The World’s Best Botanical Gardens

If you’re looking for a great day out exploring some beautiful botanical gardens, then you really are spoilt for choice, no matter where you happen to be in the world. Here are our picks for five of the best, all over the globe.

South Africa – Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, Western Cape

Covering 89 acres of Table Mountain’s eastern slopes, Kirstenbosch is Cape Town’s own Garden of Eden. It was the first botanical garden to be founded for the express purpose of protecting the indigenous plant species. It’s still one of the very few that specialise in local varieties, so come along if you want something unique.

Famous for its stunning varieties of Crane Flower – also known as the Bird of Paradise – Kirstenbosch is perfect for a luxury picnic in spectacular surroundings. There are a number of trails laid out, marked by Zimbabwean stone sculptures, and you can even get a guided tour.

Germany – Botanischer Garten und Botanisches Museum Berlin-Dahlem, Berlin

The Berlin-Dahlem Botanical Gardens were founded in 1897 to display the myriad exotic plants imported from the German colonies. It is currently spread over 106 acres of land, with more than 22,000 varieties of plant on offer.

It’s home to the Great Pavilion, the largest glasshouse in the world, as well as a cactus house, a herbarium and the famous museum. From giant lilies to carnivorous plants, the Garten has it all – even a small cemetery!

Japan – Byōdō-in Monastery Garden, Kyoto

One of just five major Pure Land gardens left in Japan, this 11^th Century Buddhist temple complex blends Chinese and Japanese styles to form its own unique look. It was originally designed to recreate Paradise, and was recently added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Nearing a thousand years of age, Japan has recognised its importance as a place of beauty and historical significance by featuring it on both the 10 yen coin and the 10,000 yen note, and it’s easy to see why. With a small museum, beautiful Oriental pavilions and the reflecting Ajika pond, the Byōdō-in is truly a piece of heaven on Earth.

Canada – Jardin Botanique de Montréal, Quebec

The Jardin has something for everyone – more than 7000 species in its arboretum, the largest Chinese Garden outside of Asia and the Insectarium, featuring almost 200,000 insects, a number of which are still live!

The Canadian gardens deserve their reputation as one of the most best botanical gardens in the world, but never more so than in May: this is when the Butterflies Go Free exhibit takes place, where thousands of tropical moths and butterflies are released into the glasshouses. Breath-taking.

United Kingdom – Ness Botanical Gardens, Merseyside

If you’re looking for a day spent in beautiful botanical gardens back in dear ol’ Blighty, look no further than Ness! It’s the perfect place for a family picnic as you can feast your eyes on the fantastic views of the Dee estuary while you tuck into your sandwiches.

With one of the most interesting plant collections in the country, Ness Gardens is sure not to disappoint, and they have more than 10,000 different types!

Article by Jerry.