Gardens have always been one of the many favourites of humankind. Civilisations came and disappeared, but love for gardens never dissipated. In ancient times, gardens were symbolic of the reign’s glory, and, in contemporary times, they are symbolic of happiness and infrastructural aesthetics.
The world features different kinds of gardens, and you must have read hundreds of articles on them. In this article, however, we will touch up those types of gardens which are known for their obscurity and a prevailing sense of secrecy.
We are going to talk about some really bewitching secret gardens in the world that make perfect destinations for finding awe and satisfying curiosity. So, without further ado, here are top seven secret gardens that you should definitely check out:
1. Great Maytham Hall, England
The United Kingdom is blessed with beautiful sprawling gardens that can flutter the hearts of the onlookers. One such notable mention would be Great Maytham Hall.
Great Maytham Hall serves as an inspiration for the famous British novel The Secret Garden and has been expressed as one of the most mystical gardens of all times. The fictional garden in the book based on Maytham is described as an amazing getaway that brought healing effect to nature—and we could not agree more.
The garden is a growing oasis with stoned parameters and is accessible only a few times in a year. So, if you are really planning to enjoy the true essence of natural beauty, you should not miss out Maytham Hall.
2. The High Line, New York
One of the most iconic gardens—the High Line—is designed on the top of an elevated, non-functional railway far from the usual urbanity. The garden was envisioned by the designer, Piet Oudolf, as an area of great sustainability, tranquillity and segregation from the urban monotony.
The whole idea of the garden was realised with the help of the growing plants near the abandoned train tracks. These plants were drought-resilient and native to the region, requiring less maintenance cost. With these plants, Oudolf raised a magnificent garden.
The garden is a model garden for cities such as London which is planning to implement the idea in the form a public garden stretching across the Thames river.
3. Pasona O2, Tokyo
Pasona O2 is a farm that has become a model garden for designers across the globe. The very idea of this project is apparent from the nature of the non-functional building where it resides: a disused bank vault which has been transformed into a working farm.
The farm generates sustenance in a city known for its poor food self-sufficiency. Moreover, it imparts education and training to youth in the agricultural industry.
This secretive garden lying beneath the expansive roads, sky-touching skyscrapers and heavy transportation is an uncanny but brilliant setting blessed with peace and harmony.
4. Garden of Cosmic Speculation, Scotland
If you are reading a list of secret gardens, you will always find the Garden of Cosmic Speculation as one of the entries.
Located in Scotland, this fancily-named garden is a quintessential example of pure beauty and bemusing mysteries. What is more amazing about this garden is that it employs scientific patterns and puzzles to accentuate its brilliance.
The garden is heavily inspired by cosmology and was created by Charles Jencks who desired to incorporate the laws of nature in his work. Of many attractions in the garden, there are DNA Garden of Senses, the Universe Cascade and the Six Senses of Greenhouse.
If you love cracking mysteries and uncovering hidden messages, then this garden is the place where you should be. But, you better plan a visit early, as the garden opens to the public for just a few hours per year—yeah, you read it right.
5. Las Pozas, Mexico
Las Pozas was designed by an English poet Edward James, who happened to be a surreal art patron. It is a garden which features sparkling natural waterfalls and pristine pools, as well as many surrealist sculptures.
The garden is located amid the sub-tropical rainforest found in the Mexican mountains, which is very difficult to access, and hence, the secretive quality it is imbued with.
Upon James’ death in the year 1984, the garden was left to be overpowered by the forces of nature. However, years after, the authorities transformed the uncultivated, wild garden into a well-pruned and managed garden.
6. The Lost Gardens of Heligan, England
The Lost Gardens of Heligan serves as an inspiration for many magical fables that marvelled us in our childhood. So, it is only natural to wonder that something as inexplicable as this exists in reality.
The Gardens are located in Cornwall, England, and it was only 400 years after their creation that they attracted the attention of the local authorities and were restored to their original glory.
The reason why the gardens are called so is the fact that only 200 acres out of 1000 acres are accessible to the public, and while you are traversing through the gardens, you will be struck by a strong sense of wonder.
The most famous attraction of the gardens is the group of many stone sculptures which includes the Mud Maid, the Giant’s Head and the Grey Lady, and each of them looks as if they are hiding a huge secret inside them.
7. The Ancient City of Sigiriya, Sri Lanka
One of the oldest examples of urban planning, the Ancient City of Sirgirya hosted some of the greatest and most magnificent gardens in the world.
The city’s gardens are characterised under three heads: the cave and boulder gardens, the water gardens and the terraced gardens. Each garden is an embodiment of breath-taking beauty and brilliant design and will satisfy you thoroughly.
