20 Best Gardens in the World

For the very best garden inspiration, look no further. We have compiled some of the world’s best gardens including Giverny (Monet’s inspiration), Capability Brown’s Stowe and Luciano Giubbilei’s green-fingered designs.

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The Best Gardens in the World

Capability Brown

During the 18th century, the gardens surrounding English stately homes were often formal in their design and reflected the highly elaborate French style known as ‘jardin à la français’ that had long dominated European garden design. Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown would become the final and most illustrious of a small group of landscape architects that introduced and pioneered the English garden. Brown’s work highlighted the beauty of a more naturalistic garden, implementing smooth undulating grass, clumps and scatters of trees, and even man-made lakes designed to look entirely indigenous. He leaves behind a legacy that continues to define the meaning of an ‘English country garden’ right up to the present day.

Stowe

Stowe was Capability Brown’s first major commission, and today is one of the most magnificent landscape gardens in England. He rose to prominence here as Head Gardener by the age of 26 and lived in the area for ten years with his wife. Now managed by the National Trust, Stowe features winding paths, lakes, and temples.

Giverny

Giverny garden became Monet’s life’s masterpiece. It inspired his love of colour, botany, painting and his wife Alice. He fell in love with it when spotting it from a train window and immediately rented a property there until he could afford to buy it, and spent the rest of his life tending to its gardens and using it as one of his main subjects. It doesn’t get much more inspiring than taking a turn around the father of impressionism’s main muse.

Luciano Giubbilei

For years, Luciano Giubbilei avoided flowers in his garden designs but, over time, he came to love and understand their transient nature. His floral gardens have won awards at RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

Scroll through our edit of the best gardens in the world for some serious garden inspiration.

The Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Gardens, Cornwall

Image: Phill Lister, Flickr 2015

Gardens at Hever Castle, Kent

Image: Yanny Mishchuk, Unsplash

Visit the stunning grounds at Villa d’Este, Lake Como

Morocco Garden by Lucinano Giubbilei

Image: Steven Wooster

Eltham Palace and Gardens, Greenwich

Nong Nooch Tropical Garden, Thailand

Trentham Gardens, Stoke-on-Trent, designed by Capability Brown

Corsica Street, Islington

Lodi Garden, Delhi

Sissinghurst Castle Garden, Kent

Park Güell, Barcelona

This is, of course, an obvious one, but if you can stand the selfie sticks and the murmurings of several marriage proposals, it’s absolutely worth the visit.

Garden of Ninfa, Italy – officially dubbed ‘the most romantic garden in the world’

Giverny, France – the garden that inspired Monet’s impressionist works of art.

Hanging Gardens of Babylon

The catch with this one is that it hasn’t yet been found. It’s the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World whose location hasn’t yet been officially established.

Metropolitan Museum of Art Roof Garden, New York

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Koishikawa Korakuen Garden, Tokyo

Château de Villandry, France

The Parkland at Stowe, featuring the Oxford Bridge designed by Capability Brown

Villa d’Este, Italy