gardens Archives

The Lincoln Park Conservatory in Chicago, Illinois.

Visiting the Lincoln Park Conservatory, Chicago: Practical guide for first-timers

The Lincoln Park Conservatory is a Victorian-era glasshouse at 2391 N. Stockton Drive, Chicago, displaying tropical plants across four historic display rooms. This guide covers opening hours, admission, transport and parking, accessibility, and other practical visitor tips. This guide was checked against the official Lincoln…

Lan Su Chinese Garden in Portland, Oregon.

Lan Su Chinese Garden, Portland: practical guide for first-time visitors

Lan Su Chinese Garden, in Portland's Old Town Chinatown, just marked its 25th anniversary in September 2025. This guide was updated in June 2026. Summer hours have also got shorter for 2026: the garden now closes at 5.30pm instead of 6.30pm. Adult admission has risen…

The Boboli Gardens in Florence, Tuscany.

Visiting the Boboli Gardens, Florence: practical guide for first-time visitors

The Boboli Gardens behind Palazzo Pitti in Florence, Italy, are one of the great Italian Renaissance gardens — 45 hectares of terraced garden, grottos, fountains, and statuary stretching from the Oltrarno to Porta Romana. This guide was updated in June 2026. Two things to note…

The Oxford Botanic Garden in Oxford, South-East England.

Visiting Oxford Botanic Garden, Oxford: practical guide for first-timers

Oxford Botanic Garden is the oldest botanic garden in the United Kingdom, established in 1621. It's on Rose Lane beside the River Cherwell in central Oxford, managed by the University of Oxford. It holds over 5,000 different plant species across a walled garden, glasshouses, and…

El Drago in Icod de los Vinos, Tenerife.

Parque del Drago, Icod de los Vinos, Tenerife: practical guide for first-time visitors

Parque del Drago in Icod de los Vinos is a three-hectare botanical park centred on the Drago Milenario — the oldest and largest dragon tree (Dracaena draco) in the Canary Islands. The tree is officially dated at around 800 years old, though it is widely…

Phipps Conservatory in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, Pittsburgh: Top tips, prices, hours & parking

Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens is a botanical garden and glasshouse complex in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This guide covers opening hours, ticket prices, parking, public transport, accessibility, and practical visitor tips. Last updated: June 2026. Note for visitors using older guides: the current adult admission price…

Visiting RHS Garden Hyde Hall, Essex: practical guide for first-time visitors

RHS Garden Hyde Hall is the Royal Horticultural Society's flagship garden in Essex, sitting on an exposed hilltop near Chelmsford with wide skies and far-reaching views that are entirely different in character from the other four RHS gardens. This guide was updated in June 2026.…

Visiting Kew Gardens, Richmond: Entry fees, hours, parking and top tips

Kew Gardens — officially the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew — is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Richmond, south-west London, holding the largest and most diverse botanical and mycological collections in the world across 320 acres. This guide was updated in June 2026. Two things…

The ruins of St Mary's Abbey in York Museum Gardens.

Visiting York Museum Gardens, York: practical guide for first-timers

York Museum Gardens are a 10-acre public botanical garden in the centre of York, managed by York Museums Trust and situated on Museum Street beside the River Ouse. This guide covers opening hours, entry costs, what to see, transport and parking, accessibility, and practical tips…

RHS Bridgewater: A Victorian estate demolished in 1943, now one of the North’s most visited gardens

In 1840, the 1st Earl of Ellesmere built Worsley New Hall — a Gothic Revival mansion on a 154-acre estate beside the Bridgewater Canal in Salford. Queen Victoria visited twice. King Edward VII reviewed troops here in 1909. Then came the 20th century: the house…