Gardens of the Globe – Botanical Gardens Part I

This is the third installment in my Gardens of the Globe series. As I have mentioned previously, I love gardens, and always seek them out when traveling. According to Merriam-Webster, a botanical garden is defined as: a garden often with greenhouses for the culture, study, and exhibition of special plants. We have visited quite a few since we both find them inviting, tranquil, and delightful places to wander. Here are a few of my favorites.

1. Le Jardin Exotique d’Eze is my all time favorite. Nestled high in the hills above the cerulean blue Mediterranean below, this dazzling, elegant garden is located on what was once the site of a château. Built after WWII, rocks and soil had to be hauled up the steep hills to the garden’s location. There is a nice collection of cacti and succulents on the south side of the garden, and on the north side there are varieties native to the Mediterranean. The views of the Côte d’Azur below are absolutely stunning.

2. Botanical Building and Lilly Pond is located in San Diego’s Balboa Park. This unique struture is a popular destination in the park, and was built for the 1915 – 1916 Exposition. It is one of the largest lath structures in the world. It features over 2,100 varieties of plants, flowers, succulents, tropical plants, and more. Unfortunately, it is currently closed for renovation with an expected completion date sometime next year.

3. Botanical Gardens, Royal Victoria Park, Bath Spa, UK. This charming nine acre park dates back to 1887 and is a lovely place to stroll and spend a quiet morning or afternoon. Located not far from Bath’s famous Royal Crescent, this garden has over 10,000 varieties of plants, flowers, shrubs, and trees.

4. Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens Hobart, Tasmania. This 34 acre garden is the second oldest botanical garden in Australia. It is a beautiful place to wander and take photos. It contains a wide variety of flowers, trees, herbs, and succulents. It has the only Subantarctic Plant House in the world, which was unfortunately closed during my visit, so I don’t have any photos.

5. Botanical Gardens Madeira, Portugal is located high in the hills above Funchal, and is exquisitely enticing. Established in 1960, this twenty acre garden has more than 2,000 varieties of plants. Here you’ll find succulents, tropical, and medicinal plants, fruit trees, stray cats, and expansive views of Funchal and beyond. You can reach the gardens via cable car or taxi.

Admission is free, to all of these gardens except for the garden in Eze, where there is a small entry fee. Donations are greatly appreciated at all of the gardens.

Which of these gardens is your favorite? I’ll post another blog in a few weeks with even more of my favorite botanical gardens.

To plant a garden is to dream of tomorrow. Audrey Hepburn

Happy gardening!

Tricia