Gardens are places that offer refuge and beauty, and some are so extraordinary that they deserve a journey around the world. But which gardens are really worthy of such a pilgrimage? To answer this question, a panel of international horticulture experts has selected the 25 most fascinating gardens in the world, taking into consideration design, history and cultural impact. From the historical ones such as the Sissinghurst garden in Englandto modern ones such as the suspended garden of the High Line in New Yorkthese gardens are examples of natural art and reflection on the landscape.
With a variety of styles, from formal and baroque compositions to natural and spontaneous, each garden tells a unique story and offers unparalleled visual and sensory experience. Let’s see together for the New York Times what are these extraordinary places, real green masterpieces, scattered all over the world.
The podium
Sissinghurst Castle Garden (Cranbrook, England)
The Sissinghurst Castle Garden is one of the most famous and fascinating gardens in England, set in the Kent landscape, near the town of Cranbrook. This enchanting place owes its existence to the passion and creative vision of the writer Vita Sackville-West and her husband, the diplomat Harold Nicolson, who in the 1930s transformed an ancient Elizabethan estate into a botanical paradise.
What makes Sissinghurst really special is its conception as a series of interconnected but distinct green “rooms”, each with its own character, theme and chromatic palette. This innovative approach combines the architectural structure dear to Harold with the romantic and abundant favorite lifestyle plantation. The most famous of these rooms is undoubtedly the “White Garden”, a monochromatic oasis of white flowers and silver foliage that has inspired gardeners all over the world.
Since 1967 Sissinghurst has been edited by the National Trust, which has opened the garden to the public by scrupulously preserving the original vision of its creators. Contemporary gardeners still follow the design principles and botanical choices established by life and Harold, keeping the spirit of the place alive. Every year, thousands of visitors from all over the world are attracted by the timeless beauty of this garden, recognized as one of the most successful examples of the English gardening style of the twentieth century.
To the purely aesthetic charm of Sissinghurst there is also the interest in the personal history of its creators. The unconventional relationship between life and Harold, who maintained a solid marriage despite both having numerous homosexual relationships, adds a further layer of complexity to the narration of the place, making it not only a landscape design masterpiece, but also a testimony of a union based on understanding, respect and shared passions.
Great Dixter House & Gardens (Northiam, England)
Great Dixter is an iconic English house and garden located in Northiam, the East Sussex. This jewel of the British heritage owes its fame to the legendary gardener and writer Christopher Lloyd, who was born there in 1921 and transformed it into one of the most influential and innovative gardens of the twentieth century.
The property includes a splendid medieval home of the fifteenth century, expanded by the architect Edwin LUTYENS in the early twentieth century. The surrounding garden, however, is what makes Great Dixter very special. Christopher Lloyd, inspired by his mother Daisy, created a bold and experimental approach to gardening, challenging the agreements with daring chromatic combinations and combinations of unexpected plants.
The beating heart of Great Dixter is Long Border, a lush mixed border that extends for tens of meters with spectacular blooms from spring to autumn. Other characteristic elements include the Sunken Garden, the suggestive Exotic Garden with its tropical plants, and traditional flowery meadows that turn into rugs of wild flowers.
After Lloyd’s death in 2006, his student Fergus Garrett continued to maintain and develop the garden following the master’s innovative spirit. Today Great Dixter, managed by a special foundation, is not only a pilgrimage destination for gardening enthusiasts, but also an educational center where new generations of gardeners can learn techniques and philosophies that challenge the conventional, perpetuating the creative legacy of Christopher Lloyd.riprovaclaude can make mistakes. Always check the answers carefully.
Garden of Ninfa (Cisterna di Latina, Italy)
The Garden of Ninfa, located at the foot of the Lepini Mountains in Lazio, is one of the most romantic and suggestive gardens in Italy. It rises on the ruins of the ancient medieval city of Nymph, abandoned in the fourteenth century and transformed into the garden by the Caetani family in the twentieth century, mainly thanks to the vision of Gelasio Caetani and his daughter -in -law Marguerite Chapin.
This extraordinary example of English garden in the Mediterranean environment stands out for its magical integration between nature and ruins. Crystalline streams derived from the Nymph River cross the park, creating a unique microclimate that promotes a very rich biodiversity. The ancient walls, towers and ruined churches are surrounded by lush vegetation where over 1300 species of plants stand out, including magnificent climbing roses, glycini, Japanese cherries and numerous exotic plants.
The enchanted atmosphere of the garden inspired poets and artists, including Virginia Woolf and Gabriele D’Annunzio. Today the Ninfa garden is managed by the Roffredo Caetani Foundation, which preserves its delicate balance between the conservation of historical ruins and natural development of vegetation. Open to the public in limited periods to protect its fragile ecosystem, it represents a perfect example of how human intervention can sometimes enrich nature, creating a landscape of extraordinary poetic beauty where history, art and botany merge harmoniously.
The Italian gardens of the ranking
Gamberaia villa
In nineteenth place we find Villa Gamberaia, located on the hills of Settignano near Florence, represents one of the most refined examples of Italian garden. Created in the seventeenth century and perfected in the following centuries, this villa is famous for its perfect proportions and the masterful use of contained spaces. The garden combines Italian formal elements with French influences, characterized by panoramic terraces, splendid parterre of water with games of reflections, geometric hedges of bosso and cypresses that frame a spectacular views of the Tuscan countryside and on Florence. The wise use of water, perspectives and natural topography creates an exceptional harmony that has inspired generations of landscape architects.
Villa d’Este
Villa d’Este in Tivoli is a masterpiece of the Italian Renaissance and UNESCO heritage that embodies the perfection of the Italian Baroque garden. Commissioned by Cardinal Ippolito d’Este in the 16th century and designed by Pirro Ligorio, this villa is universally recognized for its revolutionary hydraulic system that feeds hundreds of spectacular fountains. Visitors are fascinated by the Viale delle Cento Fontane, by the imposing body of the organ that produces music through hydraulic mechanisms, and by the monumental Fontana dei Draghi. Digradant terraces, artificial caves, nymphaeums and water games create a symbolic path that celebrates control of man on nature and classical mythology, representing the pinnacle of Renaissance ingenuity in the art of gardens.
Sacro Bosco di Bomarzo
The Sacred Bosco di Bomarzo, also known as “Park of Monsters”, is a unique creation in the panorama of Italian gardens. Commissioned in the 16th century by Prince Pier Francesco Orsini and designed by the architect Pirro Ligorio, this sacred wood represents an unconventional and mannerist vision of the Renaissance garden. Disseminated of colossal stone sculptures depicting mythological creatures, monsters, divinities and impossible architectures such as the famous pending house, the garden was conceived as an initiatory and meditative path. The enigmatic inscriptions that accompany the sculptures invite the visitor to reflect on life, death and human existence. Abandoned for centuries and rediscovered only in the 1950s, the Sacred Bosco continues to surprise with its dreamlike and disturbing atmosphere that has fascinated artists such as Salvador Dalí and directors such as Michelangelo Antonioni.
Villa Silvio Pellico-Vigna Barolo
Villa Silvio Pellico-Vigna Barolo, located on the hills of Moncalieri on the outskirts of Turin, is an elegant example of the Piedmontese garden of the nineteenth century. It takes its name from the famous writer Silvio Pellico who stayed there and by the family of the Marquises of Barolo who possessed it. The garden, designed by the architect Xavier Kurten, master of the romantic garden of the German school, expertly combines the English landscape style with the Italian formal tradition. It is characterized by sinuous avenues, naturalistic groves, panoramic terraces and a quality botanical collection with rare and exotic plants. Particularly suggestive are the panoramic points that offer breathtaking views of the Piedmontese plain, the Alps and the Turin hill. Its privileged position and refined design make it a garden of extraordinary elegance, less known than other Italian gardens but of great historical and landscape value.
The complete ranking
- Sissinghurst Castle Garden (Cranbrook, England)
- Great Dixter House & Gardens (Northiam, England)
- Garden of Ninfa (Cisterna di Latina, Italy)
- Jacques Wirtz (Schoten, Belgium)
- Saihoji KokeDera Temple and Moss Garden (Kyoto, Japan)
- Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne (Cranbourne, Australia)
- Royal Botanic Garden Sydney (Sydney, Australia)
- The High Line (New York City, USA)
- Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden (Newlands, Cape Town, South Africa)
- Miller House and Garden (Columbus, Indiana, USA)
- Prospect Cottage (Dunnesss, England)
- Sítio Roberto Burle Marx (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
- Katsura Imperial Villa (Kyoto, Japan)
- Classical Gardens of Suzhou (Suzhou, China)
- Rousham House & Gardens (Rousham, England)
- Little Sparta (Dunsyre, Scotland)
- Le Bois des Moutiers (Varengeville-sur-Mer, France)
- Les Jardins de Kerdalo (Trédarzec, France)
- Villa Gamberaia (Settignano, Italy)
- Les Jardins de Marqueyssac (Vézac, France)
- Villa d’Este (Tivoli, Italy)
- Sacro Bosco (Bomarzo, Italy)
- Château de vaux-le-vicomte (Mainy, France)
- Villa Silvio Pellico-Vigna Barolo (Moncalieri, Italy)
- Edward James Sculpture Garden, Las Pozas (Xilitla, Mexico)
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