Spring is my favorite time of year. Confession: I live in Florida, so I don’t suffer the common winter blues as many northerners do. My world is green and blossomy year round.
Yet, there is something about spring that rejuvenates my soul and fills me with general glee. Spring also marks the annual observance of Earth Day on April 22, which began in 1970, the day the so-called “environmental movement” was born. Earth Day is always a welcome and noble ritual to remind us to protect our planet and discover its natural beauty.
For me, Earth Day is every day. I wander in my home garden observing the wonders of nature; fluttering butterflies, scampering lizards, or a black garden snake (I named him Stanley) resting wrapped inside a podacarpus. Then there are the glorious parks and botanical gardens I visit on a regular basis near my home, or on vacation in whatever region or country I visit.
So, in the spirit of “Earth Day is everyday,” here is a list of my favorite gardens and parks. Each is special and inspires wonder and excitement. In that respect, each deserves a number one ranking.
My Top 7 (Updated April 22, 2024)
Yellowstone National Park
Diversity is the first thing that pops into mind when I think of Yellowstone: Bubbling brown mud pots, rambling green meadows dotted with multi-colored wild flowers, geysers exploding skyward, and rumbling rainbow waterfalls. Even the simple beauty of a roadside weed makes me giddy. This is the place where buffalo roam freely, bear scamper, elk lope along, and countless other wildlife species call home. Yellowstone is a national treasure and a place people visit from around the world.
The Butchard Gardens
This must be the home address for Wonderland, that magical place in your mind where natural beauty overwhelms the senses. Butchard Gardens is an experience like no other. It’s 55 acres of breathtaking scenery on the island of Victoria in British Columbia, Canada. There are five themed areas, each designed to reflect a specific garden style or culture, such as Japanese, Italian, and Mediterranean, as well as sunken and rose gardens. I have no doubt you’ll remember the magnificent Butchard Gardens long after your first visit.
Point Reyes National Seashore
The stunning Northern California coastline of Point Reyes has the wild Pacific Ocean on one side and the serene Tomales Bay on the other. The peninsula’s ecosystem supports an abundance of flora and fauna, including a variety of marine life. Seasonal sea fog is also a rich source of moisture to sustain a natural rain forest.
Acadia National Park
Acadia is the East Coast sister park to Point Reyes in terms of a wild Atlantic Ocean and quiet interior bays, coves, and lakes. Mount Desert Island in Maine is the home of Acadia. Thuya Gardens is a gem of a place to visit. It’s called the garden on a hill. You can hike a meandering trail from the roadside parking area up to the garden. Stop along the way at several viewing spots to lookout to Northeast Harbor. If hiking is not your thing, you can drive your vehicle to the top and use the main parking area. The garden is spectacular!
Magnolia Plantation and Gardens
Spring is prime time for this southern garden on the outskirts of historic Charleston, South Carolina. Predicting the peak bloom of annual azaleas is a local obsession. When azaleas pop, they pop big here! Magnolia calls itself America’s last large-scale romantic garden. The garden is designed to give the visitor “a surprise around every corner” to create an emotional connection. You will fall in love with this place. Magnolia Plantation and Gardens is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Bok Tower Gardens
The vast flatlands of Florida give way to a majestic sight at one of this state’s highest points. Bok Tower sits on a hill in Central Florida overlooking gorgeous rural landscape and citrus groves. Surrounding the Tower below are massive meandering gardens. Bok Tower is a National Historic Landmark in Lake Wales. Wealthy industrialist Edward Bok founded the gardens in 1929 as a place of inspiration and conservation. The non-profit contributes to a national coalition to preserve and protect rare native plants, and also conducts rare plant rescues in sensitive or disturbed environments.
Zagreb Botanical Garden
This sprawling garden and park in the middle of the urban capital of Croatia has a wide array of plants and flowers. It’s a national treasure, established in 1889, and is open free to the public from spring until winter. Zagreb Botanical Garden is recognised primarily for its collection of wild plants indigenous to Croatia, most of which grow on phytogeographic vegetation beds, popularly known as rockeries.(Source).
My Honorable Mentions
Florida Botanical Gardens
This is a wonderful community investment by local government to elevate the quality of life. Located in Largo on the west coast of Florida, this wonderland of flowers, tropical, and native plants is a free to the public. Supported by Pinellas County taxpayers and community donations, the gardens provide a sanctuary for people to decompress and surround themselves in a peaceful setting. The themed garden areas rise to the level of commercial gardens which charge high admission fees. Definitely worth a visit. Parking is also free.
Sunken Gardens
One of America’s oldest roadside attractions is still going strong after opening almost 100 years ago. Sunken Gardens in St. Petersburg, Florida is 15 feet below street level in the middle of the city. It used to be a shallow lake that filled a sinkhole. Back in 1903 the owner of the four acre property drained the sinkhole and planted a sprawling garden in it, which contains some of the richest, fertile soil to grow fruits and plants from around the world.
Cape Cod National Seashore
This is an ecological wonder of protected plant and marine life, natural sand dunes and beaches. There is a wonderful bike trail that winds through the park so you can get close to nature.
Morikami Japanese Gardens
East meets West in a blended landscape of Japanese bonsai, Florida scrub brush, Asian bamboo, tropical Ixora and more. The Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens is in Boca Raton, Florida. Understated and unpretentious, the main welcome center has subtle earth tones with meditative Japanese music playing in the background. Once inside, the museum is off to the left and the gardens are straight ahead. Actually, there’s a series of gardens, each with a specific theme, feel and atmosphere.
I am sure my favorites list will expand as I discover and explore new and interesting places. Tell me about your favorite gardens and parks in the comments section.
Steve Geiger, The Mellow Wanderer
