Often run by scientific research organizations or universities, botanical gardens are repositories of rare plants and places of astonishing beauty as well as an oasis of calm. Botanical gardens exist to preserve cataloged collections of living plants for education, conservation, scientific research, and display. Whether you are a botanist, amateur gardener or just a lover of flowers in general, you will want to visit these five most beautiful botanical gardens in the world.
1. BROOKLYN BOTANIC GARDEN, New York City, USA.
Established in 1910, the Brooklyn botanic garden is located in the heart of Brooklyn tucked in the Prospect Park neighborhood. This botanical garden sits on a twenty-one-hectare piece of land and is home to over two hundred cherry trees, inclusive of forty-two cultivated varieties and varied species. This beautiful garden showcases over 14,000 groups of plants and brings in nearly 900,000 visitors from across the world. The Brooklyn botanical garden’s specialty includes Shakespeare garden, cherry trees, water garden, Cranford rose garden, Japanese hill & pond garden, among others. This garden is open all days except for Mondays.
2. JARDIM BOTANICO, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
The Jardim Botanico was established in 1808 by King John VI of Portugal and is located at the foot of Corcovado Mountain, under the all-seeing eye of Christ the Redeemer statue. This garden sits on an impressive 140- hectares of land and is home to over six thousand species of flowers and plants. This botanical garden was initially intended to adapt species like cinnamon, nutmeg, and pepper from the West Indies before they were brought to Europe. Bird watchers love this garden as they can come to observe the rare white-necked hawk, which is difficult to spot in the open wilderness. The Jardim Botanico was officially opened to the public in 1822. It is one of the most important botanical research sites in Brazil.
3. SINGAPORE BOTANIC GARDEN, Singapore
Sometimes labeled the “City in a Garden”, the Singapore Botanical gardens sits on the edge of busy Orchard Road in Singapore and was opened in 1859. This botanical garden is currently the only tropical garden to be listed as a UNESCO world heritage site. The Singapore botanical garden sits on a 183-acre land. Orchid lovers consider this garden something of a Mecca because of its 20,000 different examples of the delicate flower scattered around the grounds. This fantastic botanical garden features an evolution garden, a rainforest, a children’s garden, a ginger garden and troops of wild monkeys. With 160-foot-tall trees, shimmering lakes, soaring tropical rainforest and a vast orchid garden organized in color zones, you are sure to have a wonderful time here.
4. DENVER BOTANIC GARDENS, Colorado, USA
The Denver Botanical gardens were established in 1951 and extend over a 23-acre land at the York Street in Colorado, United States of America. This botanical garden comprises of a conservatory and various theme gardens. There is also a sunken amphitheater for concerts during the summer. The Denver botanical garden houses North America’s most extensive collection of cold temperature plants from across the world and seven gardens with plants from the neighboring states of Colorado and Colorado itself. Denver botanical gardens offer legendary nature tours, research programs, education programs, innovative conservation and a ridiculous amount of gardening resources for you.
5. ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS, Sydney, Australia
The Royal botanical garden is the oldest scientific institution in Australia having been opened in 1816. This floral garden spreads over 74-acres and is situated on the edge of Sydney’s central business district and sits on a primary spot on Sydney Harbor. This floral gardens layout reflects modern trends of landscaping designs, and it is divided into four major zones. The four zones are; the Lower gardens, the Bennelong, the Middle gardens, and the Palace gardens. Entry to the Royal Botanical Gardens of Sydney Australia is free for all age groups around the globe – read here about top 10 botanical gardens.