9 incredible gardens that have to be seen to be believed

These aren't just gardens - they're show-stopping pieces of art. Created by some of the world's leading landscape designers, these amazing gardens are bold, big and utterly beautiful - and like nothing you've ever seen before...

1. Montreal Botanical Garden, Canada

This green goddess was created for a 2013 exhibition at Montreal Botanical Gardens - one of the world's biggest and most innovative urban green spaces.

2. Shibazakura flowers near Mt Fuji, Japan

Just after the Japanese cherry blossom season,the area around Mt Fuji turns an even more vibrant shade of pink. The shibazakura blooms – also known as phlox moss – carpet the Japanese countryside, with the sacred mountain as an impressive backdrop.

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3. Cloud Forest, Singapore

In downtown Singapore you'll find a nugget of tropical cloud forest (pictured left) - where rare plants thrive, waterfalls tumble, and lofty walkways thread through the misty treetops. This innovative project is just one of the ways Singapore's city planners aim to nurture nature in this thriving metropolis.

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4. Giverny Garden, France

Does this garden look familiar? That's because it was owned by artist Claude Monet, who loved to paint its vibrant blooms and lily pond.

5. Nong Nooch Tropical Garden, Thailand

Instead of planting fruit trees as they originally planned, the owners of Nong Nooch decided to nurture tropical plants on their land instead - and turned their plot into landscape gardening masterpiece. It has since expanded to 500 acres in size, and is stuffed with fascinating florals.

6. Madeira Botanical Gardens

Madeira, also known as the 'Floating Garden of the Atlantic', is famed for its vibrant gardens and flower fields - the greatest of which is the Botanical Gardens.

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7. Palace of Versailles, France

The equisitely manicured lawns of the Palace of Versailles stretch over a whopping 800 hectares, in designs that were originally commissioned by Louis XIV in the 1600s. There are also 11 elaborate water fountains in the grounds.

8. Bamboo forest of Arashiyama, Japan

In Japan, bamboo groves are thought to protect from evil, so are often planted close to temples. Arashiyama's bamboo forest is one of the country's most atmospheric, its stalks creaking and squeaking as they bend and flex in the breeze.

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9. Keukenhof Park, Netherlands

With over 800 varieties of tulips and 7 million bulbs in bloom, Keukenhof is one of the world's largest flower gardens. It's awash with colour every spring and summer.

All images from Alamy