Emerald Lake

Emerald Lake Park is a popular 52-hectare scenic destination located in the town of Emerald, nestled within the beautiful Dandenong Ranges of Victoria, Australia. Situated roughly 44 kilometers southeast of Melbourne's Central Business District, it offers a diverse mix of native bushland, ornamental exotic gardens, and family-friendly recreation activities. Australia’s premier preserved steam train Puffing Billy stops in Emerald Lake Park at Lakeside Station, as part of its journey through the stunning Dandenong Ranges.

Thank you Marnie!
Date: June 25

The Old Mill

North Little Rock's Old Mill provides a most intimate and natural setting for many weddings, portraits and other special occasions. Perhaps it is most well remembered for its appearance in opening scenes of the film classic 'Gone with the wind'.

 Located in T.R. Pugh Memorial Park, the site operates as a peaceful, free public park. It features lush gardens, a turning water wheel, and winding walking paths frequented by ducks and turtles.

RR: Monthly favourite surprise RR - June 2026
Date: June 16

Paronella Park

Paronella Park is a multi-award-winning, heritage-listed tourist attraction located at Mena Creek, Queensland, Australia, roughly 120 kilometers south of Cairns. Nestled within 13 acres of lush tropical rainforest, the park features a crumbling Spanish-inspired castle, secret tunnels, moss-covered bridges, and a spectacular waterfall.

Thank you Marnie!
Date: May 4

Palacio de Cristal

The Palacio de Cristal is a 19th-century conservatory located in the Buen Retiro Park in Madrid. It is currently used for art exhibitions. The Palacio de Cristal, in the shape of a Greek cross, is made almost entirely of glass set in an iron framework on a brick base, which is decorated with ceramics. Its cupola makes the structure over 22 metres high.

Thank you Beatriz!
Date: Feb 23

Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal

In the 18th century a designed landscape of exceptional beauty was created around the ruins of the Cistercian Fountains Abbey, in Yorkshire. The spectacular ruins of the 12th century abbey and water mill, the Jacobean mansion of Fountains Hall, the Victorian masterpiece St Mary’s Church and one of the most magnificent Georgian water gardens ever created, make this a landscape of outstanding merit .The landscape garden is an outstanding example of the development of the English garden style throughout the 18th century, which influenced the rest of Europe. The garden contains canals, ponds, cascades, lawns and hedges, with elegant garden buildings, gateways and statues. 

Unesco: Studley Royal Park including the Ruins of Fountains Abbey
Tag: Unesco offer tag
Date: Jan 18

Gardens by the bay

Singapore's 101 hectares Gardens by the Bay comprises three waterfront gardens in Marina Bay. The flagship garden, Bay South, at 54 hectares covers the size of 90 football fields and presents the plant kingdom in new light.

Thank you Marnie!
Date: Dec 6

Forsyth Park

During azalea time, Savannah is transformed into a sea of color and thousands upon thousands of plants burst into full bloom. This scene shows the Forsyth Park fountain which was modeled after the one in Place de la Concord, Paris, France.

Forsyth Park is a large city park that occupies 30 acres ) in the historic district of Savannah, Georgia. It contains walking paths, a children's play area, a Fragrant Garden for the blind, a large fountain, tennis courts, basketball courts, areas for soccer and Frisbee, and home field for Savannah Shamrocks Rugby Club. From time to time, there are concerts held at Forsyth to the benefit of the public.

RR: Australia & New Zealand x world RR
Date: Nov 18

Gardens by the Bay

Set in the heart of Singapore’s downtown, Gardens by the Bay is home to a diverse collection of over 1.5 million plants that hail from every continent except Antarctica.

Thank you Mildred!
Date: Oct 17

Lake Eola Park

Lake Eola Park is a public park located in Downtown Orlando, Florida. Lake Eola is the main feature of the park. Also located in the park is the Walt Disney Amphitheater, which hosts many community events and various performances year round. The lake is 1,369 m in circumference and 9.3 ha large. A 1.4 km multi-use sidewalk surrounds the water. The lake is actually a sinkhole and is famous for its fountain which changes colors at night like a light show.

Tag: Single viewcard tag
Date: May 6

Nara Park

Nara Park is a massive park at the foot of Mt. Wakakusa. The vast area covers 660 hectares and is renowned for its free-roaming deer and world famous temples. In the Shinto religion, deer are esteemed as the messengers of the gods. The 1,200 deer that call Nara home have therefore become a symbol of the city and are considered a natural treasure. Deer crackers, special rice crackers called shika-senbei, are sold at various locations around the park for visitors who would like to feed the deer.

RR: April alternative RR
Date: April 28

Bright

Bright is a town in Victoria, Australia. It’s a base for exploring the peaks of Mount Buffalo National Park and Alpine National Park as well as Mount Hotham, a popular ski resort. The region is also known for wineries and fall foliage. Bright is a starting point for the Murray to Mountains Rail Trail, a hiking and cycling path.

Thanks a lot Marnie!
Date: March 20

Aeryeonjeong Pavilion

Aeryeonjeong Pavilion is a simple building located north of Aeryeongji Pond in the secret garden of Changdeokgung Palace.

Aeryeonjeong is a square pavilion standing over the pond. Of the four columns, two stand on a stone foundation onthe edge of the pond, with the other two submerged in the water,making half of the pavilion protrude into the pond. The word “aeryeon” means 'love for lotus flower' in Korean. Pieces of wood engraved with flower patterns are attached to the edges of the columns.

Unesco: Changdeokgung Palace Complex
RR: March alternative RR
Date: March 2

The Retreat & Reflection Garden

Tuisi Garden, also known as the Retreat and Reflection Garden, is a notable classical garden located in Tongli. In 2001, it was recognized with the other Classical Gardens of Suzhou as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The garden is renowned for its harmonious blend of natural landscapes, including ponds, rock formations, and meticulously arranged plants, alongside elegant pavilions and halls. The garden's layout is designed to create a sense of tranquility and reflection, embodying the principles of balance and harmony central to Chinese garden aesthetics. The architecture in the garden is simple and elegant, with the style of Jiangnan garden architecture in the late Qing Dynasty.

Unesco: Classical Gardens of Suzhou
RR: Unesco RR
Date: Nov 8, 2024

Kew Royal Botanic Gardens

This historic landscape garden features elements that illustrate significant periods of the art of gardens from the 18th to the 20th centuries. The gardens house botanic collections (conserved plants, living plants and documents) that have been considerably enriched through the centuries. Since their creation in 1759, the gardens have made a significant and uninterrupted contribution to the study of plant diversity and economic botany. The landscape design of Kew Botanic Gardens, their buildings and plant collections combine to form a unique testimony to developments in garden art and botanical science that were subsequently diffused around the world.

Unesco: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
RR: 10 Countries RR (20)
Date: Dec 31

Master of the Nets Garden

Master of the Nets Garden a classical garden in Suzhou, China. It is a residential garden situated in the southern part of Suzhou. With an area of 5,334 square meters, Garden of the Master of the Nets is small in size compared to other residential gardens in Suzhou but is certainly no less of a wonder. Master of the Nets Garden consists of three main structures, the primary garden, residential section, and the inner garden. For its refined architecture, rockeries, and a brilliant fusion of art, nature, culture, it has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with other renowned classical gardens of Suzhou.

Unesco: Classical Gardens of Suzhou
RR: Australia & New Zealand x world RR
Date: August 20

Honghu Tower

Honghu Tower, hidden in the Jufang Garden of Luhu Park, built in 1987, became the tallest garden architecture in Guangzhou with its five stories and 24.5-meter height, earning it the title "First Tower of Pearl River and Baiyun Mountain". Climbing the tower floor by floor reveals different scenic views at each level, with the top floor offering a 360° panoramic view of the Guangzhou cityscape.

RR: December Alternative RR
Date: Dec 7

Moss garden of Saihō-ji

Saihō-ji is a Rinzai Zen Buddhist temple in Kyoto. The temple is famed for its moss garden. In 1994, Saihō-ji was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as part of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto. The famous moss garden of Saihō-ji is situated on the eastern temple grounds. Located in a grove, the garden is arranged as a circular promenade centered on Golden Pond. Over 120 types of moss are present in the two-tiered garden, resembling a beautiful green carpet with many subtle shades.

Unesco: Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities)
RR: RR Francophone
Date: Sept 8

Australian Inland Botanic Gardens

The Australian Inland Botanic Gardens showcases a range of Australian natives from both arid & higher rainfall areas as well as exotic plantings grounded in country of origin, including a rose garden featuring over 1,600 colour coordinated bushes. Salt-tolerant local flora and exotic plants separated into geographical zones are also part of the collections.

Thank you Marnie!
Date: July 13

Pavilion of the Three Graces

The Pavilion of the Three Graces, located in Pavlovsk Park.

Spread across nearly 600 ha, Pavlovsk Park is one of the largest parks in Europe and definitely one of the most-visited ones in St. Petersburg. The park was designed in the best traditions of English gardens and houses a plethora of astonishing pieces of neoclassical architecture. Filled with rivers and ponds, tree-lined avenues, classical statues and hidden temples, it’s a delightful place to get lost in. Highlights include the Rose Pavilion and the Private Garden, with its beautifully arranged flowerbeds and impressive sculpture of the Three Graces.

RR:  View RR
Date: June 21

Sítio Roberto Burle Marx

Sítio Roberto Burle Marx, located in the west zone of the City of Rio de Janeiro, comprises extensive landscape gardens and buildings set between mangroves and native Atlantic forest in a mountainous area of the district of Barra de Guaratiba. The property was a ‘landscape laboratory’ for landscape architect and artist Roberto Burle Marx. Over a period of more than forty years, he experimented with fusing artistic Modernist ideas and native tropical plants to create garden designs as living works of art. The site encompasses extensive landscapes, gardens, buildings and collections, which feature the key characteristics that came to define Burle Marx’s landscape gardens and influenced the development of modern gardens internationally. The site is characterized by sinuous forms, exuberant mass planting, architectural plant arrangements, dramatic colour contrasts, use of tropical plants, and the incorporation of elements of traditional folk culture.

Unesco: Sítio Roberto Burle Marx
RR: All About Your Country
Date: June 11