CAPE TOWN GEM NAMED ONE OF WORLD’S BEST GARDENS

Highest rated gardens in the world

One of Cape Town’s famous gardens, Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden has recently ranked as one of the world’s most highly rated gardens.

This is according to a recent study, that also placed South Africa as number 12 on the top 20 best countries for plant lovers to visit ranking.

The study was done to find out which countries plant lovers should add to their botanical bucket lists, and analysed several factors in each country, including the number of recorded plant species, the number of botanical gardens per square mile, how many photos of flowers and plants had been posted on Instagram, and Google search demand for gardens across the country, before combining them to give each country a ‘botanical bliss’ score. 

According to the top 20 highest rated gardens in the world, as per traveller reviews, Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden ranked at number 15, with Boyce Thompson Arboretum in Arizona, USA, Plas Cadnant Hidden Gardens in Anglesey, Wales, and Missouri Botanical Garden in Missouri, USA taking the first, second and third spot respectively.

Which countries should travellers add to their botanical bucket lists? 

While South Africa placed number 12, the United Kingdom ranked as the number one country worldwide for tourists that love their plants, with a score of 79/100.

The UK ranked so highly thanks to an impressive score for the number of botanical gardens per square mile, as well as a substantial number of photos posted under the hashtag #ukflowers, highlighting just how much travellers love Britain in bloom.  

Following just one point behind in a tie for second place, was Japan and the United States – both of which had scores of 78/100. Japan is well known for its rich horticultural heritage, with many Zen gardens, and traditions like ikebana (flower arranging) deeply ingrained in its culture.

USA is also widely renowned for its numerous national parks, home to a bounty of diverse flora and landscapes, from California’s towering Sequoia trees to Arizona’s huge iconic cactus plants. 

Completing the top five was India and Malaysia, both of whom boast ‘botanical bliss’ scores of 77/100. India is home to one of the world’s most biodiverse ecosystems, with a long history of traditional medicine (Ayurveda) which centres around using plants for medicinal purposes, while Malaysia, home to some of the world’s oldest rainforests, is world renowned for its tropical fruits and orchids. 

Other notable countries that feature in the top 10 include Australia, where travellers can find unique plant species found nowhere else in the world, and Costa Rica, another of the world’s most biodiverse nations, home to rainforests, cloud forests, mangroves and highland forests, to name just a few. 

The post Cape Town gem named one of World’s Best Gardens appeared first on SA People.

2024-07-05T10:22:39Z dg43tfdfdgfd