What a wonderful world: 13 fabulous gardens

Bruce Holmes, for CNN
7 minute read
Published 8:15 PM EDT, Thu June 19, 2014
The highlight of Parc de la Tete d'Or, a vast urban park in Lyon, France, are three beautiful rose gardens. The park's name, which means "Golden Head Park," comes from a legend about a golden sculpture of Christ's head buried somewhere on the grounds by the Crusaders.
Parc de la Tete d'Or (France) —
The highlight of Parc de la Tete d'Or, a vast urban park in Lyon, France, are three beautiful rose gardens. The park's name, which means "Golden Head Park," comes from a legend about a golden sculpture of Christ's head buried somewhere on the grounds by the Crusaders.
courtesy ville de lyon
Award-winning rose breeder David Austin has been developing English roses for 50 years. His eponymous rose gardens on the Shropshire Border in the UK feature 700 varieties over two acres.
David Austin Rose Gardens (UK) —
Award-winning rose breeder David Austin has been developing English roses for 50 years. His eponymous rose gardens on the Shropshire Border in the UK feature 700 varieties over two acres.
courtesy David Austin's Plant Centre
Cherry blossoms, bridges and streams are hallmarks of Kenrokuen in Kanazawa, Japan.
Kenrokuen (Japan) —
Cherry blossoms, bridges and streams are hallmarks of Kenrokuen in Kanazawa, Japan.
Courtesy Kanazawa City & JNTO
Claude Monet bought a house and land in the village of Giverny, France, in 1890 and created the Monet Garden to provide inspiration for his art.
Monet Garden (France) —
Claude Monet bought a house and land in the village of Giverny, France, in 1890 and created the Monet Garden to provide inspiration for his art.
Courtesy Ridout Photography
The UK's Abbey Garden features some of the finest outdoor specimens of subtropical flora found in the Northern Hemisphere, including great spiky agaves from the Mexican desert and King Proteas from South Africa.
Abbey Garden island (UK) —
The UK's Abbey Garden features some of the finest outdoor specimens of subtropical flora found in the Northern Hemisphere, including great spiky agaves from the Mexican desert and King Proteas from South Africa.
Courtesy Tresco Abbey Garden
Rome's dreamlike Roseto Comunale (Municipal Rose Garden) in the Via di Valle Murale hosts a rose competition each May.
Roseto Comunale (Rome) —
Rome's dreamlike Roseto Comunale (Municipal Rose Garden) in the Via di Valle Murale hosts a rose competition each May.
courtesy Roseto Comunale di Roma
It's beautiful now, but the site of Canada's Butchart Gardens was once a limestone quarry.
Butchart Gardens (British Columbia) —
It's beautiful now, but the site of Canada's Butchart Gardens was once a limestone quarry.
Bruce Holmes/CNN
At Germany's Garden Kingdom Dessau-Woerlitz, the Snake House (pictured), so called because of the shape of its gutters, was a retreat for the wife of Prince Franz of Anhalt-Dessau.
Garden Kingdom Dessau-Woerlitz (Germany) —
At Germany's Garden Kingdom Dessau-Woerlitz, the Snake House (pictured), so called because of the shape of its gutters, was a retreat for the wife of Prince Franz of Anhalt-Dessau.
Courtesy Jürgen Blume & IMG
At the Peterhof Palace Garden in St. Petersburg, a famed view looks across the Grand Cascade and Samson Fountain through a canal to the sea.
Peterhof Palace Garden (St. Petersburg) —
At the Peterhof Palace Garden in St. Petersburg, a famed view looks across the Grand Cascade and Samson Fountain through a canal to the sea.
Bruce Holmes/CNN
Beautiful from the outside, frustrating on the inside. Among the gardens at Denmark's Egeskov Castle are four hedge mazes.
Egeskov Castle Garden (Denmark) —
Beautiful from the outside, frustrating on the inside. Among the gardens at Denmark's Egeskov Castle are four hedge mazes.
courtesy of VisitDenmark
Christchurch Botanic Gardens were established in 1863 with the planting of an English Oak. They now feature many trees more than 120 years old.
Christchurch Botanic Gardens (New Zealand) —
Christchurch Botanic Gardens were established in 1863 with the planting of an English Oak. They now feature many trees more than 120 years old.
Courtesy Christchurch and Canterbury Tourism
At London's Royal Botanic Gardens, the Temperate House is the world's largest surviving Victorian glass structure. The iron-framed greenhouse was built in the 19th century.
The Royal Botanic Gardens (London) —
At London's Royal Botanic Gardens, the Temperate House is the world's largest surviving Victorian glass structure. The iron-framed greenhouse was built in the 19th century.
Bruce Holmes/CNN
No such thing as color clash in nature. Or at Hershey Gardens in Pennsylvania.
Hershey Gardens (Pennsylvania) —
No such thing as color clash in nature. Or at Hershey Gardens in Pennsylvania.
courtesy The M.S.Hershey Foundation
What a wonderful world: 13 fabulous gardens

Story highlights

Most of the world's famous gardens are notable not only for their design and beauty, but for their history

Many host international competitions that are open to visitors

Parc de la Tete d'Or in France will host the World Rose Convention and Festival in 2015

Garden Kingdom Dessau-Woerlitz in Germany was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000

CNN  — 

History and botany mix with landscape design and architecture in these 13 fabulous gardens around the world.

While many are attached to famous estates, the gardens are destinations in their own right and deserve their own list.

Parc de la Tête d’Or (Lyon, France)

This beautifully maintained 289-acre park in Lyon has an extensive botanical garden but is best known for its spectacular rose gardens, which are playing host to the 17th World Rose Convention and Festival in 2015.

The park’s main highlight is the International Rose Garden, with its 16,000 rose bushes showcasing 450 varieties, while the Competition Rose Garden hosts an annual contest featuring the newest varieties.

Fun fact: the park’s name, which means “Golden Head Park,” comes from an old legend about the grounds about buried treasure. The Crusaders are supposed to have buried a golden Christ’s head somewhere on the park’s property.

Parc de la Tête d’Or, 69006 Lyon, France; +33 4 72 69 47 60; free admission

READ: World’s largest natural flower garden opens in Dubai

It's hard to believe, but the site of Canada's Butchart Gardens was once a limestone quarry.
It's hard to believe, but the site of Canada's Butchart Gardens was once a limestone quarry.
Bruce Holmes/CNN

Butchart Gardens (British Columbia, Canada)

When Jennie Butchart’s husband, a manufacturer of Portland cement, told her in 1904 that his company had exhausted the limestone in their quarry, the door was opened to create what would later become one of Canada’s notable tourist attractions.

Butchart Gardens near Victoria in British Columbia were created within that disused quarry.

Featured views include the Edwardian-style Sunken Garden (gallery above), with a lake where reflections of multi-colored foliage surrounding it take on a beauty of their own.

Butchart Gardens, 800 Benvenuto Avenue, Brentwood Bay, British Columbia, Canada; +1 250 652 5256; official peak season June 15-August 31; adults CA$30.80 ($28) youth CA$14.35 ($13)

Hershey Gardens (Pennsylvania)

When chocolate magnate Milton S. Hershey decided to create a thing of beauty to be enjoyed by residents of “his” town in Pennsylvania, the result was Hershey Gardens, opened in 1937.

A notable feature is the Butterfly House, home to hundreds of North American butterflies, in which visitors can observe the entire life cycle of the butterfly, from egg to adult.

There are 11 themed gardens on site, including the whimsical Children’s Garden and a rose garden with nearly 6,000 roses of 275 varieties.

Hershey Gardens, 170 Hotel Road Hershey, Pennsylvania; 1 717 534 3492; adults $10.50, children 3-12 $7.50

The Royal Botanic Gardens (London)

On a bend of the Thames at Kew in southwest London, the Royal Botanic Gardens was listed as a World Heritage Site in 2003, acknowledging its contributions to botanical and environmental science since 1759.

The Temperate House is the world’s largest surviving Victorian glass structure.

An iron-framed greenhouse dating from the 19th century, it was to become a model for conservatories around the world.

The Royal Botanic Gardens (Kew Gardens), Brentford Gate, London, +44 20 8332 5655; adults £15 ($25), children free

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