Exotic gardens to visit overseas

By Joanna Fortnam Published: 1:00PM GMT twenty-eight February 2010

Leucospermum Reflexum, Kirstenbosch, South Africa Photo: MARTIN POPE

SOUTH AFRICA

The Victorian plant collector"s paradise, majority plants we take for postulated in the gardens, such as red prohibited pokers, schizostylis and gladiolus, originated from South Africa.

South Africa"s Kirstenboch Botanic Garden in cinema Loire Valley open gardens Chic grassed area escapes in the Loire Valley in France All the fun of the plant satisfactory 10 majority appropriate play ground walks in Britain A decade of gardening: behind to inlet

Today the Garden Route, a densely murky area in Western Cape province, is still a magnet for plant lovers.

Although a little in isolation gardens are open to visitors, it"s the local flora that you come here to see.

Vast stretches of fynbos (natural shrubland), typically done up of proteas, ericas and restios and countless tuber species, are a honeypot for gardeners meddlesome in naturalistic planting.

Must see: Explore the 9 inhabitant botanic gardens that have up the South African National Biodiversity Institute.

The 4 nearest to Cape Town are the Harold Porter (important for irises, daisies and orchids), Karoo Desert (best in spring), Hantam (spectacular for bulbs), and world-famous Kirstenbosch.

BALI

This small Indonesian island has prolonged been a oppulance destination, alive with with boutique hotels. Gardeners seeking for a bit of escapism will love it too.

Thanks to the fruitful dirt and the normal idea that the island is a "garden of the gods" since to the locals to tend, botanical and horticultural seductiveness is everywhere.

The steep-sided valleys are sculpted in to rice fields, fringed with local jungle and punctuated with palaces and H2O temples.

Flowers grow everywhere and are used every day for emblem and ritual. If your pockets are deep, the oppulance resorts have invested millions in lush, erotic landscape gardens that come close to being some-more charming than the genuine thing.

Must see: Tirta Gangga Royal Water Garden and Ubud Water Palace. Outstanding hotels include: Kirana Spa, written by landscape designer Bill Bensley; and the Bali Hyatt at Sanur, landscape by Made Wijaya.

MARRAKESH

Moroccan gardens, where Islamic architectural balance contrasts with sensuous planting and relaxed, rhetorical vital spaces, are a winning template for city gardens.

The Marrakesh riads (traditional houses or palaces with an interior garden) are a masterclass in the art of insinuate gardens; and a week end mangle in one of these small hotels puts you in the centre of the old town.

For a doctrine in colour and drought-loving planting don"t miss the Jardin Majorelle with the cobalt blue walls.

Must see: Jardin Majorelle, Marrakesh; La Mamounia, the mythological road house where Churchill embellished in the oasis garden; the 12th-century Menara gardens to the west of the city.

Book a riad stay by www.riads.co.uk

ROME

Many people think of Italy as the cradle of all great grassed area design; they"ve been a outrageous change on a little of the majority important "English" gardens, and visited as a event by tip grassed area designers.

The majority eminent examples are clustered around cities: Rome, Florence, Venice or Naples.

Typically, the Italian grassed area is not remarkable for a outrageous range of plants or colour, but is pared down to the simplest elements - clipped immature foliage, water, stone, topography and light - orchestrated in the majority melodramatic and fantastic way.

Must see: Villa d"Este, Villa Lante and Bomarzo are all inside of a day outing of Rome.

For some-more report on particular gardens, opening hours etc, see www.gardenvisit.com.