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Sunday, September 10, 2017

My Top Topiary and Butterfly Garden Choices Worldwide

My Top Garden Choices
If I had to choose an outdoor Botanical Gardens for perfect photos to look at on line, it would be

1 Montreal Botanical Gardens
Picture from Instagram.

2 Singapore's Garden By The Bay - Paid Entry
If I had to recommend a garden to visit, it would be Singapore's Gardens by the Bay. See both giant glass pavilions if you have time and money. One contains a multi storey waterfall. You can spend a day. Travel there. Queue (line up) to collect tickets (although you have ordered them online, you have a printed document which you then exchange for tickets and any extras, upgrades, changes. See one of the pavilions, like giant multi level greenhouses with garden from several contents with exhibitions and fountains and photo corners, palm trees and more. It's like Disney land with plants.

Then go for lunch at one of the eating areas - you may go from one to another, or walk all around checking the various restaurants and stalls. Then go back to the waterfall tropical pavilion.

Finally, finish with a walk around the outside gardens at twilight to get more photos of sunsets on palm trees and sculptures and passing boats and look at landmarks through binoculars and pose for more selfies.

3 Singapore's Bayside Walk
If you are short of either time or money, walk around Singapore's the gardens outside which are free. You find several sections for different countries. Each area has plants, bushes and trees, sculptures, photos of the past, illustrations of myths, with lots of plaques on the trees and great photos too.

4 Free Butterfly Garden, Changi Airport

For butterflies, see the free Butterfly Garden in Changi Airport. You need a long stopover or plenty of time before your flight, because you need to be in the right terminal and able to find it, time to walk the figure of eight route on two floors, find your family, and then get back to your flight. (See my previous post on the Butterfly garden at Changi.)

5 For Flower displays:
Story
Memories of Las Vegas, Bellagio Hotel. The year I was there they had dancing fountains in the lake outside hourly. Apparently it is better to see them at night. (Check timings before you visit.) Different exhibitions every year.  The entrance hall and ground floor restaurant area had art as the theme and reproductions of famous paintings were created from flowers. (Alas the hotel had a fire after I was there. I'm sure it will be recreated as good as ever.)

You may find that certain displays are within restaurant areas which need a booking. Some restaurants are expensive but we found a cafe. But since you are probably going to spend at least half an hour wandering around looking at the displays, it's pretty easy to find a cafe or restaurant where you would like to eat and drink and make a booking.

Fully booked? I dart down the corridor and confer with the family.

6 Topiary Gardens Levens Hall
On my wish list.
Cumbria, England.

Others:

(Ladew Topiary Gardens, Maryland, USA, near Monkton, has racing trees and hedges cut into geometric shapes, a herd of dogs running across a lawn, swans and more)

More Information from:
CANADA

FRANCE
Marqueyssac, Perigord, France
(Topiary or Hills/Flocks of sheep on hillside above river)

SINGAPORE
(See Flower Dome; Botanic Gardens; Night Safari.)

UK
Cliveden (Topiary peacocks, pyramids and corkscrews)

http://www.bigbutterflycount.org (UK butterfly count)
http://butterfly-conservation.org (Fun things for children and adults.)


Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. Please share your favourite posts.

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