Coming soon!
If you love camellias, make sure to visit the Locarno Camellia Show at least once – 28 March to 1 April 2014, but the park is open at other times.Locarno Camellia Show
Giardina, Messe Zürich, 12-16 March 2014, one of the biggest garden exhibitions anywhere, at Messe Zurich.
Giardina
Botanical Garden Grüningen Programme begins on 6 April 2014 with a Spring tour.
Grueningen Botanical Garden
Grueningen Botanical Garden
Botanic Gardens in Switzerland
Many of the big Swiss cities have botanical gardens that are extensive and varied, and have free
entry.
Zürich’s Botanic Gardens at Zollikon is open throughout the year. Explore the greenhouses to discover the tropical and exotic plants, and enjoy a stroll through the beautiful and extensive grounds; afterwards stop for coffee in the student refectory. It’s a great place to paint too.
See Zurich Botanic Gardens
Zürich’s Botanic Gardens at Zollikon is open throughout the year. Explore the greenhouses to discover the tropical and exotic plants, and enjoy a stroll through the beautiful and extensive grounds; afterwards stop for coffee in the student refectory. It’s a great place to paint too.
See Zurich Botanic Gardens
St. Gallen, Geneva and Lausanne also
boast wonderful botanic gardens which are well worth a trip by train and tram
or post bus.
One which you may not know about is Merian Park in Basel,which features large iris gardens in bloom
in May and June, as well as greenhouses and extensive grounds, including a
maze.
Merian Park Basel
Merian Park Basel
Or if you visit Ticino with its palm trees and mild climate, try to visit
Isola di Brissago by boat, where
there is a spectacular display of exotic plants from around the world. It’s
worth staying overnight in Locarno to make the most of this special
destination.Isola di Brissago
More locally, you could visit the Hochschule at Wädenswil which
has a wonderful display of peonies in May to June.
Hochschule Waedenswil gardens
The city gardens are usually open throughout the year, although they may have seasonal highlights.
Hochschule Waedenswil gardens
The city gardens are usually open throughout the year, although they may have seasonal highlights.
Privately managed gardens which feature seasonal displays
The Hotel Schatzalp in Davos is open year-round
but its alpine gardens are particularly delightful from June to August, when
tours may also be arranged. The former
sanatorium was the setting for Thomas Mann’s book, The Magic Mountain.
Hotel Schatzalp Davos Alpinum
Hotel Schatzalp Davos Alpinum
A venue specialising in irises is the garden and chateau at Vuillerens near Morges. May and June
would be good times to visit, but the art gallery and garden shop are also a
delight at other times.
Vuillerens Iris Park
Vuillerens Iris Park
Back in Canton Zurich, Seleger Moor near Rifferswil has wonderful
displays of camellias and rhododendrons in May and June, but the plants, ponds
and pathways can be explored at any time from April to October.
Seleger Moor
Make a regular visit to Jucker Farmart at Seegräben, with its annual pumpkin sale with themed displays in October.
Jucker Farmart Pumpkin show
Over the border in Germany, near Konstanz, is the wonderful Insel Mainau with its displays of seasonal plants. Over 40 gardeners are employed there to tend the tulips, rhododendrons, roses and dahlias and they often have indoor exhibits too. You can get to Mainau by car or boat from Konstanz.
Insel Mainau
Seleger Moor
Make a regular visit to Jucker Farmart at Seegräben, with its annual pumpkin sale with themed displays in October.
Jucker Farmart Pumpkin show
Over the border in Germany, near Konstanz, is the wonderful Insel Mainau with its displays of seasonal plants. Over 40 gardeners are employed there to tend the tulips, rhododendrons, roses and dahlias and they often have indoor exhibits too. You can get to Mainau by car or boat from Konstanz.
Insel Mainau
Historic houses and castles with wonderful gardens
Schloss Arenenberg,
former home of Napoleon III at Ermatingen near the Bodensee, also boasts a
garden with a view which is well worth a visit by train and postbus.Schloss Arenenberg
The Villa Boveri in Baden also has an excellent garden in addition to its wonderful historic house – visit both!
Villa Boveri
Kloster Ittinger, former Carthusian monastery turned conference centre near Frauenfeld, boasts an art gallery, traditional rose varieties, a herb garden and a labyrinth as well as a fine restaurant.
Kloster Ittinger
Kloster Fahr still a working convent with a lovely garden, at Zurich Engstringen
Open spaces in and around Zurich
The arboretum at Mythenquai on the left bank of the Zurichsee
and the opposite bank at Utoquai from Bellevue to Zurichhorn both offer
pleasant places to stroll and savour the plants.
The China Garden in Zürich at Zürichhorn on the right bank of the Zurisee: a gift from the city of Kunming. Enjoy an oasis of calm in the city with a stylised Chinese-style garden featuring ponds, bridges, rocks and pavilions all with special significance.
China Garden
In Rapperswil, discover two rose gardens with scents to match the colours.
In Schaffhausen, don't miss the cloister garden with all its herbs, and on the Munot approach look out for the rose garden.
Schaffhausen Kloster Herb Gardens
Or for an adventurous day trip by train and cablecar, you can ascend to the meadows of wild narcissus at Les Avants near Montreux. April and May are the best times to visit there.
Les Avants wild narcissus
Garden centres around Zurich
Enea’s Tree Museum near Jona
Enea's Tree Museum
Meier’s Garden Centre at Dürnten near Rapperswil. It’s possible to spend a whole day there taking in all the wonderful indoor and outdoor displays.
Meier Garden Centre
Visit private gardens
Over 90 properties which open to the public on certain days of the year. See this list of venues:http://www.offenergarten.ch/search.
