‘I’ve never seen lily pads so big’: readers’ favourite gardens in Europe

Island oasis, Ischia, Italy

La Mortella is an extraordinary garden we visited on the island of Ischia in the Bay of Naples. It is a wonderland of exotic plants, created in 1958 by Argentinian Susana Walton. Unbelievably sumptuous were the hanging orchids, and the experience was full of other delights such as the biggest lily pads I have ever seen. We were guided by the receptionist (with a talking parrot) to the cafe, where we enjoyed fantastic food and then a concert featuring music written by Susana’s husband, Sir William. The gardens are open from 30 March to 3 November (entry €12) on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. Our memory is of music, food and glorious surroundings.
David Innes-Wilkin

Bloom with a view, Ravello, Italy

Sitting majestically above the Amalfi coast, south of Naples, are the Villa Cimbrone Gardens. The location’s splendour has been celebrated since at least the 11th century, and the gardens are swarming with roses and hydrangeas – creating a captivating fragrance. You can easily immerse yourself for a few hours and the €10 entry fee is more than reasonable. The backdrop of the sea far below combined with the gardens creates the perfect photo opportunity, which is why the villa, now a luxury hotel, is a much sought-after wedding venue.
Jillian Addison

A perennial favourite near Munich

The Sichtungsgarten Weihenstephan is a beautiful, peaceful garden in Freising (north of Munich) that also serves as an educational resource for horticulturalists and designers. The gardens, begun in 1947 by horticultural scientist Richard Hansen, are maintained by the university, and trial beds demonstrate exemplar plant combinations, particularly with perennials (there are 4,000 varieties here). Varieties are monitored for their resistance to climate change, diseases and pests. Collections include magnificent peonies, hydrangeas, asters, hazel, rock garden plants and more. It is a must-see garden: I wish there were more like this in the UK. Free entry.
Sarah Collings

Where I found peace in Paris

I visited Parc de Bagatelle – one of Paris’s four botanical gardens – in the centre of the Bois de Boulogne last May, and it was so beautiful. There is a chateau, a rose garden with 10,000 rose plants and a glorious pond with water lilies. The location is not really tourist-heavy so you can spend a peaceful and relaxing few hours there. As well as a 19th-century Chinese pagoda there are caves, artificial waterfalls and ponds, as well as an elegant restaurant. The park and its chateau were created in just over two months in 1775 after a wager between Queen Marie Antoinette and her brother in-law, Charles, Count of Artois.
Katy Burns

Spring flowers and sea views, Sweden

The garden of Sofiero castle in Helsingborg was planned by Margaret of Connaught, crown princess of Sweden and granddaughter of Queen Victoria. In the early years of the 20th century she used her knowledge of plants and experience of English parks (she was born at Bagshot Park, Surrey) to help create a stunning garden more or less on a slope to the coast, where the mountains of rhododendrons draw a crowd in the spring. Today many events are organised to promote interest in gardening: tulip days in April-May and garden days with lectures and exhibitions in August, when the dahlia area is particularly colourful. From the coast you can wave at Hamlet’s castle in Denmark.
Asa

On the tiles, Cádiz, Spain

The small park – called the Walk of Carlos III – beside the promenade at Cádiz is filled with palm trees and formal beds. The scent of orange trees fills the air. A splendid fountain edged with traditional blue-and-white designs is central to a geometric design that has black-and-white tiled walkways flowing off to courtyards. Neat hedges frame flower beds full of bird of paradise flowers and topiary. The purple flowers of the jacaranda trees tumble down alongside trees laden with oranges. Meandering roots of a banyan tree escape across a courtyard. The sound of waves against the sea wall and the squawks of green parakeets can be heard across the free park.
Wendy Mahe

Moorish bathhouse blooms in Palma, Mallorca

A post-lunch meander through the back streets of Palma saw us stumble upon 10th-century Arab baths (Banys Àrabs). A narrow, shaded entry led unexpectedly to a beautiful lush walled garden dotted with geraniums and ferns overflowing their terracotta pots, huge palms providing much-needed shade, and flowers blooming from the many nooks and crannies decorating the space. Porticos and other remains of the Moorish bath house sit intertwined with the greenery, as they have since the 10th century. Take a seat, take a breath and take in the view. A real treat.
Susie

Festival of gardens, Loire Valley, France

The annual Festival of Gardens at the Chateau Chaumont (entry €15) in the Loire Valley will make the centrepiece of a great garden holiday. The theme this year is Jardin Source de Vie, emphasising the importance of insects to the lives of gardens, and all of us. Running from April to October, the festival is always quirky, original and enjoyable. There are lots of gardens to visit nearby. Formal chateau gardens such as Villandry; the more informal, picturesque Prieurié St Cosme, home of 16th-century poet Ronsard; the chateau of Amboise, with installations inspired by Leonardo de Vinci, who lived his final years at nearby Clos Lucé; and the privately owned Jardin de Sasnières in its small valley fed by springs and waterfalls. I’d recommend staying in Blois at the 16th-century inn the Hotel Cote Loire.
Steve

Buddhas among the buds, Portugal

Around an hour north of Lisbon, near Bombarral, is one of the largest oriental gardens in Europe, at 35 hectares. Bacalhôa Buddha Eden is beyond anything that you would imagine in this quiet area of the Silver Coast. There are formal gardens, statues and artworks crossing effortlessly from one culture to another. Golden buddhas, pagodas, lakes and an African garden with sculptures dedicated to the Shona people are among the highlights. Entry is €6.
Lynn Walker

Winning tip: Cacti and coastal views, Costa Brava, Spain

In the beach town of Blanes, high up on the cliffs but within walking distance from the town, you will find the beautiful Marimurtra Jardi Botanic (entry €8). Marimurtra, created in 1924, was the work of Carl Faust, a humanist German businessman with a passion for Catalonia and nature. There is a statue in the town on the promenade of him looking up to his beloved gardens. Filled with glorious plants, bamboo, cacti and otherworldly looking air plants clinging to the trees, the gardens have views across the Costa. Look out over the sea and see the Catalan flags bravely standing on the rugged peaks. Stop here at the little cafe for a glass of cava and buy some mel de flors from the gift shop. Walk further on to Cala de Sant Francesc for a swim and the start of the coastal walk Camí de Ronda, or back to Blanes for tapas.
Laura Carr

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