Boboli Gardens

The Boboli gardens are formal 16th century gardens located in Florence, Italy.  They are built on the slopes of Boboli Hill, behind the Pitti Palace, home of the famous Medici family in 1550.

The gardens feature a lot of statues, fountains, and even an amphitheater.  Visitors can walk along white pebbled paths, admiring the cypress trees and statues.  The gardens provide a quiet respite from the hustle and bustle of the busy city of Florence.
  
The Boboli Gardens are open daily from 9 AM until one hour before sunset.  Admission is 3 euros.                                         

Schoenbrunn Palace Gardens

The gardens at Schoenbrunn Palace, located in Vienna, Austria, were opened to the public around 1779.  The Schoenbrunn Palace was the former summer residence of the famous Hapsburg family.

The palace gardens are essentially baroque in style.  There are several interesting structures located throughout the gardens: The steel Palm House and the  Neptune Fountain are a couple. The latter,  with its groups of Greek - Roman statues, is a picturesque focal point.  There's also a zoo - the first in the world.

    Two other gardens, not to miss, are the dry landscape Japanese garden, and the tea garden, both presents of goodwill from Japan to Austria.


The Palace gardens are free.  They are open year-round from 6:30 AM to dusk.  There is a charge to visit the Labrinth Garden and Palm House.  Admission is 3.30 euros.

Giverney Water Garden

If you ever have the chance to be in Giverney, France, be sure to visit the famous gardens of artist, Claude Monet.  They are absolutely beautiful! 

Monet moved to Giverney in 1883.  He began several gardens on his property, surrounding his home.   In 1893, Monet bought a piece of land next to his property.  He dug the first pond on that land. This pond became the famous Japanese water garden.  Later, it was enlarged to its present size.

The famous Japanese bridge is made of beech wood, and is covered with wisterias.  There are other bridges in the garden as well.  Weeping willows give a very restful feeling and gorgeous nympheas bloom all summer long. It is no wonder that Monet used this garden as the subject of his paintings!

The gardens are open from April 1 - November 1, from 9:30 AM to 6:00 PM.  Tickets are 8 euros.

US Botanical Gardens

If you ever visit Washington DC, you should stop by and visit the US Botanical Gardens. It's a short walk from the White House.

Started in 1850, the United States Botanical Gardens is one of the oldest botanic gardens in North America.  It houses about 26, 000 plants, including medicinal plants, orchids, and cacti.

The Conservatory, built in 1933, houses a jungle, desert, and primeval paradise.


Outdoors, the National Garden features a variety of mid-Atlantic plants.


The gardens are open 10-5 daily, including weekends and holidays.  Admission is free.