15 Most Beautiful Gardens in the World | Almira MP

Sometimes a little neighborhood rivalry is okay, but these gardeners took things a bit too far. Let's take a look at the 15 most over-the-top gardens. Number 15, Villa d'Esta. Located in the town of Tivoli, Italy, Villa d'Esta is a huge estate that dates back to the 16th century. The villa itself is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but for many visitors the real appeal is in the gardens, which are some of the most ornate and lavish you'll find anywhere in the world. It's best known for the complex network of water features, which includes 51 fountains, 398 spouts, 364 water jets, 64 waterfalls, and 220 basins, with just over half a mile worth of canals that feed water to the individual elements. Amazingly, there are no pumps or electronic devices used to make this all work, and instead it uses the power of gravity to generate the pressure that's needed. The entire complex is one of the best examples of Renaissance design that there are. And, covering an area of around four and a half hectares, it's quite possible to get lost within the grounds, while being surrounded by perfectly manicured hedges, open spaces, and a wide variety of flowers during every season. If water gardens are interesting to you, then there's simply no place better to visit than Villa d'Esta. Number 14, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Kew Gardens, which is in southwest London, was opened in 1759, with the express intent to collect and study species of plants from around the globe. Today, it's home to the world's largest collection of species, which include 27,000 different types of plants that are going on site, as well as more than eight and a half million preserved plant and fungal specimens, and one of the most comprehensive botanical libraries with more than three-quarters of a million volumes on its shelves. For most people, though, the draw of the gardens is from the stunning layout that's filled with historical buildings and a wealth of floral color, no matter where you look. There are nine main plant houses where species are grown that wouldn't naturally thrive in the British climate, as well as a series of ornamental buildings that include a 164-foot-tall pagoda that stood there for more than 250 years. Possibly the most famous structure, though, is the Temperate House, which is the largest surviving Victorian-era greenhouse in the world. It's used as a greenhouse where extremely rare and stunning plants are grown, and it's the focus of many of the research programs that are run on site. Covering an area of more than 300 acres, it's simply impossible to see all that Kew has to offer in one visit, so it's no wonder that they have more than 1.3 million guests each year. Number 13. Nong Nooch Tropical Botanical Garden. In 1954, two businessmen bought an 800-acre plot of land in the Chonburi province of Thailand, with the intent to turn it into a fruit plantation. But once they got to work on developing the land, they decided instead that it was ideally suited to becoming a wildlife conservation project, where they could grow countless species of tropical plants and flowers. It took them 26 years before the Nong Nooch Tropical Botanical Garden was ready to be opened to the public, but now covering 500 acres, it's become one of the most popular attractions in the country. It's split across nine sections, each of which is dedicated to plants from a certain region. They include the French Garden, the European Garden, the Cactus and Succulent Garden, and the Orchid Display Garden. But what the venue has become most renowned for is its scientific research into cycads from across Southeast Asia, Africa, and the Americas, and it has a collection of virtually every known species. As well as the extensive gardens, Nong Nooch has a variety of activities to entertain visitors, such as religious ceremonies, martial arts demonstrations, and elephant performances. But it's the perfectly designed landscape, the row upon rows of vibrant colors, and the traditional structures throughout the garden that truly puts it a step above the rest. Number 12. The Butchart Gardens. The Butchart Gardens in British Columbia, Canada, is designated as a National Historical Site of Canada, and is one of the largest, most popular botanical gardens in the world, with more than a million visitors each year. It was built on the land of the Butchart family, who had excavated the area for limestone, and constructed a sunken garden in the quarry that was open to guests in 1926. Due to its success, they proceeded to replace their tennis courts with an Italian garden, and planted a rose garden where their kitchen garden used to be. And further development took place in the 50s and 60s, when miles worth of electrical cables were laid to allow the site to be illuminated at night, along with the installation of a huge fountain in the lower reservoir. It now houses one of the greatest collections of roses in North America, and as well as the extensive varieties of flowers, also has several huge birdhouses, where a large number of ornamental birds such as peacocks and parrots are kept. There are also several large sculptures from renowned artists throughout the grounds, and of 2008, even an electric 12-person boat to provide tours from different perspectives. With a focus on education, a children's pavilion was opened in 2009, and to add to the entertainment on offer, the gardens often host regular fireworks displays, concerts, and even install an ice rink during the winter. Number 11, Keukenhof. Also often called the Garden of Europe, Keukenhof is one of the world's largest flower gardens. It's in the town of Lise in the Netherlands, and more than 7 million bulbs are planted across the 79 acres every year. This creates astonishing displays, and while it's most famous for the wide variety of tulips, the botanical garden also creates mesmerizing fields full of hyacinths, daffodils, lilies, roses, and many more. The bulbs are donated to the garden every year by a group of 100 growers from across the country, and it's the job of just 40 gardeners to plant them each fall. It's only open to the public for eight weeks between March and May, and special care is made to ensure that each row of flowers is in perfect bloom during that time. In fact, on each spot, three bulbs are placed, with the shallowest one emerging for the first three weeks, then the one beneath for the next three, and the final one for the last weeks of the display. Amazingly, it's such a popular attraction, around one and a half million people visit each year, which spread out across the two months that it's open means that 26,000 people walk through the gardens each day, making it by far the most visited place in the Netherlands during that time. Number 10, Pukakura Park. Pukakura Park is a designated Garden of National Significance that can be found in the city of New Plymouth, which is in the Taranaki region of New Zealand's North Island. It covers an area of around 128 acres, and amazingly, it's taken care of by just 10 full-time gardeners. It was first developed and opened to the public in 1876, and it's now home to many thousands of different species of plants, although the gardeners themselves admit they don't know quite how many there are in the grounds. The furnery and display houses are a particular draw, but with such an incompatible climate for many of the species to grow, the developers of the park had to be creative with their designs. To create the perfect conditions for the plants, three caves were dug into a hillside and covered with glass ceilings, which has created a stable, temperate environment where indoor and outdoor plants from across the world can thrive. With the peaks of the nearby mountain range rising above the landscape, Pukakura Park is split into different zones, such as the Rotodendron Dell, the Curiosity Walk, and it's been open for so long, there's a number of plants that are now more than a hundred years old, meaning the only other place you'll see such mature specimens are within the hard-to-reach jungles that they originated in. What's even more impressive is that the land was originally flat, and every lake, tunnel, and stream that you see was meticulously carved by hand. Pukakura Park is a one-of-a-kind place, so much so that it's been featured in various TV shows and movies. It was even where parts of The Last Samurai, which starred Tom Cruise, were filmed. Number nine, Jardin Majorelle. Created over almost 40 years by French artist Jacques Majorelle, the Majorelle Botanical Garden covers two and a half acres of land in Marrakech, Morocco. He was drawn to this location because of the warm weather, and it served as his home from 1923 to the 50s, and after falling into a state of disrepair, was purchased by Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Berge in the 1980s, so they could restore it and open it to the public. Some of the brightly colored buildings throughout the site are used as museums that are dedicated to certain artists or artistic styles, and has become renowned for its unusual collection plants, particularly the cacti, as well as the large sculptures that adorn virtually every vista on show. It has become one of the most important tourist attractions in Marrakech, with more than 700,000 visitors each year, and even though its creator died a long time ago, the funds that are raised are put back into research and development to ensure that the plants on show remain relevant and enticing. We are constantly adding more people to the Top 5's production team. To bring you all the best content, be sure to subscribe with notifications on and hit the like button. Number 8. Sanssouci Park. The Sanssouci Palace in Potsdam, Germany was once the residence of the King of Prussia, Frederick the Great, and while the building itself is a stunning example of architecture from the time, it's the grounds around it that have drawn the most attention for their beauty, and are thought of as the best example in the world of Baroque garden design. A vast, complicated network of fountains was built in the 18th century, but the King would never see it in its full glory. The designers hadn't planned on how water would actually flow through the basins and pipes. It was only a century later, with the introduction of steam power, that the true vision could be realized. The inspiration of Baroque fruit gardens is plain to see, with thousands of fruit trees and several nurseries devoted to growing oranges, melons, peaches, and bananas. There are also a number of structures alongside the palace, which include a large picture gallery, several grottos, two temples, a church, and Roman baths. There's also a large moat that feeds a pond, around which countless trees and shrubs grow. Number 7. Gardens of Versailles. The Palace of Versailles is one of the most recognizable structures in the world, and has been one of the most important buildings in Paris since it became the home of French royalty in the 17th century. As you'd expect, the interior is full of lavish decorations fit for a king, and this design aesthetic extended to the surrounding landscape, too. The gardens of Versailles are on the west side of the palace, and cover an area of almost 2,000 acres. They are landscaped in the traditional French formal garden style, and among the stunning manicured lawns, the symmetrical plant beds, and the numerous sculptures, is a network of waterways and fountains that was far ahead of its time when it was built almost 400 years ago. Still fully operational with the original hydraulic mechanisms, displays are often put on during the summer months to show people what a magical place it truly is. In total, the gardens are believed to contain 200,000 trees, 210,000 flowers that have to be replanted each year, 620 water jets, and 10 miles of piping. All of which have made the area such a part of French history that the gardens have been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in their own right. Number 6. Jardin Botanico de Rio de Janeiro. When you think of Rio de Janeiro, the first thing that comes to mind tend to be the beaches, and the Cristal Redentor statue that looks down over the city. But there's another stunning place that draws visitors from around the world, the Rio de Janeiro Botanical Gardens. It was founded in 1808 by King John VI of Portugal, and while the original intent was to use it as a place to acclimatize plant species they were hoping to grow in South America, it's now become a place where the finest specimens from across the continent are nurtured. There are more than 6,500 different plant and tree species across the 130-acre site, 900 of which are different palms, and the 2,460-foot-long entrance road is lined by an amazing display of 130 palm trees, all of which descended from the same single tree. Designated as a UNESCO Biosphere in 1992, only 40% of the park is actively cultivated, and the rest is natural Atlantic forest that grows up the side of the nearby Corcovado Mountain. As well as being a way to display the flora from the region, the Botanical Gardens also host a research institute that specializes in the identification and conservation of the native species. There are also various artificial ponds, sculptures, fountains, and buildings, and it's also become a wildlife reserve too, with more than 140 species of birds, including channel-billed toucans, white-necked hawks, and plenty more. The Desert Botanical Gardens in Papago Park, which is in Phoenix, Arizona, isn't your ordinary botanical gardens. Instead of curating a selection of species from different climates around the world, this one focuses purely on those that grow in hot and arid environments. Covering an area of 140 acres, it was founded in 1937, and now contains more than 50,000 individual specimens, a third of which are native to the surrounding area, and 379 of which are considered to be endangered. Split into three main areas, the Australian Collection, the Baja Collection, and the South American Collection, of particular note are the 13,973 different cacti from 1,320 species, and the 4,026 agave from 248 species. It's run by the Arizona Cactus and Native Flora Society, and was set up as a non-profit museum to further research and educate about desert plants, which are rarely present in substantial numbers in any other botanical gardens because of the specific environments they need to grow in. As a result of the work that's done there, several new species have been discovered, and a number have been saved from extinction due to the changing climate in their native areas. Number four, Claude Monet's Gardens. Claude Monet is one of history's most renowned artists, and was one of the founders of the French Impressionist movement. You'll probably be familiar with his works that often depict landscapes or gardens, particularly ones filled with lilies, but did you know that he was also a keen gardener? Many of his paintings were of his own garden. So the story goes, he was traveling through the northern French region of Giverny by train, and while looking out the window, he decided that this was where he wanted to live. He began by renting a house, but by 1890, he had earned enough to purchase it outright, which was when he began to transform the land to his own designs, mainly because he wanted to create the perfect scenes to paint. He had a particular fondness of climbing plants, and built a Japanese bridge over a pond that was covered with lilies and surrounded by wisterias and azaleas. Following his death, he left it to his son, who in turn left it to the Académie des Beaux-Arts in 1966. The organization invested heavily to restore the gardens to how they were in their prime, including renovation work to his studio, and a complete replanting of the flowers to how he had done. His large collection of Japanese woodblock prints was displayed throughout. By 1980, it was open to the public as a museum. It's now incredibly popular, both because of the people wanting to see the scenery that inspired the artist, and those who visit the best gardens in the world, and it's especially popular during the summer months, when most of the flowers are in bloom. Guests have access to most of the gardens, as well as to the ground and first floor of his former home, and the studio, which was where he painted his famed works, such as the water lilies that are now exhibited around the world, is now the gift shop. Number 3. Brooklyn Botanic Gardens The Brooklyn Botanic Gardens covers a 52-acre plot of land within Mount Prospect Park in Brooklyn, New York. It's so popular that almost a million people visit it each year. It has always been the plan to create a botanical garden on the site, ever since Prospect Park opened in 1873, and after delays due to disagreements on the form it would take, it was finally opened to the public in 1910. Across the site are more than 14,000 taxa of plants across eight main specialty gardens. Of particular importance are the collection of more than 200 cherry trees from 42 different species that create a sea of blossom every spring, and the simply stunning Japanese Hill and Pond Garden that features three hills, a waterfall, and an island, all of which are artificially constructed and adhere to traditional Japanese styles. Other attractions include the Cranford Rose Garden, the Shakespeare Garden, the Water Garden, and the Children's Garden, each of which focuses on a particular species and environment, and aim to offer relaxing surroundings while educating visitors on the range and beauty of our planet's plants. The garden also provides valuable research and conservation work with an herbarium that contains more than 300,000 preserved specimens, which are used to help track the spread of native species and invasive species throughout the surrounding area, and will help to reintroduce species that have been lost due to climate change or human impact. Number two, the SSR Botanical Garden. The Sir Siwug Sugaramgulam Botanical Garden, which is also known as the Pamplemousse's Botanical Garden, is a 91-acre site near the city of Port Louis in Mauritius. First built in 1770, it's the oldest botanical garden in the Southern Hemisphere. Thanks to the island's climate, it's known for its wide collection of tropical species that are rarely seen growing outside in similar gardens around the world. It's most famous for its large pond that's covered in giant water lilies, but it also has a wide variety of spices, ebonies, boababs, sugar canes, and more than 85 species of palm trees that have been collected from the Americas, Asia, Africa, and the islands around the Indian Ocean. In total, there are more than 650 different species of plants across the site, and as such an important venue on the island, many of the trees have been planted by visiting dignitaries from countries across the world. It's also performed a vital role in the health of the country's population throughout history, not just because of the medicines that have been derived from the species that grow there, but because of how the land has been used to grow plants that are in particular demand. In 1866, for example, Mauritius was struck by a malaria epidemic, and the botanical gardens were used to grow thousands of eucalyptus trees that were then moved elsewhere to help dry out the country's marshes, which were the breeding grounds of the mosquitoes that spread the disease. The gardens, therefore, have an important significance in the country's history, and for this reason, they were renamed in 1988 after Mauritius' first prime minister. Number 1. Kenrokuen Considered to be one of the three great gardens of Japan, Kenrokuen is a stunning private garden in the city of Kanazawa. It's one of the oldest surviving gardens in the country, having been developed between the 1620s and 1840s, and remains one of the greatest examples of Japanese horticultural design. It's a strolling garden, which means the intent is for visitors to walk through it to reveal changing vistas and incredible scenes, as opposed to sitting in one position. And it's full of ponds, hills, cottages, and tea houses with large open spaces around. The garden has an estimated 8,750 trees and more than 183 different species of plants, as well as several traditional structures that act as focal points. It has the oldest fountain in Japan, which is operated by using natural water pressure, a tea house, which is the oldest building in the garden, and was built in 1774, the Flying Geese Bridge that's made from 11 red stones that are arranged to look like a flock of birds, and a two-legged stone lantern by one of the ponds, which has become one of the garden's most recognizable objects. The garden has been specifically designed to take on a different persona as the seasons pass. No matter when you visit, there'll be a wealth of color and countless flowers in bloom. It's no wonder that this is the most visited garden in Japan, and because of its meticulous design, is undoubtedly one of the most over-the-top gardens in the world. 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