amsterdam conservatory
This time of year as I am cooped up in the house waiting for things to thaw out I plan for the next season. I usually spend way to much time pouring over seed catalogs and garden books, making notes and lists of additions and subtractions – what to dig and what to divide, what to plant and where.
Inspiration is always a big part of my garden planning and there are so so many amazing gardens and flower festivals around the world to energize my creative side. Even if I can’t manage to visit them all in person – it makes a lovely afternoon to sit with a cup of tea and surf the web to a few exotic locales with fantastic gardens.

Flower festivals:
Istanbul tulip festival –  http://www.turkeytravelplanner.com/go/Istanbul/Sights/tulip_fest.html
Brussels’ Flower Carpet – http://www.flowercarpet.be/
Luoyang peony festival, China – http://china-journeys.com/attractions/events/luoyang-peony-festival

Festival of the Flowers, Medellin – http://www.colombia.travel/en/international-tourist/sightseeing-what-to-do/history-and-tradition/fairs-and-festivals/august/the-medellin-flower-fair
Rose Festival of Morocco – http://www.lonelyplanet.com/morocco/travel-tips-and-articles/77152
Saffron Festival, Castilla-La Mancha – http://countrybred.com/countrybred/saffron-festival-of-consuegra-spain/
Rose Festival in Bulgaria – http://www.rose-festival.com/
Flower Festival of Lazio – http://www.ilmiolazio.it/en-US/grandieventiemanifestazioni/Pages/infioratagenzano.aspx
Summer Solstice Day in Latvia – http://www.latvia.travel/en/janis-day-celebrations
National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington D.C. – http://www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org/
Mimosa Festival in Saint-Tropez – http://www.azuralive.com/2012/02/french-riviera-mimosa-festivals-.html
Skagit Valley Tulip Festival – http://www.tulipfestival.org/
Hiroshima Flower Festival – http://en.japantravel.com/view/hiroshima-flower-festival

Garden shows:
RHS Chelsea Flower show – http://www.rhs.org.uk/Shows-Events/RHS-Chelsea-Flower-Show/2014
Toronto Flower and Garden Show

Philadelphia Flower Show

The Melbourne international flower and garden show – http://melbflowershow.com.au/
Chiang Mai Flower Festival – http://www.tatnews.org/chiang-mai-flower-festival-2014/
Singapore Garden Festival – https://www.singaporegardenfestival.com/

Bundesgartenschau in Germany –  http://bundesgartenschau.de/buga-iga/

Hampton Court Palace Flower Show – http://www.rhs.org.uk/Shows-Events/RHS-Hampton-Court-Palace-Flower-Show/2014

Famous gardens of the world:

The Garden of Cosmic Speculation, Dumfries, Scotland, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Garden of Cosmic Speculation,http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/news-garden-cosmic-speculation
Sans Souci, Potsdam, Germany – www.spsg.de
Keukenhof Gardens, The Netherlands http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keukenhof
Jardim Botânico de Curitiba, Brazil http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Botanical Garden of Curitiba, https://plus.google.com/112194255718842357473/about?gl=us&hl=en
Yuyuan Garden, China http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yu_Garden
Shalimar Garden, Pakistan, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shalimar_Gardens,_Lahore
Het Loo Palace, Apeldorn
The Imperial Summer Palace, Beijing
Sissinghurst Castle, Kent
Ryoan-ji Temple, Kyoto
Issidan, Ryogen-in Temple, Kyoto
Alice Springs Desert Park, Australia
Tofuku-ji Temple Garden, Kyoto
Monticello, USA
Villa d’Este, Tivoli
The Majorelle, Marrakech
Villa Adriana, Tivoli
Villa Lante, Bagnaia
The Alhambra and Generalife, Genada
Chateau Villandry, The Loire Valley
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney
The Lion Grove, Suzhou
Las Pozas, Xilitla
The Floating Gardens, Xochimilco, Mexico City
Jal Mahal, Jaipur
The Sitta Garden, Sydney
Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, Cape Town
The Monsoon Palace Gardens, Deeg
Claude Monet’s Garden, Giverny
Lotusland, Montecito, Santa Barbara, CA
Taj Mahal and the Mehtab Bagh, Agra
The Huntington Botanic Garden, San Marino CA
The Humble Administrator’s Garden, Suzhou
Rousham Park, Oxfordshire
The Arctic Alpine Botanic Gardens, Tromsø
The Grand Palace, Bangkok
Pura Taman Ayun, Mengwi, Bali