Spectacular spring gardens of the world burst with vibrant colors, fragrant blooms, and the promise of new beginnings.
Springtime is a wonderful time to recharge and be outdoors and if you love plants and flowers, visiting a local garden is a visual feast to inspire and enjoy. Take a look at some of these spectacular gardens of the world shared by travel journalist and bloggers on some of their favorite must visit gardens. Hopefully you can visit soon or even start your own spring garden to enjoy. Visiting botanical gardens in my experience, is something I always love to see when I’m in a new destination to explore.
If you love to visit gorgeous spring gardens like I do to get inspired and maybe dabble a little in your garden, let these world reknown gardens inpsire you to visit any of them some day.
Visit the Spring Gardens in the United States
Naples Botanical Garden – Naples Florida
The Naples Botanical Garden is truly a hidden gem. This 170-acre world-class garden paradise features plants and cultures of the tropics and subtropics.
The botanical garden is located between Naples and Marco Island Florida. These gardens are lush, tropical, and colorful. I would recommend arriving when the gardens open at 9 am when it is cooler as it gets extremely hot during the day.
The gardens are divided into multiple specialty gardens. There is a children’s garden, Brazilian garden, Caribbean garden, and Asian garden, just to name a few. There is also a space devoted entirely to butterflies and the plants that sustain them. This is where you will find the photographers with their zoom lenses trying to get that perfect shot of the hummingbirds in action.
Make sure to wear comfortable shoes when visiting the gardens as, with six separate gardens and 90 acres of restored native preserve, there will be a lot of walking while exploring the beautiful grounds. We wandered the grounds for 3 hours and could have easily wandered some more.
Diana Becevello with Diana’s Healthy Living
International Rose Test Garden, Portland, Oregon
Val with Wandering Wheatleys
Zilker Botanical Garden
A Swedish log cabin, a dinosaur, and the Butler Window are just three of the many interesting finds at Zilker Botanical Garden located near downtown Austin Texas. With over 25 acres of land the Zilker Garden is a place to escape the city and explore nature. Individual sections include the rose garden, butterfly garden, and the impressive Japanese garden created by Austin resident Isamu Taniguchi as a thank you to the city of Austin. Walk along the streams and ponds with giant Koi fish and elegant water lilies, hop across stepping stones to a waterfall, then walk over the wooden ‘Bridge to Walk Over the Moon’ in the peaceful garden space.
What makes Zilker Botanical Garden truly spectacular in the springtime is the abundance of bright pink blooms on the redbud trees. Signally the start of spring in Austin the redbud blooms only last a few weeks, so timing is important, visit between the end of February and mid-March.
Susan Moore with Solo Trips and Tips
Dallas Arboretum in Texas
Golden Gate Park in San Francisco
Brookgreen Gardens, South Carolina
We’ll go way out of our way to see good art.
Especially when the display of that art is so unexpected, refreshing, and new to us. Because, honestly, we’d never heard of most of the American sculptors whose work is displayed at Brookgreen Gardens, near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and we were so glad to make the introductions.
Founded in 1931 by Archer and Anna Hyatt Huntington, Brookgreen Gardens contains the largest and most comprehensive collection of American figurative sculpture in the country, with more than 2,000 works by 425 artists. The collection contains almost exclusively figurative art–that is, human and animal figures from nature, history, and mythology.
Oh, and the gardens and fountains themselves are spectacular. Walkways and garden paths link the sculptures in their distinctive garden, fountain, or landscape settings.
The Brookgreen Gardens Sculpture Gardens are a real American gem, and worth making a special trip to this part of South Carolina to spend a delightful morning wandering in them.
Check out Tom and Kristin’s post on Brookgreen Gardens in Myrtle Beach
Miami Botanical Gardens
The tropical gardens at the Miami Botanical Gardens is a little gem easily located in South Beach. A small and easy to walk garden with colorful garden rooms, sculpture and beautiful tropical landscapes is fun to walk through and photograph. Wonderful paths, grand garden berms and cool art located throughout the park make this an easy garden to explore especially if you are already in the South Beach area.
Check out my post of the Miami Botanical Gardens here for more imagery and details to visiting.
Noel with Travel Photo Discovery
Spring gardens in Central and South America
Botanical Gardens of Rio de Janeiro
Botanical Garden of Cienfuegos
About 14km outside the historic center of Cienfuegos, Cuba is the Jardín Botánico de Cienfuegos, or Botanical Garden of Cienfuegos.
The garden was founded by an American sugar baron, Edwin Atkins, in 1901 in cooperation with a couple of Harvard professors as The Harvard Botanic Station for Tropical Research and Sugar Cane Investigation. Beginning with research on sugar cane production, the Botanical Gardenof Cienfuegos became, over time, a center for tropical plant research and an arboretum featuring trees from around the world.
We enjoyed our knowledgeable guide who lead us through varieties of orchids, bamboo, banyon and fica, palms (192 varieties!), ebony, Brazil nuts, bougainvillea, with a few termite nests and bird sightings thrown in.
Harvard’s participation petered out in the early 1960s as the U.S. Cuba embargo fell into place. The site is well maintained and visitor-friendly, but a whiff of nostalgia for international cooperation hangs in the air.
Today the garden has a large collection of tropical exotic plants (with more than 2000 species. Among the most complete collections are more than 400 types of orchids.
Check out Tom and Kristin’s post on why to travel to Cuba
Botanical gardens of Medellin, Colombia
Palermo Park in Buenos Aires Rosedal
The Bosques de Palermo Park is the most beautiful park in Argentina. Following the country’s decades long obsession with New York, the Buenos Aires’ iconic park was modeled after the most iconic park of all. The highlight of the Bosques, however, isn’t its Central Park inspired lakes and running paths, but the rose garden, El Rosedal. Palermo’s rose garden has been here for over 100 years and is an emblem of when Buenos Aires was a cultural powerhouse on the world stage. Buildings, the city’s layout and of course gardens were designed based on European ideals.
Every Spring (October and November here in the Southern Hemisphere), 8,000 roses bloom across ten acres. There are 93 species of roses of all shades and sizes planted in this massive rose garden. There are paths that weave among them, so feel free to bring a book and spend the afternoon relaxing by the roses or the lake. The Rosedal is free to enter and open every day of the week except Mondays, so plan your Buenos Aires itinerary accordingly.
Erin with Sol Salute
Experience the Spring Gardens in Europe
Linderhof Palace Gardens, Germany
The gardens and park of Linderhof Palace in the German Bavaria explode in a sea of colours in spring – just like Mad King Ludwig II would want it. This was, after all, the only one of his castles or palaces which was completed in his lifetime.
Although there are many acres of beautiful parkland, it’s the formal gardens around the small palace which are a real pleasure to the eye during spring. Ludwig II did, after all, set out to recreate the palace and gardens of Versailles at Linderhof.
The gardens of Linderhof Palace are made up of mixed styles including Renaissance-style terraces and Baroque parterres. Inspiration was drawn from French, English, and even Spanish landscape gardens.
A highlight is the decorative garden in the Western parterre which was completed in 1872. The ornamental spring flower beds are the perfect backdrop for two gold gilt fountains of Amor and Fama.
There are three Italian-inspired terraces with ornamental flower beds behind the large pool. The views of the surrounding countryside are beautiful from this elevated position.
Linderhof Palace is often overlooked in favour of nearby Neuschwanstein Castle. However, it’s certainly worth a visit, especially in spring when the first flowers start to bloom in abundance.
By Linda from Travel Tyrol
Potsdam palaces and gardens
The Prussian kings of Germany created spectacular palaces and showcase gardens to complete their massive castles. One of the most impressive gardens are in Potsdam with the public and beautiful garden spaces of Sanssouci and the Neues Palais with large open air gardens that cover large tracts of land. Spring gardens are planted early with a gorgeous display of colorful annuals throughout the many gardens but mostly close to the areas located around each palace.
It’s a fantastic time to visit Potsdam to enjoy the outdoors and annual spring displays in the gardens along with a visit to all the spectacular palaces at Potsdam. Check out my Potsdam palaces and gardens tour here for more images and inspiration to visiting the area.
Noel with Travel Photo Discovery
Gardens of Mainua Island in Germany
Glenveagh Castle Gardens, Ireland
Located in Donegal, Ireland’s northernmost county, and along the Wild Atlantic Way, we find Glenveagh National Park, a designated Special Area of Conservation and Special Protection Area under Irish and EU law. Within the park you will find Glenveagh Castle, famous for its dark history and association with the land clearances and evictions back in the 19th century, and for its gardens.
Glenveagh Castle Gardens are an orderly contrast compared to the wilderness of its surroundings. They are divided in different areas with the main ones being the Pleasure Gardens and the Walled Gardens, both constructed in the late 1880s, shortly after the castle was finished. The original lay out of the Walled Gardens remains intact, and some of the purple maples and scots pine trees in the Pleasure Garden were planted when the gardens where first created.
Glenveagh Castle Gardens are well known for its rich collection of trees and shrubs from the southern hemisphere and for its diverse collection of Rhododendrons, which are at their best from late March to the end of May. There is also a large collection of old daffodil varieties that bloom in March and April.
If you are visiting Donegal, check out all these top things to do in Donegal here for more inspiration.
Teresa with Brogan Abroad
Crathes Castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Crathes Castle in Aberdeenshire Scotland was granted to the Burnett family by Robert the Bruce in 1323 and they lived in this Scottish tower for over 350 years. Not only did they have a beautiful home, but they also designed amazing gardens that beckons you to explore.
Four acres of gardens can be viewed right from the castle windows, but you will want to get out and wander through the paths filled with color and flower scents. You can start your exploration right from the castle terrace. The gardens are actually divided up by eight different sections. Each section is designed with detail and preciseness
The choice of colors and varieties matched with height and placement make each section different. The topiaries are trimmed into perfect shapes to complement the flowery plants. Seek out the pool garden and be soothed with its setting. There are also fountains and benches, so you can take your time and enjoy these lovely sanctuaries. It is common to see families enjoying some of the land next to the gardens for picnics as well as in the walled area a competitive game of croquet.
Crathes Castle is a member of the National Trust for Scotland, you can purchase membership at the gift shop, which will give you entrance to other castles too.
Sherrie Fabrizi Allbritten with Travel By A Sherrie Affair
University of Warsaw Botanical Gardens
De Keukenhof – The Netherlands
Kew Gardens in London
Terra Nostra Botanical Garden, Azores
I have been to many gardens around the world and out of them all, my favorite is the Terra Nostra Botanical Garden on Sao Miguel in the Azores. Terra Nostra is a large garden that consists of native plants (which are unique to other places in Europe), global plants, and baths that contain mineral properties that are supposed to be healing and therapeutic for the skin. I spent hours inside just marveling at the different species of flora and the ability to get lost in your own world inside. There are many Azores hotels in the vicinity and Furnas, the closest city to Terra Nostra Botanical Garden, is a really great base and launchpad to explore the eastern side of Sao Miguel. Furnas is known for its geothermal energy paired with unspeakable beauty. I definitely recommend a trip to Terra Nostra if you love gorgeous spring gardens and some relaxation while in the Azores.
Megan with Megan Starr.com
Edinburgh Royal Gardens
Edinburgh Royal Gardens are just one of the many things to see in Edinburgh. The reason I love these gardens is because of the stark contrasts between each area, the research happening within the gardens, and the fact that it only costs £7.00 to enter. Inside the gardens you wander around the Arboretum, Rhododendrons, Rock garden, woodland garden with massive trees, the Chinese hillside that feels like a secret garden and then comes the Queen Mother’s Memorial Garden. Here you have a quaint and quiet area with a small house where you can sit. When you enter the entire house is lined with seashells and pinecones, a perfect place for solitude from the city. Be sure to peek through the trees during your wanderings as there is one particular spot that allows you to see the Edinburgh Castle.
There are also several greenhouses worth visiting where different plants from all over the world and grown, including a beautiful collection of orchids, and some of the strangest trees I’ve ever seen with surprisingly beautiful flowers. So if you are ever in Edinburgh, be sure to visit the Royal Botanical Gardens there, it is a great escape from the city.
-Janiel Green with CultureTrekking.com
Explore the Spring Gardens in Asia
CHIDORIGAFUCHI MOAT, JAPAN
The place features around 200 cherry trees stretches for 700m along the promenade that decorate the moats beautifully, and over 1 million people come and enjoy this stunning view. The cherry blossoms are lightened up at night after sunset till 22:00.
The moat surrounding the Imperial Palace is covered in over 200 gigantic cherry blossom trees – with many reaching over on top of the edges of the moat. Over 1 million people come during the cherry blossom bloom to enjoy this unforgettable view. They are lighted up at night until about 10 pm. But really the best way to see them is to rent a paddle boat and get close to all the petals on the water. Make sure to get there early, like an hour before open because the lines are immense during peak bloom.
You can also check out Chidorigafuchi Path, which is a narrow sidewalk alongside the moat of the Imperial Palace that runs from a short distance from the cemetery to the Boat Rentals. There are many blooming sakura trees here, but they do get packed pretty fast. Also, make sure to get here early if you want a picnic spot under the blooms.
Access: from Tokyo Toei Shinjuku line, Metro Hanzomon line, Metro Tozai line, Kudanshita station exit 2 walking 5 mins
Best time to visit: late March to early April
Check out Henry & Zory’s post on cherry blossoms in Japan
Penang Botanic Gardens
Singapore Botanic Gardens
With more than 4 million visitors every year, this UNESCO World Heritage offers a great escape from the busy streets of downtown Singapore – with plenty to do, see and love year-round.
Besides the obvious lush greenery and colorful plant life on display here, there are also a few lakes, various themed gardens and a Learning Forest – safeguarding some of the most endangered plant species in the world. But, the star attraction remains the Orchid Garden – the world’s largest permanent display of orchids.
The grounds are open from 5am-12pm (daily) and there is no entrance fee to the main areas, so you could easily spend a few hours enjoying the gorgeous plant life here. If you want to visit the Orchid Garden, there is a SG$5 fee (roughly USD$4 and it’s worth every penny).
The gardens are one of the best attractions in Singapore, so it’s really best to time your visit here. Visit in the early morning before the crowds come in and the humidity kicks in!
Orchid Garden Bali
Adachi Museum in Shimane Prefecture
Royal Botanical Gardens of Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka is full of beautiful botanical gardens that bloom in Spring, but my absolute favourite is the Royal Botanical Gardens in Kandy. It’s a large set of gardens that are filled with a wide range of plants and flowers from around the world.
Actually, it feels like you’re taking a trip around the world in just a few hours. I love rose gardens, and there is a whole section dedicated to these gorgeous flowers. Simply get your map and plan your route of wonderful things to see. After you’ve walked among some of the most beautiful flowers in the world, you can stop at the on site cafe for a local tea and a bite to eat.
Or, it’s a wonderful place to have a picnic. Whatever you decide to do, simply wander for hours and immerse yourself in the stunning nature that surrounds you.
Cazzy Magennis with Dream Big, Travel Far
Ryoan-Ji Zen Garden In Kyoto
Ryoan-ji temple’s zen garden is one of the most famous dry gardens in all of Japan. Interestingly it’s also one of the most mysterious ones, because its origins are unknown.
The garden consists out of carefully landscaped moss pads with rocks on them, sitting in a sea of white pebbles raked into linear patterns. The surrounding nature rising up from behind the temple walls gives this whole a good canvas to shine on.
Its simplicity coupled with its meticulous attention to detail is what makes this garden stand out. I highly recommend a visit if you enjoy nature and peace. Go in the early morning or just before it closes to avoid the crowds though.
The temple area also has a park and lake to explore, as well as a tofu restaurant with a view. If you like to experience the serenity of a Japanese garden in your accommodation as well, consider staying in a Kyoto Ryokan, as they often have carefully tended gardens too.
Paul with Journey Compass
Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden in Tokyo during spring
Garden of Morning Calm in Korea
Located in the hills of Gapyeong, South Korea, the Garden of Morning Calm is one of the most beautiful gardens in the world. With its impressive size of 30,000㎡, it takes a couple hours to navigate the 1000+ colorful plants in the garden. Start the journey by crossing the bouncy suspension bridge which leads to many floral attractions. Check out the roses, conifer trees, cacti, or even take a short hike up the hill for amazing views. We loved the tranquility of the Japanese pond garden and the iconic Millennium Juniper tree that is over 1000+ years old.
What makes this garden special is that they celebrate all seasons through seasonal plants, educational exhibits, and festivals. During our springtime visit, we saw multi-colored tulips everywhere. The wintertime has the famous Lighting Festival where the garden illuminates in the evenings.
If you want to visit this place, combine a trip with the nearby attractions of Nami Island and Petite France. It’s a quick getaway from Seoul as a day trip.
Jackie Szeto with Life of Doing
Miscellaneous Spring Gardens of the world
The Butchart Gardens in Vancouver Island
Butchart Gardens on Vancouver Island, British Colombia (not to be confused with the city of Vancouver, located on the BC mainland), is one of the premier gardens in the world. The gardens are located outside of Victoria and are over 100 years old. Spring is a good time to visit the gardens, as they contain all of the spring flowers such as crocus, daffodil, and tulips, and also a number of flowering trees. The gardens feature multiple areas of plants, including rose, Mediterranean, Italian, and Japanese Gardens. The most famous garden is the “Sunken Garden” which highlights seasonal flowers in a sunken area complete with fountains and viewpoints. A must do activity at Butchart Gardens is having afternoon high tea. Other activities include a carousel and boat tours. If you visit on a Saturday in Summer, you can enjoy concerts and a fireworks show.
Lisa with TheHotFlashPacker
Fin Garden in Kashan, Iran
Persian gardens are famous all over the world but one of the most beautiful ones is Fin garden in Kashan. Kashan is a true desert city with a picturesque old town where most houses are made from sand and mud. The traditional homes often have wind towers to keep it cool in summer.
It is hard to imagine a Persian garden in such a desert place, but Fin garden is a lush green oasis that blooms in spring. It’s a place to cool down from the desert heat as the orange trees and cypress trees provide shade from the sun.
The garden has a perfect symmetrical design that is typical of persian gardens. There are 4 smaller gardens separated by waterways and pools. Built in 1590 under the Safavid dynasty it is the oldest garden in Iran and a UNESCO World heritage site.
The garden also has a traditional teahouse where you can experience true Iranian hospitality. It is a good way to finish your visit. Fin garden is a wonderful place to spend an afternoon and a must visit when you are in Kashan.
Ellis Veen with Backpack Adventures
Botanical Gardens in Christchurch, New Zealand
The Botanical Gardens of Christchurch, on the east side of the South Island of New Zealand were founded in 1863 when an oak tree was planted to commemorate the marriage of Prince Albert and Princess Alexandra of Denmark.
From those auspicious beginnings the gardens were continuously enlarged and improved until they became the exquisitely landscaped attraction they are today.
Although the gardens boast plants from all over the world, it is in the rose section where the garden really shines. Two separate rose gardens grace the parks; the Central Rose Garden with over 250 different varieties and the Heritage Rose Garden with unique samples that bloom in the summer.
Entrance fee and a brief tour on a shuttle cost about US$14.00. An extended tour with 17 stops covering the entire park cost about US$28.00.
If you love to be surrounded by nature’s beauty in a peaceful, serene environment, spend a day or half a day in this enchanting location. It’s good for the soul.
Talek Nantes with Travels with Talek
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Conclusion to visiting the Spring gardens of the World
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Spring gardens can really take your worries away. I mean, look at these beautiful and colorful flowers! I wish to have one in our backyard
so that every morning I feel happy to see blooming flowers always.
Who doesn’t like spring and gardens around the world to visit at this time of year, best time to be outdoors.
Wow, what a wide-ranging post! I do love stopping at a Botanical garden when I’m travelling – it makes for a nice pause. Out of these, I know Keukenhof and Kew well – and I have fond memories of a day spent at the Golden Gate Park. Zilker sounds intriguing – a Swedish log cabin in texas. Who’d have thought!
It’s a perfect time to be outdoors and enjoying some spring gardens around the world, looks like you seen a few nice ones.
Wow a virtual treat to eyes here! Loved the garden ornaments too!
I had been to Singapore botanical gardens, loved it a lot.
Spring gardens are so colorful and cheerful, a fantastic time to travel and see the world
They are all such beautiful gardens. I had no idea the Golden Gate Park was so beautiful. I plan to check out more gardens on my travels especially the one in Christchurch!
Golden Gate park is amazing along with all these wonderful spring gardens all around the globe.
Ah the spring flowers of roses and foxglove. I been to Keukenhof twice and each time was a different experience. My first trip was early spring when the daffodils were going off. On a subsequent visit I returned late spring and saw the tulips in their glory. I was never there late enough in the spring to see the roses or foxglove, but I hear they are beautiful there as well. When mom comes down to visit we’ll have to take her out to the Miami gardens or Naples. She loves flowers and would so enjoy getting a jump on the season in Florida.
I would love to visit Keukenhof and some of the amazing gardens in Europe during spring season to visit more gardens there.
The first photo stole my heart ! Wherever we go, we try to include visits to these parks. It’s such a wonderful way to observe & enjoy nature. Also to know how responsible are the local people.
Parks and botanical gardens are fantastic to visit in spring and traveling to many of these destinations to see the spring gardens is an amazing experience.
I would love to visit the International Rose Test Garden in Portland! I didn’t know it was there when I visited but my mom has said she would like to visit so now I’m more motivated to make the trip!
I always knew it was there so hopefully I can visit Portland and some of the USA gardens this spring time.
That tree in the Korean Garden of Morning Calm is incredible! There’s quite a few on this list I’d love to see, especially Kew Gardens in London. I think my favourite from this list is the Naples Garden in Florida, the wisteria is gorgeous. Thanks for this comprehensive list!
I’ve wanted to visit this garden, it really is amazing along with all these other spectacular spring gardens around the world
I will have to remember the Miami and Naples Botanical Gardens the next time we head to Florida. I did not know that Portland was known as the “City of Roses”. We learned to love Japanese gardens and would head that way when we visit. I do love the fountain statues at the Golden Gate park. We are sorry we missed the botanical gardens in Cienfuegos in Cuba. But I absolutely want to visit the tulip gardens in the Netherlands. Thanks for this look at spring colour!
Really there are a lot of amazing spring gardens to see around the world and these are some of the real charmers.
We’re just deciding where to go for a mid-spring trip so this post came at a perfect time. I’ve only been to Kew, none of the other ones. I was surprised to see the Dallas one. Who knew?
There’s lovely spring gardens all around the world and the US has some spectacular gardens to visit.