Travel

10 OF THE WORLD’S MOST MAGNIFICENT GARDENS, NOW

by Stewart Black. Cwfrwy from Parrog. Pembrokeshire Coast, Wales.

From secret gardens, to world-renowned showcases, we’ve curated 10 of the most beautiful gardens for you to explore!

1. PEMBROKESHIRE COASTAL GARDENS -- PEMBROKESHIRE, WALES

The rugged coastline of Pembrokeshire Wales is hosts several extraordinary gardens as well as wildflower-filled landscapes. Journey along 186 miles of the Pembrokeshire Coast Path to discover their glory.

Aberglasney Gardens, nestled in the beautiful Tywi Valley, is one of the great garden meccas in Pembrokeshire, inspiring flower lovers since 1477. They include classic walled gardens, a breathtaking cloister garden, and a delightful pool garden. Aberglasney will make you feel as if you’ve been taken a trip back in time.

2. DYFFRYN FERNANT -- PEMBROKESHIRE, WALES

Dyffryn Fernant, also located in Pembrokeshire, Wales, beautifully combines manicured gardens with wild meadows and woodlands.

The bank of colorful azaleas, unique bog garden, and thick woodlands are interspersed with beautiful garden sculptures and obelisks. A visit to this gorgeous garden feels like a trip to wonderland!

3. WOLLERTON HALL GARDEN -- WOLLERTON, ENGLAND

Wollerton Old Hall, in Wollerton, England, offers multiple garden bliss. Its many gardens surround a 16th century hall house and cover 4 acres of beautifully cultivated land.

From a spectacular yew walk, to a sweet orchard, to a peaceful shade garden, this carefully designed landscape emphasizes color and form. The gardens are brimming with a rainbow of perennials, including some rare and unusual specimens.

4. CAMBO ESTATE GARDENS -- FIFE, SCOTLAND

Cambo Estate Gardens, in Fife, Scotland, is the quintessential British garden, with historic walls and beautifully designed planting schemes.

This Victorian walled garden, designed by Head Gardener, Elliott Forsyth, has a contemporary twist and is full of unusual plants. There is a large array of beautiful snowdrops and other wildflowers. You can also take a stroll along the estate’s wonderful wooded areas down to the seaside.

5. DALEMAIN ESTATE & HISTORIC GARDENS -- CUMBRIA, ENGLAND

Dalemain Estate and Historic Gardens, in Cumbria, England, is the perfect place to stop and smell the roses. Their Rose Walk contains more than 150 beautiful varieties of roses, and has been traversed for over 100 years.

This stunning 5-acre estate includes a gorgeous wildflower garden, groves of ancient apple trees, and an extraordinary collection of old fashioned roses planted by Sylvia Hasell and added to by Jane Hasell McCosh.

Nibble on delicious morsels made in-house in the Medieval Hall Tearoom.

6. HINDRINGHAM HALL -- NORFOLK, ENGLAND

If you’ve always dreamed of discovering a secret garden, check out Hindringham Hall, in Norfolk, England. At every turn in these historic grounds, you’ll encounter brightly colored wildflowers, medieval fish ponds, and the hall’s crumbling ruins.

7. LIP NA CLOICHE -- ISLE OF MULL, SCOTLAND

A visit to Lip Na Cloiche Garden and Nursery, on the spectacular coast of the Isle of Mull, in Scotland, is positively packed with nature’s beauty.

Carpets of wildflowers and rare flowers from Chile and New Zealand, dot the grounds. Climb to the peak for breathtaking views of Loch Tuath and the Isle of Ulva. We love the carefully placed driftwood and “found objects” that add texture and interest throughout the garden.

8. RANSCOMBE FARM -- KENT, ENGLAND

Ranscombe Farm, in Kent, England, is a whopping 560 acre wildflower preserve.

This incredible garden is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, managed by Plantlife, the leading wildflower conservation charity in the UK.

You’ll see incredible rare and wild plants, such as arable wildflowers, orchids, a few different kinds of wild poppies, Blue Pimpernel, and tall pink Corncockle, which was previously believed to be extinct!

9. POWERSCOURT GARDENS -- ENNISKERRY, IRELAND

Powerscourt Gardens, in Enniskerry, Ireland, was voted the Number 3 Garden in the World by National Geographic because of its well-planned and historically influenced grounds.

Elaborate statues, ironwork, and other decorative items dot the gardens. You’ll see the exotic Japanese Gardens, Pepper Pot Tower, and other beautiful specimen trees. The Wicklow mountains in the distance add a touch of majesty to these elegant gardens.

The main house was rebuilt, and the grounds remodelled, around 1731. In the 19th century, Daniel Robertson, one of the leading proponents of Italianate garden design, was instructed by the 6th Viscount Powerscourt to design the gardens. His plans remain largely in place today.

10. THE HUMBLE ADMINISTRATOR’S GARDEN -- SUZHOU, CHINA

The Humble Administrator’s Garden, in Suzhou, China, may call itself humble, but it is breathtakingly beautiful. Explore the glorious 12.85 acres of gardens, built under the Ming dynasty in 1509 for a government servant.

This spectacular garden features unique and ethereal elements, such as small forests, man-made pavilions, and hills and rock formations. It’s a World Cultural Heritage Site, and is one of China’s 4 most famous gardens.

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IMAGE CREDITS:

Image: by Stewart Black. Cwfrwy from Parrog. Pembrokeshire Coast, Wales.
Image: by Barrie Foster. Carn Llidi from St Davids Head. From the Pembrokeshire Coast Path. Pembrokeshire Coast, Wales.
Image: by Gareth Lovering Photography. Aberglasney Gardens. Tywi Valley, Wales.
Image: by John Davies. Courtesy of Dyffryn Fernant Garden. Adonis in the Courtyard. Dyffryn Fernant, Wales.
Image: Courtesy of Britain Express. Wollerton Old Hall Gardens. Wollerton, England.
Image: Courtesy of the Cambo Estate Gardens. Roses. Fife, Scotland.
Image: Courtesy of Dalemain Estate and Historic Gardens. Roses on the Terrace. Cumbria, England
Image: Courtesy of Hindringham Hall. The Flower bed in the East Lawn. Norfolk, England.
Image: Courtesy of Lip na Cloiche Garden and Nursery. Mull Garden. Isle of Mull, Scotland.
Image: Courtesy of Ranscombe Farms. Bluebells at our Ranscombe Farm reserve. Kent, England.
Image: Courtesy of Powerscourt Gardens. Spring at the Japanese Garden. Enniskerry, County Wicklow, Ireland.
Image: François Philipp. The Humble Administrator's Garden, 拙政园, Suzhou. Suzhou, China.
Image: by Marian St. Clair. The Garden at Wollerton Old Hall. Wollerton, England.
Image: by Rictor Norton & David Allen. Aberglasney Gardens, Wales. Tywi Valley, Wales.
Image: by BN App - Download now!
Image: Courtesy of Dalemain Estate and Historic Gardens. Garden. Cumbria, England.