
During the dry season between November and February. Go early in the morning to avoid the midday heat and the crowds.

Expert tip
If you are limited on time or energy, book a ticket that includes the hop on, hop off sightseeing bus.

8. Kenrokuen, Kanazawa, Japan

Why should you visit
Kenrokuen is famously described as one of Japan’s three greatest gardens along with Kairakuen in Mito, and Korakuen in Okayama, which were created in the Edo period, between 1603 and 1868. These three gardens are often described as 'strolling style' gardens with a pond as their focal point. Kenrokuen Garden can be found opposite Kanazawa Castle. Wander around the garden at your leisure on one of the paths that winds around the pond, over bridges and past tea houses and blossom trees.

Garden highlights
This garden is renowned for its spring blossom as well as its water features.

Best time to visit
Visit in February to March for the plum blossom season or mid-April to see the cherry blossom.

Expert tip
It’s still worth visiting if you are in Japan during the winter. Look out for the pine trees, like upside down umbrellas, with their branches strung up to protect them against heavy snowfall.

9. Gardens of Versailles, France

Why you should visit
Built under the instruction of Louis XIV in the 17th century the magnitude of the Gardens of Versailles is breathtaking. These gardens are laid out around the chateau in a French formal style, with water parterres, alleys lined with hundreds of statues and grand fountains and pools as focal points. While exploring the gardens, follow the paths into the groves, small gardens in the woodlands, each with their individual style.

Garden highlights
Walk along the Royal Way in the direction of the grand canal to see Apollo's fountain, one of the most impressive in the gardens, with Apollo and his chariot at its centre. Admire the design of the Grand Perspective from the Hall of Mirrors. From here it's possible to see the symmetry of the design below – the water parterre, two rectangular ponds and grand canal in the distance.

Best time to visit
The gardens will look impressive year round, due to their structure and layout. There will be fewer crowds in autumn and winter, but more colour to see during the summer.

Expert tip
On the first Sunday of every month between November and March, the whole estate is open free to all (but you do need to book a time slot for the Palace).

10. Longwood Gardens, Pennsylvania

Why you should visit
There are 200 acres of gardens to explore at Longwood, from flower filled borders and water gardens to Italian and topiary gardens, open meadows and forest trails. The first garden to be created in the early 20th century was the Flower Garden Walk, 182 metres of borders that look spectacular from April through to October. In addition there is a Fountain Garden and a historic conservatory with waterfalls, pools and fountains.

Garden highlights
Take the time to explore beyond the Flower Garden Walk and main gardens, to visit the Waterlily Court, which has aquatic plants from around the world – 100 varieties of waterlilies. Then lose yourself for a few hours in the glasshouses, where planting ranges from rainforest to Mediterranean.

Best time to visit
This is an enormous garden and there will be something to see at any time of year, but there will be more plants to see at their peak between April and October.

Expert tip
Visit on a weekend or evening when the Fountain Festivals or Illuminated Festival performances are on, to see fountain displays set to music, which includes 1719 jets of water.

Discover Monty Don's favourite gardens from around the world: