Inspiring gardens of the world

January can be an uninspiring month. Christmas is now over and spring has not yet sprung.

With that being said, January is the perfect time to bring in new intentions for the year ahead.

We have put together a collection of some of the most inspiring gardens of the world. Pull your mind away from the lingering dark evenings and failed New Years resolutions and travel around the world to gather new ideas to bring to your own garden this year.

 

This ‘Indiana Jones’ paradise was created by Scottish poet and artist, Edward James (1907 - 1984) who was known for his patronage of surreal art. This passion flows across this garden and clings to every blade of grass and stone structure.  It is a reminder that gardens are just like a blank canvas waiting to be painted; as messily and freely as you wish.  

 

Known as America’s finest example of a dry garden, this passion project of the late Ruth Bancroft is a space dedicated to dramatic shapes and contrasting textures that come in and out of colour in waves.  In the modern climate where taking care of the environment is more important than ever, dry gardens match their beauty with plenty of eco-benefits i.e. less watering, feeding and mowing. This water-wise wonderland really does expand the definition of a “lawn”.

 

The Chateau was constructed in 1532 with the importance of housing an outstanding garden beginning at it’s birth.  It has overseen many changes to garden design from a formal garden in the 18th century, then later an ornamental lake and in 1906, a romantic expanse of lawns straight out of an English novel.  This was the face that met the latest owner Joachim Carvallo in 1908, who saw no beauty in the contrast of a Renaissance Chateau and an English landscape. As a result of Carvallo’s passion for restoring the gardens to their former Renaissance glory, it now sits seamlessly next to the Chateau.

This preservation project inspires the accessibility of change.  No matter how big or small a garden is, you can be a Carvallo and rewrite your garden’s script.

 

The cascading pastels transform these simple structures into a seamless stretch of tranquility.  The dense blanket of blooms is made up of 150 wisteria plants of roughly 20 species across two 100 metre frames.  Here, the language of beauty is spoken through simplicity.  The tunnels are also a reminder that it’s not just about the plants you choose but also what you do with them.

If you are interested in recreating your own tunnel, you can view our range of plant support arches on the English Salvage Ltd website, linked here.

 

A stunning example of traditional gardening.  Herbaceous beds, shrub borders and rose gardens make this space somewhere your feet want to wander.  However, “traditional” does not mean the absence of surprise. The last place you would think to find the Blue Poppy of the Himalayas or the Fire Bush of the Andes would be in a garden in North Wales.  However, Bodnant makes the blend of these exotic species with the native daffodil, for example, completely seamless and somewhat natural.

 

Monet’s Garden is a safe haven for those drawn to aesthetics as opposed to specific plants and their tongue-tying Latin labels.  He looked at gardening as he did his paintings;  a space to be filled with colour and shapes.  The pond in the infamous water garden is surrounded by vegetation simply picked for how they reflect themselves in the water.  It is an experiment worthy of recognition.  

 

The Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew will transport you across the globe without the need for your passport.  Their Temperate House is home to 1,500 species of plants from Africa, Australia, New Zealand, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific Islands.  The beauty at Kew is spoken almost entirely through the language of conservation; rescuing plants that have fallen into rarity or even plants that are already extinct in the wild.

Kew expands the duties of a gardener to more than just a temporary carer. The aim becomes ensuring the garden they tend not only survives their lifetime but that it also long outlives them.

 

Known as the world’s largest tulip display, the garden showcases over seven million bulbs; all planted by hand every Autumn. With 800 different varieties of tulips to walk through across 79 acres, it is a place that will completely consume the senses.

The garden allows 100 participating flower bulb companies to display their best range of spring flowering bulbs alongside each other. There is real beauty in the sense of community you get from this garden.

 

Owned by French designer Yves Saint Laurent and his partner Pierre Bergé, the garden is a psychedelic desert mirage against a striking blue backdrop.

The bold colours and striking choice of plants make this garden a completely separate space to the surrounding city with it’s own voice and identity. It is one of the most visited spots in Morocco and is a safe haven for Instagram influencers around the globe who know the value of a great backdrop. “Garden” isn’t exclusively defined as grass and plants but includes everything within the space. Don’t just rely on the colour from your flowers, splash it across all structures and spaces to completely transform your space.

 

Known as “one of the great botanical gardens of the world”. The garden spans over nearly 1305 acres and is home to over 22,000 species of plants, all chosen in the act of conservation.

This huge garden doesn’t limit it’s care to plants but also shows great care for the wildlife. From the 1305 acres, only around 89 acres has been cultivated. The rest is protected land used to support “a wide variety of indigenous birds, animals, reptiles, frogs and invertebrates”.

 

This beautiful expanse showcases native plants that are bound to Hawaii through indigenous traditions. Plants that were used to poison fish or medicate the sick are protected and cherished as ancestors of the land.

Time stands still here. With flowing waterfalls, decorated peaks and an abundance of tropical blossoms (including Hawaiis official flower, Hibiscus), you would be forgiven for thinking that this 17 acre conservation project was a mirage. It’s beauty is found in age-old traditions that are now reborn in the modern 21st century.

 

The remaining sunken landscape of this old limestone quarry has been transformed into a cascading sea of colours.

This sunken garden was the passion project of Jennie Butchart in 1912 who had a vision to bring new life to the stripped back landscape. She used horse and carts to transfer fresh top soil onto the depleted land, growing both Japanese and Italian inspired gardens along with the iconic Rose Garden.

Through her creative vision, Butchart adapted this exhausted space into a National Historic Site.

 

A stunning illustration of the refined Renaissance period.

The architecture of this garden is breathtaking both in it’s size and innovation. The 16th century fountains cascade along the pathways, embellishing the walls and creating optical illusions that altogether change the shape of the garden.

This immense water garden is fed from a 600 metre underground channel straight from the River Aniene. To this day, all but two large jet fountains are still operated by the original design, using hydraulics and gravity to pull the water around.

 

The Gardens of Versailles, France

“The art of perspective.”

The Garden at Versailles has been embellished by several generations of the finest decorators and architects to reflect the power and magnificence of the French Kings who took residence there; from Louis XIV to Louis XVI.

Work began on the gardens at the same time as the Palace in 1661. Aside from the perfectly manicured flower beds, fine sculptures and exotic trees, the real crowning jewel at Versailles is the gilded lead Apollo Fountain.

Louis XIV was so dedicated to this 40 year project that he could even be spotted manning the gardening tools himself!