Butchart Gardens, Canada
Butchart Gardens, in British Columbia, is an abandoned quarry turned Eden. The wife of an early 1900s cement mogul saw an opportunity to turn a wasteland into something beautiful. Today, the spot boasts a sunken garden, Japanese garden, Italian garden, Mediterranean garden and, of course, a rose garden. Roses of nearly every kind climb arches and splash the garden’s lawn with a riot of color.
Castle Howard, United Kingdom
York’s Castle Howard remains a private residence (we’re jealous), but it’s gardens are open to the public. The sprawling rose garden has more than 2,000 flowers filling the air with their provocative scent. Naturally, the roses make up just one of Castle Howard’s gardens. Visitors drawn to the palatial estate can also wander the woodland garden and admire the ground’s multiple ornate fountains.
Keisei Rose Garden, Japan
Keisei Rose Garden has more than 10,000 plants, making it one of Japan’s largest collections of roses. A painter’s color palette dream of reds, pinks, yellows, oranges and whites grow and bloom spectacularly throughout the garden
Les Chemins de la Rose, France
More than 10,000 roses create an intoxicating scent and an idyllic view at Les Chemins de la Rose. The garden’s natural growth offers an intimate atmosphere, different from some of the more manicured and formal gardens on our list. The petals of the garden’s thousands of roses are so vibrant they seem almost otherworldly. It’s no wonder Belle couldn’t resist touching that beautiful bloom in the Beast’s castle.
Old Parliament House Gardens, Australia
Travel to the land Down Under to see the reimagined, historical Old Parliament House Gardens. This pick is home to the Senate Garden and House of Representatives Garden, which each have two rose collections of their own. Hybrid teas, shrub roses, Noisette roses, Floribunda roses and more create a profusion of color and scent.
Rome Rose Garden, Italy
For those of you looking to put a ring on it, the Rome Rose Garden is the perfect spot to pop the question. Only open for a few months in the spring, the garden blossoms at the bottom of Rome’s Aventino Hill with views of the the Circo Massimo and the Palatine Hill.
White House Rose Garden, United States
The West Wing might be all about politics, but sometimes you have to stop and smell the roses – literally. The White House has its own rose garden, styled like a traditional 18th century American garden. Flower beds surround a smooth, green lawn that has been the setting of many a presidential press conference.
-Carrie Pallardy