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The World's Most Beautiful Gardens

There's no denying that spending time surrounded by nature has a soothing effect on both mind and body. And with spring blooming in the northern hemisphere, now is the perfect time to head outdoors and take in some of the world's most inspirational gardens. Here we've picked the best places – from sprawling countryside parks to urban nooks – where you can witness stunning seasonal displays.

Keukenhof Gardens, Lisse, the Netherlands

One of the largest flower gardens in the world, what makes Keukenhof’s attractions unique – aside from the eye-popping color and breadth of the flower displays – is that it's only open 60 days of the year, from 21 March to 19 May. Every year, the spring display has a theme (this year it's flower power) and the grounds have 10 miles of hiking trails. If you're staying in the nearby town of Lisse, a cycle through the flower fields to the gardens and on to the 17th-century Keukenhof Castle is the perfect way to spend a day.

Keukenhof Gardens, Lisse, the Netherlands

There is no tulip display in spring quite like it, having begun as a humble flower show in 1949 to present Dutch tulip hybrids to exporters. In fall it takes three months to plant the seven million bulbs, with a staggering 800 different varieties of tulip. For the duration of the 10 days before it closes, it's also home to the world’s largest display of lilies.

Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, USA

Previously voted the best botanical garden in America, Longwood is over 1,000 acres and mixes architecture with gardening, and a dedication to educating people about the local area. A 30-mile drive from Philadelphia, it also houses a brilliant restaurant called 1906, named after the year the gardens were purchased, featuring local and sustainable food.

Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, USA

Until the end of March, Longwood has one of the country’s most incredible orchid displays. In April, however, crocuses and trilliums carpet the forest in a riot of color. There’s also a picnic area with grills set up, if you’d like to make a home-cooked feast once you’ve walked through the grounds.

Kew Gardens, London, UK

Located in southwest London, Kew has one of the most diverse gardens in the world with over 30,000 varieties of plants and plenty of spots to enjoy a picnic lunch. It's also known for its perfectly preserved and quaint Victorian buildings such as the Temperate House (pictured), the world’s largest Victorian glass structure.

Kew Gardens, London, UK

Spring is one of the most beautiful times to visit Kew, and if you enter through the Victoria gate (there are several other entrances), you will instantly be met with a sea of crocuses. Tulips and daffodils make for extremely pretty backdrops for pictures around the main fountain, as well as the avenues of cherry blossom. In April, the 250 types of magnolia trees which blossom into fat pink petals are the biggest draw. Aside from flowers, Kew also hosts live events and classes to teach visitors more about plant life throughout the year.

The Gardens, Palace of Versailles, Paris, France

Under an hour by train from Paris, the palace King Louis XIV built in the late 17th century is known for its Hall of Mirrors and rooms dripping with gold. But it's also home to one of the most opulent gardens in the world. Aside from the sweeping avenues, fountains the size of a lake and rolling greenery, there are must-see nooks like the little hamlet where Marie Antoinette visited when she wanted a break from the court.

The Gardens, Palace of Versailles, Paris, France

While there are other gardens around the world that have more colorful displays, Versailles is all about grandeur. There aren’t the riotous flowerbeds of Amsterdam, sure, but in spring on Sunday afternoons, they hold the Grandes Eaux, or musical fountains. It’s almost exactly as it was in the time of Louis XIV, where the gushing water is met with classical music to put on quite a performance.

Bodnant Garden, near Colwyn Bay, Wales, UK

The location is unbeatable: 20 minutes away from the Wales Coast Path, on the way to Bodnant you’re likely to pass the beaches of Colwyn Bay and Llandudno. Set above the river Conwy overlooking Snowdonia, the gardens have something special to see in every season. There is snowdrop planting in early spring, and while the Laburnum arch, a 180-foot tunnel that blossoms into golden yellow flowers is at its best in late spring/early summer, it's still pretty to walk through year-round.

Bodnant Garden, near Colwyn Bay, Wales, UK

The magnolias are the biggest draw during spring, with more than 500 of them in the grounds. Head to the shrub borders and the dell for the best sightings. Aside from the magnolias, there are five different terraces to explore for spring flowers, and it’s home to 200-year-old native trees and the country’s tallest giant redwood.

Koishikawa-Korakuen Gardens, Tokyo, Japan

Worth a visit anytime of year, this traditional Japanese garden is one of the oldest in Tokyo and was completed during the Edo period (1603–1867). There are elements of Chinese and Japanese landscape design, and it’s an easy-to-reach oasis in the middle of the noise and modernity of the city. With the Tokyo Dome – a massive stadium – looming in the background, it’s almost like having a foot in two different worlds.

Koishikawa-Korakuen Gardens, Tokyo, Japan

Most people visit during two periods: spring, to watch the 60-year-old cherry trees come to life with fluffy pink petals, and fall, to watch the maples turn a burnt orange hue. In spring, there are also azaleas, wisterias, lotus and iris. The garden was originally designed for samurai lords to stroll about and forget their stresses, so it translates perfectly that this is a mini oasis in the modern world.

Las Pozas, Xilitla, Mexico

Also known as the "Edward James Gardens", these gardens are hauntingly beautiful and almost dream-like. Located in Xilitla, it's off the beaten track, and one for visitors who'd like to see the lesser known parts of Mexico. Edward James was a British writer living here during the 1940s and built these gardens from a coffee plantation. A supporter of surrealist art, he made the sculptures as well as tending to the orchids – some of which are very rare – and the local jungle.

Brooklyn Botanic Gardens, New York, USA

Set in Prospect Park, the 52-acre garden allows visitors a chance to see a natural side to the Big Apple beyond Central Park. Hailed as a great "date place", there are tours of local pond life and nature walks, plus the gardens organize "cherry watch", a map of when the blossom starts to bloom in spring. At the heart of the community in Brooklyn, an extensive education program is designed to teach residents how to look after trees in the neighborhood and rewards the greenest areas.

Brooklyn Botanic Gardens, New York, USA

Aside from the cherry blossom in spring, there's a different tulip display every year, and the garden also has early azaleas, primroses and violets. Be sure to head to Daffodil Hill, which has 10 different areas showcasing the flowers. Magnolia Plaza is the place to be in late March when the blooms muscle for attention with big, creamy blossom.

Arundel Castle, UK

Set in West Sussex, this 11th-century castle has undergone various transformations but still retains some of its medieval features. In and around the romantic architectural features are bursts of color and carefully tended gardens. Inside, there’s some impressive artwork too from the likes of Canaletto and Van Dyck.

Arundel Castle, UK

One of the UK’s largest tulip displays is in the grounds of Arundel Castle, with 60,000 bulbs, showcasing unusual varieties including one that smells like oranges and another that has white fringing. A special section to look out for is the "stumpery", which features ancient upturned tree roots, where gardeners have chosen to place some of the most delicate and tiny tulips. The festival runs from mid-April to early-May, shortly followed by a display of alliums. Discover more about Sussex, Meghan and Harry's royal county

Butchart Gardens, British Colombia, Canada

There’s never a bad time of year to visit this beautiful collection of five themed gardens, which started as a passion project for Robert and Jennie Butchart in 1904. The Japanese Garden, pictured here in spring, is an acre in size and home to 500 rhododendrons and azaleas, 74 Japanese maple trees and gentle streams.

Butchart Gardens, British Colombia, Canada

Aside from the huge swathes of color and blossom, great attention has been paid to the timing of the blossoms, from daffodils to snowdrops, and tulips to crocuses. Handily, they have a guide with itinerary suggestions from a two-hour stroll to a four-hour comprehensive tour.

Portland Japanese Garden, Portland, Oregon, USA

A traditional Japanese garden may be the last thing you’d expect to see in Washington Park, but this green space is considered one of the most authentic outside of Japan. It was originally designed by Takuma Tono in 1967 and has recently been given an extension by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma who has added a new urban garden with pagoda-style roofs.

Portland Japanese Garden, Portland, Oregon, USA

There are eight garden spaces to explore, including the contemporary Natural Garden and the Strolling Pond Garden, featuring two ponds connected by a stream. You're free to wander by yourself or you can join one of the daily guided tours at 12pm.

Desert Botanical Garden, Phoenix, Arizona, USA

While a desert garden sounds like an impossibility, there is something rather magical about greenery that survives harsh landscapes. The Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix is set in Papago Park and was founded in 1939 by a group of local citizens who wanted to protect and conserve the desert wildlife.

Desert Botanical Garden, Phoenix, Arizona, USA

Here, it’s all about that rare glimpse of desert wildflowers such as Mexican poppies and desert lupine. March and April are the best times to pay a visit, and they also run garden and bird-spotting tours.

Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, South Carolina, USA

The original structure on this 300-year-old plantation was burned down during the Civil War, but it was rebuilt in the late 1800s. Today you'll find magnificent green spaces, with the gardens comprised of both organized, manicured beds and wilder swamp land. Be sure to join the moving tour of the restored slave cabins, which tells the important story of the role enslaved people played in the plantation's history too.

Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, South Carolina, USA

The camellia displays in the garden are something to behold until mid-March, when they then hand over to the hundreds of thousands of azaleas. Apart from the gardens, there’s also a marsh boat tour and a pretty area called Cypress Lake, surrounded by cypress trees over 100 years old.

Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden, Texas, USA

With over 500,000 tulips and over 100 different varieties of spring flowers, the Dallas Blooms festival provides the perfect floral backdrop to the wine tastings, picnics and live events that take place there. Plus, it's perfect for youngsters thanks to the dedicated Rory Meyers Children’s Adventure Garden with a wetlands area and a canopy tree walk.

Attadale Gardens, Wester Ross, Scotland, UK

The gardens were designed for people to enjoy the views across Loch Carron, and the drive to get here – along the North Coast 500 route – is also stunning. Warm winds from the Gulf Stream also mean that more fragile plants than you might expect survive the Scottish weather in this remote part of the northwestern Highlands.

Attadale Gardens, Wester Ross, Scotland, UK

While the snowdrops are worth a visit in winter, in April it’s all about the rhododendrons. You'll find over 100 different species here, along with a water garden with wooden bridges, a waterfall and Japanese gardens. There’s also a café which gets many of its supplies from the kitchen gardens too

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