Sunday, June 9, 2024

Why I love Europe’s hidden gardens

When I toured Spain’s world-famous estates and palaces, it was a small semi-concealed garden I stumbled upon that made the biggest impression – and inspired me to discover other urban oases across Europe

Last spring, my wife and I embarked on an extended family holiday through Spain, taking our two young children on a month-long road trip around a country we didn’t know well but quickly came to love, for its ancient walled cities and diverse landscapes, its full-bodied wine and its warm-hearted people.

As a gardener, however, the other great incentive was to tick off some of Spain’s signature gardens – the grand Moorish courtyards of the south and the drought-tolerant Mediterranean plantings of the country’s rugged interior and coast. Continue reading...