Mainau Island in Lake Constanze, Germany

. garden island is open to public, entrance fee

. size: medium - big

. the island also offers a butterfly house, a greenhouse (palmhouse) and a collection of sequoia trees and dahlias

Giant sculptures made of flowers

Water cascades are probably the most breathtaking part of the garden.

The peaceful effect of combining white roses and blue plants

Ainolan puisto city park in Oulu, Finland

. city park, free entrance includes a greenhouse

. photos from September 2012

. impressive fountains located near the river delta in Hupisaaret park

. characteristic white bridges

. rose garden still in full blossom in September

Jardin des Plantes, Paris

.Size of the garden: medium

. Type of the garden: city park
. The entrance is free except for the entrance fee for the greenhouse.

. Photos were made in May 2013.

May is a perfect month to visit as the rose garden is in full blossom.
Imagine a poet walking through the rose vault!
Rainer Maria Rilke was one of those poets as his famous poem The Panther is subtitled In Jardin des Plantes because of a nearby zoo.
The rose garden is officially called Jardin de Roses et de Roches (The Rose and Rock garden). This part of the garden is not very old however, it is my favorite.
Don't forget to visit the other parts of the garden - especially an alpine garden and a big greenhouse are worth a visit. The alpine garden is a very old garden renewed in the 20th century. It contains a collection of alpine flowers from all over the world among which the pistachio tree is one of the oldest. Garden consists of 11 other different units from an ecological garden to an iris garden.

If you are visiting Paris you can also visit Jardin de Luxembourg and Bois de Vincennes. Giverny and Versailles are of course also not far away.

The Rose and Rock Garden

The Alpine garden

Giardino Bardini and Giardino Boboli in Florence

. size: large

. open to public, entrance fee, combined ticket for both gardens

. Photos from September 2015

Giardino Bardini - wisteria

Giardino Bardini - rose garden

Palazzo Pitti as seen from the Boboli Gardens. In the middle you can see an Egyptian obelisk. Boboli gardens are the biggest Medici garden. 

Both gardens have an excellent view on the city of Florence

A long cypress lane with sculptures at both sides

Isolotto, the island fountain with a statue of Oceanus. Under the main statue there are allegorical sculptures of Euphrates, Nile and Ganges.

Inverary Castle Garden, Scotland

. private, open to public

. entrance fee

. size: small - medium

Photos from July 2016

Silent the old town ...

The scent of flowers 

floating ...

And evening bell

Basho

Hercules Garden in Blair Castle, Scotland

Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh

Scone Palace Gardens, Perthshire, Scotland

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National Botanic Gardens of Ireland

. public, free entrance

. size: large

Photos from July 2016

The hum of bees is the voice of the garden. 

Elizabeth Lawrence

Tivoli Park, Ljubljana, Slovenia

Tivoli park in the city centre

. public
. free entrance
. size: large
. children and dogs are welcome

You may be also interested in other gardens in Slovenia, including Ljubljana Botanical Garden, Arboretum Volčji potok, Tal 2000, Mozirski Gaj, Alpinum Juliana Trenta and Gardens by Juta Krulc in Žiri village.

Arboretum Volčji Potok near Ljubljana, Slovenia

. open to visitors, entrance fee includes orchid and cactus greenhouse

. size: large

. best time to visit in late April - May

Beauty surrounds us, but usually we need to be walking in a garden to know it. 

Rumi

Rhododendron

Magnolia

Arboretum Volčji Potok hosts a tulip festival each year in April and May

Spring tulip festival

the French formal garden

Occasionally there is also an exhibition of butterflies in a butterfly house at Arboretum Volčji Potok 

Cactus skeleton