Four (Not-So) Secret Gardens to Explore

Summer’s here, the sun is (sometimes) shining and nature is in full bloom. It’s the best time of the year to enjoy some of Europe’s prettiest outdoor spaces. We’ve picked a few of our favourites to add to your bucket list. Get ready for horti inspiration aplenty.

Forget Juliette’s balcony, the real romance in Verona takes place in this palazzo garden. Legend has it that should two lovers find one another in the resident labyrinth, they’re destined to be together. The gardens are spread across different levels and include French-style parterre, a beautiful woodland and statues of mythological figures. Look out for a secret staircase that takes you to the garden’s highest point, which has great views of Verona. €12, giardinogiusti.com

Things are about to get prickly. In southern Barcelona, between the mountains and the sea, architect Joaquim Maria Casamor and succulent expert Joan Panella created six hectares of gardens dedicated to cacti. Thanks to the mountainous area’s micro-climate, which is 2°C warmer than the city, the desert and sub-desert plants have a great life. If your eyes need a break from taking in 800 cacti, the park also has panoramic views of the Barcelona coastline to admire. Free, barcelona.cat

Fans of quintessential English country gardens, this one’s for you. Nestled on the edge of Dartmoor National Park, The Garden House was a labour of love for the Fortescue family for more than 40 years. There are 6,000 plants spread over 10 acres, with the space divided into mini gardens. If you’re visiting in Summer, make a beeline for the Walled Garden, which is in full bloom at this time of year. From £15, thegardenhouse.org.uk

Climate-conscious gardening is the name of the game at Hermannshof, a ‘display and trail’ garden just outside of Weinheim in the Rhine Valley. If you know your horti stuff, the gardens’ thoughtful planting schemes and ecological approach will impress. As for those who are just in it for the pretty flowers, there’s plenty of those too. In fact, the abundance of bulbs growing beneath the garden’s ancient trees give the impression of a vast wildflower meadow, though this considered planting is anything but. Free, sichtungsgarten-hermannshof.de