PLOT A course
AROUND THE WORLD IN EIGHT GARDENS!
I’m not very good at maths or geography but even I managed to figure out that, realistically, I could only visit four overseas gardens a year.
Doing it this way requires 25 years to get around the top 100. Since I only have a two-year attention span for anything – jobs, houses, cars − my garden sojourn isn’t looking good. Even if I lived long enough, my interest would not.
So, eight gardens then. After a bit of research and cross referencing, here’s my must-see list.
NONG NOOCH TROPICAL BOTANICAL GARDEN, PATTAYA, THAILAND
Apart from the quirky name, which sounds like something out of a Dr Seuss book, the write-up about Nong Nooch contained what is for me the magic word − symmetry.
In 1954, Pisit and Nongnooch Tansacha bought 600 acres of land and planned to plant a fruit plantation. But they had a change of heart and created a tropical garden instead, which they opened to the public in 1980. The 500-acre botanical garden has plants from more than 670 native species, as well as a car museum, fishing pond and an elephant show.
And here’s the really good part – it has a symmetrical design with a kilometre-long walkway to take you past bonsai, cacti, ferns, palms and orchids.
JARDIN MAJORELLE AT MARRAKECH, MOROCCO
In contrast is Jardin Majorelle.
French painter Jacques Majorelle spent 40 years nurturing the 12-acre garden around his villa, so he obviously had a much longer attention span than I do. It’s well known for the vibrant, cobalt blue paint on its buildings, gates, pots and garden ornaments, as well as for the rare plants he collected on his travels.
Yves Saint Laurent bought the property with his partner in 1980 and his ashes were scattered there in 2008.
KEUKENHOF, LISSE, NETHERLANDS
Covering nearly 80 acres, Keukenhof is one of the largest flower gardens in the world. That’s a lot of bulbs − about seven million are planted each year for a spectacular spring blossom. There are also lots of
tulips, as you’d expect. Visit between March and May.
NEK CHAND ROCK GARDEN, INDIA
This garden is named for its founder, a government official who began it as a secret hobby in 1957. He created more than 2000 sculptures using stones and discarded junk that was left over from the 50-odd villages destroyed to build the city of Chandigarh. The garden has had more than 12 million visitors.
HELIGAN, CORNWALL, UK
This is another garden with a strange story.
Thirty-odd years ago its gardens were lost. It was only the chance discovery of a door in the ruins that led to the restoration of this once-great estate. In 1990, two descendants of the original owners found the small garden and decided to restore it. In addition to its impressive sculptures, Heligan has an Italian garden, an extensive jungle section and an alpine-inspired ravine.
BOMARZO, LAZIO, ITALY
I’ve been to Bomarzo before but it’s still on my bucket list because I want to understand what it’s all about. It’s caused more academic agonising probably than any other garden in the world.
It’s a woodland landscape of frightening creatures and structures, all made from rock in the late 16th century. It’s thought it may have been conceived as a party space by owner, Prince Orsini, who liked his guests to enjoy the weird and wonderful atmosphere created by the strange display.
LITHICA QUARRY OF S’HOSTAL, MENORCA, SPAIN
For centuries, this garden has provided the building blocks for the architecture on the island of Menorca.
Since the mine’s closure in 1994 there’s been a long-term plan to transform the mine into a dynamic space for environmental, artistic and cultural activities. Paths and gardens have been created here in a unique landscape, which has been repopulated with fruit trees and other indigenous plants.
Recent developments have been the creation of a large stone maze and a herb labyrinth in 2014, and the completion of paths within the Labyrinth of Orchards in 2018.
POISON GARDEN, EUREKA, CALIFORNIA
I’ll be leaving the this one until last just in case I accidentally poison myself and miss the rest of my trip.
Most people try to avoid cultivating plants that can kill them, but Amy Stewart’s garden has more than 35 dangerous species, including nightshade, hemlock, datura, opium poppy and castor bean. Gates at the front and back of the garden help keep children and pets from eating them.
There’s also a cement tombstone listing famous people who have been killed by such plants (not literally these ones), including Socrates (hemlock) and Abraham Lincoln’s mother Nancy Hanks (white snakeroot).
Know what documents are essential for your overseas holidays and when to prepare them. Also, what is travel insurance exactly and why do you need to take it out?
Tripping around!
Kevin Milne CONSUMER