Most beautiful gardens in the world

Taking a refreshing break in the great outdoors need not mean a journey to the ends of the earth. For centuries, mankind has sought to manage and improve on nature, and the fruits of these efforts can be seen both in the more practical agricultural landscapes of hedgerows and paddy fields, and in the parks and gardens created purely for leisure. Entire holidays are created around visits to gardens around the world, and it's one of the biggest growth areas in the holiday business (if you will excuse the pun). From Italianate villas to the grand manicured gardens of Versailles, from the rural idylls of middle England to the formal and symbolic creations of Japan—there are a huge variety around the world, each type reflecting the culture as well as the horticulture of their environments.

A visit to a park or garden makes for a good excursion on any holiday, and parks in particular are ideal places to entertain children. Many have adventure playgrounds just for them. For the garden enthusiast, local grand houses will often have gardens open to the public—many of which are overlooked by the passing tourist. You can also often buy plantings to take home—and these gardens provide a plenty of inspiration about how to improve your own garden. But for the dedicated gardener, nothing beats an organised garden tour, with a guide and a group of like—minded garden nuts. There are a number of excellent garden tour holiday companies that offer tours all over the world.