10 of the most famous gardens in the world!

We’re back this month with another feature in our series of destination eye candy – to remind us how beautiful this world is and to keep us hoping for normality! This time, we take a look at the most Instagrammed gardens in the world. (Singapore for the win!)

#1 Gardens By the Bay
Singapore

1.1 million Instagram photos

The most hash-tagged garden on the planet is right here in our backyard. Gardens By the Bay in Singapore has seen well over 50 million visitors since its creation. Spanning 250 acres, it consists of waterfront gardens, the iconic Supertrees, the largest glass greenhouse in the world and – until Jewel Changi Airport came along – the world’s largest indoor waterfall. Parents and kids also love the water-play and other fun features of the Far East Organization Children’s Garden.

#2 Majorelle Garden
Marrakech, Morocco

209,050 Instagram photos

The renowned cobalt blue of La Jardin Majorelle takes centre stage in this garden with a psychedelic desert design. French fashion designer Yves Saint Lauren was entranced by its beauty; he bought the site and lived there from 1980. The garden is Morocco’s most visited tourist attraction, pulling in 900,000 visitors in a normal year.

#3 Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden
Tokyo, Japan

140,142 Instagram photos

One of Tokyo’s largest and most popular parks, Shinjuku Gyoen turns a subtle shade of candy-floss pink as cherry blossoms envelop the landscape in spring. From late March to early April, more than 400 Somei Yoshino trees explode in a celebration of the beloved pink hue. The park dates back to 1603 and features a traditional Japanese landscape garden, a formal French garden and an English landscape garden.

#4 Gardens of Versailles
Versailles, France

96,575 Instagram photos

These exquisite gardens are situated west of the famous Palace of Versailles, which dates back to the time of Louis XIV. They feature a mosaic of meticulous lawns, sculptures and fountains – around 800 hectares in total. The colour palette is one of earthy sand tones from the pathways and buildings, combined with a variety of greens – from the deep shades of the trees to the lighter grass, topped off with the eucalyptus grey-green of the water in the middle.

#5 Keukenhof Gardens
Lisse, Netherlands

71,918 Instagram photos

Said to be “the most beautiful spring garden in the world”, Keukenhof is the world’s largest and most famous flower park, boasting more than seven million flowers in bloom between April and May, including tulips, hyacinths, daffodils, orchids, roses, carnations, irises and lilies. At that time, the garden is steeped in perfume and is a riot of colours, from punchy pinks to glorious greens, layered with yellows, blues and reds on top.

#6 New York Botanical Garden
New York, USA

48,983 Instagram photos

Located in Bronx Park, the New York Botanical Garden was established 130 years ago and is home to over a million living plants. The gardens feature 50 acres of old-growth woodlands, a wetland trail, an azalea garden and the internationally renowned Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden, home to more than 650 different varieties of roses.

#7 Monet’s Garden
Giverny, France

46,040 Instagram photos

Claude Monet’s iconic Japanese-inspired water garden sits beside his Giverny home that he bought in 1883. He didn’t like the organisation of constrained gardens, instead arranging flowers according to colour and letting them grow freely. Around half a million visitors each year soak up the views of the serene pond, mesmerising lilies and wisteria-covered bridge, which featured in approximately 250 oil paintings by the French impressionist.

#8 Kew Gardens
London, UK

38,448 Instagram photos

Kew Gardens in London has one of the most diverse botanical and mycological (think fungus!) collections in the world, so it’s no surprise that it’s among London’s top tourist attractions. The gardens even have their own police force to help protect the site, and the hundreds of thousands of plants that are on show

#9 Nong Nooch Tropical Botanical Garden
Pattaya City, Thailand

38,207 Instagram photos

Rich gold and lush green dominate this tropical Thai botanical garden. Stretching over 500 acres, the garden was originally purchased with the intention of developing the land as a fruit plantation. Thankfully, the owners decided to use the land to create a wildlife conservation project instead, and the garden opened to the public in 1980.

#10 Bodnant Gardens
Colwyn Bay, UK

18,225 Instagram photos

Covering some 80 acres of Welsh hillside, this garden and National Trust property consists of rose gardens, lily ponds and more; however, its most photographed section is arguably the Laburnum Arch. Over a century old, the arch seems ready-made for the perfect Instagram shot, with a sunshine-yellow sky overhead, and spots of pink and green peppering the sides.

Statistics are from May 2021 from roofingmegastore.co.uk/garden-colour-palettes.

This article first appeared in the August  2021 edition of Expat Living. You can purchase the latest issue or subscribe, so you never miss a copy!