Touring The World's Gardens -- From Home

Just when quarantining was starting to get to me, I discovered a way to travel the world from the safety of my favorite chair  -- I found a treasure trove of virtual tours. With a few clicks of my mouse, I joined a Smithsonian tour of Egyptian Heritage Sites, rode an elevator to the top of the Eiffel Tower and came face-to-face with the wildlife of Antarctica. Best of all though, were the breathtaking botanical gardens I meandered through.  If you’re ready for a break from the humdrum pace of everyday life, then join me as we stroll through ten of the world’s best.  We’ll explore five of my favorites this week and five more next week. I hope you’ll join us for all ten. 

Singapore Botanic Gardens and National Orchid Garden

Established over 150 years ago as a small botanic and experimental garden, the Singapore Botanic Gardens has become a world-renowned horticultural and botanical research center as well as a popular place for citizens and tourists alike a place to immerse themselves in nature while in the middle of a bustling international city. The 60 acre gardens features over 10,000 different species of plants, several museums with interactive and multimedia exhibits, a children’s garden, jogging trails, symphony concerts, and the largest collection of orchids in the world.  Named as UNESCO World Heritage Site on July 4, 2015, this garden is at the top of my list!

Visit here at:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsnDWq118GE

Keukenhof 

Breathtaking is the only adjective that sums up the springtime displays of tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and a myriad of other spring bloomers at Keukenhof Gardens. Typically open from March until May, the 79 acre park is considered one of the largest spring gardens in the world. Every year, over 7 million bulbs are planted throughout 7 themed gardens. Visual art installations by 25 local artists complement the blooms and a leisurely boat ride offers a unique way to soak up the displays. Truly a family place, the garden offers a petting zoo, scavenger hunts, playgrounds, mazes and educational activities geared to children. If you yearn for spring, this is your garden!

Visit here at:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iomUN9o4r0

Dubai Miracle Garden

If summer is more your season, then Dubai’s Miracle Garden could be your first choice of gardens to visit. From mid-November to Mid-may, this 72,000 square mile garden rising out of the surrounding desert landscape, becomes home to 150 million blooming flowers arranged in beds, borders, rooftops and whimsical topiaries. While not your traditional botanical garden, a fun stop in an unlikely place.

Visit here at  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owaMeF-fvAM

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Perhaps the true Queen of botanical gardens, the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew and the woodlands at Wakehurst  offer an unparalleled look at the rich diversity of the earth's plant world. The gardens hold the largest collection of living plants, in excess of 50.00 plants from more than 30,000 different species. For example, over 2,000 species of trees, some dating back to the 1700s, grace the 300 acre grounds.  Gentle walking paths surround a five acre lake connected by underground channels to the Thames River,  while on the opposite end of the garden, sandstone peaks and crashing waterfalls recreate the feel of a mountainous landscape. Perhaps the most complex conservatory on the grounds, The Princess of Wales Conservatory houses ten different climate zones under one roof.  With so much to see, one tour is simply not enough.

Visit here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioG_Vfh0Kxw

And here at  https://www.kew.org/about-us/virtual-kew-wakehurst

Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden

Tropical paradise doesn't begin to describe the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden.  Purchased as a private estate, Dan Lutkenhouse soon realized that by turning his 17 acres into a botanical garden, he could preserve the outstanding beauty of the natural environment forever. After 11 years of backbreaking labor, the garden officially opened to the public in 1984. Since then, the garden has become home to over 2500 tropical and subtropical plants, some of which are now extinct in the wild. The garden also acts as a seed bank, helping to preserve endangered plant species.  The park  has over a mile of trails to explore as well as breath-taking views of the ocean.

Visit here at  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDP3KDoQvZY

And here at  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtZ0dcUzGX8