Horticultural Marvels

Buildings grown from tree roots, arbortecture, arborsculpture, tree shaping, plant grafting, espalier, and all other sorts of "green architecture" are what we mean when we say horticultural marvels. Hedge mazes, chapels built inside oak trees, magnificent tree houses, amazing roof gardens, poison gardens, flower clocks, and collections of carnivorous plants, these are all horticultural marvels.

Image of Artigas Gardens located in La Pobla de Lillet, Spain
La Pobla de Lillet, Spain

Artigas Gardens

Famed architect Antoni Gaudi built this generous thank you gift to a friendly host who housed him during a job

The distinctive designs of modernist architect Antoni Gaudi can be seen all over Spain, and are admired and studied by artists, architects, and the general public alike. His passions were... »

Architectural Oddities, Follies and Grottoes, Horticultural Marvels, Outsider Architecture | Edited by serflac, Rachel and others

Image of Lake Merritt's Bonsai Garden located in Oakland, California, US | Bonsai Tree in the garden at Lake Merritt.
Oakland, California, US

Lake Merritt's Bonsai Garden

Bonsai garden in Oakland is curated by the first non-Japanese female bonsai master in the United States

More than 50 superb bonsai and many viewing stones (suiseki) are on display at any given time. The collection rotates regularly, so visiting several times throughout the year is suggested if you... »

Extraordinary Flora, Unique Collections, Horticultural Marvels | Edited by elinar and Rachel

Image of Kokoen Garden located in Himeji, Japan | Garden of the Lord's Residence
Himeji, Japan

Kokoen Garden

Nine Gardens in one - with tea service

The Kokoen garden, sometimes called Himeji Kokoen, is just a five minute walk from Himeji Castle in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. If, for example, you arrive too late to tour the castle and everyone in... »

Optical Oddities, Horticultural Marvels | Edited by Phreddiva and Annetta

Image of The Nest Houses of Patrick Dougherty located in Evansville, Indiana, US | "Around the Corner" University of Southern Indiana, New Harmony Gallery, New Harmony, IN, 2003.
Evansville, Indiana, US

The Nest Houses of Patrick Dougherty

Patrick Dougherty's fantastic living tree sculptures, mind-blowing but temporary

In memoriam, as these huts no longer stand. For current nest houses by Patrick Dougherty, please see his website. Patrick Dougherty is an artist who creates his large installation pieces with... »

Extraordinary Flora, Outsider Art, Horticultural Marvels | Edited by Rachel

Image of The Law Oak located in Liverpool, United Kingdom | The Law Oak
Liverpool, United Kingdom

The Law Oak

Thousand year old oak tree

Calderstones Park is home to a thousand year old Oak Tree known as “The Law Oak”. It is beneath the spreading branches of this majestic tree that crime and punishment are alleged to have been... »

Horticultural Marvels | Edited by johnreppion, Rachel and others

Image of Arizona Cactus Garden located in Stanford, California, US
Stanford, California, US

Arizona Cactus Garden

A hidden world of exotic succulents and cacti

Although this garden is officially called Arizona Garden, it is located in a remote enclave of Stanford University campus in California. The garden houses over 500 species of succulents and cacti... »

Extraordinary Flora, Horticultural Marvels | Edited by rebeccaclara and Rachel

Image of Berlin Botanical Garden located in Berlin, Germany
Berlin, Germany

Berlin Botanical Garden

Started as a kitchen garden, now the second largest botanical garden in the world

Established as a kitchen garden in 1679, the Botanical Garden in Berlin is the second largest botanical garden in the world, second only to Kew Gardens, located in England. The garden evolved... »

Extraordinary Flora, Natural History, Horticultural Marvels | Edited by Rachel and Dylan

Image of The Senator, Bald Cypress located in Longwood, Florida, US
Longwood, Florida, US

The Senator, Bald Cypress

3,500 year old tree was the second oldest in the United States, burned down by drug user who stated, "I can't believe I burned down a tree older than Jesus."

Update: On 2/29/12, Seminole County police arrested a woman who confessed to causing the fire that destroyed the Senator. Sarah Barnes and a friend were smoking meth inside the tree, and using an... »

Horticultural Marvels | Edited by ronin, Dylan and 2 others

Image of Telephone Pole Farm located in Township of Chester, New Jersey, US
Township of Chester, New Jersey, US

Telephone Pole Farm

A farm in New Jersey grew a most unusual crop for AT&T's testing purposes

While the word "farm" might be a stretch, this former AT&T testing site in Chester, New Jersey definitely gives the illusion of farming with hundreds of tree trunks shaped into poles "planted"... »

Commercial Curiosities, Horticultural Marvels | Edited by Rachel

Image of Eram Garden located in Shiraz, Iran
Shiraz, Iran

Eram Garden

Named after a legendary garden called Eram in southern Arabia, built by order of Shaddad, an Arab king who wanted to compete with Paradise.

Eram Garden (Bagh-e Eram), located along the northern shore of the Khoshk River in Shiraz, is one of the most famous and beautiful Persian gardens in all of Iran. It should be noted that the word... »

Natural History, Cultures and Civilizations , Architectural Oddities, Horticultural Marvels | Edited by TrevorShawnElia and Rachel