| For many gardeners in the U.S. the winter is a down | | | | paintings, such as his water lily and Japanese bridge |
| time because the ground is frozen and covered with | | | | paintings were of his garden in Giverny. Monet lived in |
| snow. A popular alternative is for garden and | | | | Giverny from 1883 until his death in 1926. He and |
| gardening lovers is to take a midwinter trip to the | | | | many members of his family are interred in the village |
| world's most famous gardens. This article will take | | | | cemetery. Today the garden features hundreds of |
| you to some of most famous gardens in the world. | | | | plants, flowers, and trees along with the famous |
| The first stop on the itinerary is the Far East. Japan | | | | bridge that has been restored to its original condition. |
| has long been famous for its Zen or "Japanese Style" | | | | The final garden to visit is one of the gardens |
| gardens. These gardens feature carved stone | | | | designed by the one of the true experts in gardening. |
| lanterns that are hundreds of years old, along with | | | | Gertrude Jekyll (1843- 932), was an influential British |
| stones and plants arranged to maximize the Zen of | | | | garden designer, writer, and artist. She created over |
| the garden. Most gardens in Japan can be found near | | | | 400 gardens in the UK, Europe and the USA and |
| Buddhist temples often surrounding them or leading | | | | contributed over 1,000 articles to Country Life, The |
| up to the Temples from the busy streets. | | | | Garden and other magazines. In 1908, when she was |
| Kenroku-en, Kairaku-en and Koraku-en are the three | | | | 65, Jekyll was asked by Charles Holme to design the |
| great gardens of Japan. Kenroku-en located in | | | | garden for one of his houses at Upton Grey in |
| Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan, is an old private garden | | | | Hampshire. Gertrude Jekyll drew plans for the four |
| developed from the 1620s to 1840s. It is open | | | | and a half acre garden. On this chalky, sloping site she |
| year-round during daylight hours and famous for its | | | | designed one of her most beautiful gardens. It |
| beauty in all seasons; an admission fee is charged. | | | | includes many features of a typical Jekyll garden, but |
| The garden is located outside the gates of Kanazawa | | | | on a rather smaller scale than most of her |
| Castle where it originally formed the outer garden, | | | | commissions. To the west of the house stands the |
| and covers over 25 acres. The garden is home to | | | | Wild garden. Grass paths wind from semicircular grass |
| the oldest fountain in Japan and is lovely to visit in | | | | steps through rambling, species roses, to a small |
| the winter. | | | | copse of walnut trees and wild flowers, beyond |
| The next stop on the journey is the garden made | | | | which lies a small pond. Some of Jekyll's original drifts |
| famous by Monet, the Garden at Giverny. Claude | | | | of daffodils remain at the end of the Wild Garden, |
| Monet noticed the village of Giverny while looking out | | | | still in the drifts she designed. This is one of the |
| the window of a train he was riding. He made up his | | | | finest private gardens in the world and well worth |
| mind to move there and rented a house and the | | | | the drive from London. |
| area surrounding it. Some of his most famous | | | | |