Whether you make a detour to visit these horticultural gems or book a stay, you’ll leave in bloom with floral inspiration …
Liss Ard Estate, West Cork
Home to the stunning Sky Garden, a giant earth-and-stone crater designed by landscape artist James Turrell, this garden and art installation offers guests a space for mindfulness, and connection with nature in complete silence. Elegant accommodation is in the Georgian-style mansion and Victorian Lake House where light-filled rooms overlook the garden with its towering Lebanese cedars and paths lined with cypress trees. Dining is another highlight – a farm-to-table experience featuring ingredients from the estate’s organic garden.
Cliveden House, England
Cliveden is just 40 minutes from London, so is an easy detour if visiting the city. This historic National Trust country house is set in 376 acres of Grade-I listed formal gardens. The 1st Earl of Orkney Lord George Hamilton bought Cliveden in 1696 and, together with landscape designer Charles Bridgeman, created much of what can be seen today: woodland paths, an amphitheatre in the cliffside and commissioned garden buildings from Venetian designer Giocomo Leone.
In 1942, Cliveden was given to the National Trust by the 2nd Viscount Astor. Visitors can enjoy the Parterre, Water Garden, Long Garden, Rose Garden, Walled Garden, Round Garden and Cliveden Maze, among many other special features. I recommend a wander before afternoon tea or one of its very special signature cocktails, made with gold leaf!
Gravitye Manor, West Sussex
Considered one of the most important historic gardens in England, Gravitye Manor’s were originally created in 1885 by visionary gardener and influential horticulturist William Robinson. Robinson is widely recognised as the pioneer of the concept of English flower gardens and wild gardens, and is the former owner of the estate. Head Gardener Tom Coward is responsible for the hotel’s 35 acres of grounds, which includes a vast walled vegetable garden that provides the restaurant with fresh fruit, vegetables and other products daily. The walled garden even featured in David Attenborough’s Planet Earth III. As a member of Relais & Châteaux, new chef Martin Carabott creates visual and culinary delights at its Michelin-starred restaurant, The Dining Room.
Grove of Narbeth, Wales
With an abundance of flourishing flowers, herbs and vegetables, Grove of Narberth’s Kitchen Garden is a thriving year-round feature, and a testament to the vision of the hotel’s gardener Mark Byast and executive chef Dought Balish. They work collaboratively and share the same passion for sustainability, which guests can sample on regular garden tours, lunch experiences and in the field-to-table menus. A stay here is very much about picking up gardening tips for home.
Villa Treville, Positano
This luxe oasis along the Amalfi Coast is the former home of Italian opera director Franco Zeffirelli, home to just 16 glamorous suites. Head chef Vincenzo Castaldo creates menus from the hotel’s organic farm produce and guests can pick their own produce, or wander through private gardens packed with vine-covered walkways and tropical plant varieties. There are plenty of serene seating nooks beneath the branches of native pine trees to appreciate the views of Positano.
Villa La Massa, Florence
This 16th-century architectural gem is surrounded by ten hectares of gardens filled with olive groves, cypress and lemon trees. It’s most known for its Iris Garden where a collection of rare yellow, white and blue varieties accented by cream-coloured peonies bloom. During Iris season (the symbol of Tuscany), the hotel offers private dining experiences or posh picnics that include a sprinkling of edible flowers. The villa is a member of Grandi Giardini Italiani, an association that gathers the most significant botanical treasures of Italy. Guests can enjoy exclusive access to spectacular private properties, including secret villas and gardens in Tuscany such as the gardens of Villa Gamberaia in Settignano and the gardens of Villa Marlia close to Lucca, which are usually closed to visitors.
Il Salviatino, Florence
This 15th-century, 39-room Florentine residence overlooks Il Duomo, but is a world away from the hustle and bustle of the Ponte Vecchio. The property’s beautiful gardens contain over 1,000 plant varieties bursting with flowers, tall cedar trees and a huge variety of herbs which are incorporated within the dishes served at its restaurant, Giacomo al Salvation. The Third Paradise sits below the Italian Gardens and features a remarkable living art piece by acclaimed artist Michelangelo Pistoletto.