5 Garden Destinations to Visit This Winter (for Fresh Design Inspirations)
While the gardens in the U.S. may be tucked in for winter, somewhere else gardeners are deadheading roses and dividing perennials in full sun. And you could be right there with them.
When gardening is part of your life, the idea of leaving the garden during the growing months, even for a week, may feel unthinkable. We get it – there’s always something that needs tending… But with no weeds to pull and no plants begging for attention, winter makes it the perfect time to finally do something you've probably daydreamed about all season long: to visit gardens abroad.
We’ve gathered five destinations where gardens are blooming in winter – and where you’ll find ideas that just might reshape your next season's plans.
Morocco
Best time to go: February-March
Welcome to Morocco in winter, where the days are a mild 60–80°F, the air is scented with orange blossoms, and cats nap in the shade of date palms.
Moroccan gardens are built around the Islamic concept of heaven – symmetrical, enclosed riad-style courtyards with a fountain or reflecting pool at their heart. Walk inside one, and you might indeed feel as if you're in heaven: your ears pick up the murmur of water, your eyes catch the vibrant hues of zellij tilework, and even your pace slows down.
These gardens aren’t just beautiful getaways – they’re also smart design solutions for managing heat, conserving water, and creating a sense of intimacy.
Majorelle Garden in Marrakesh
A few gardens not to miss in Morocco are:
- Le Jardin Secret, where ancient irrigation systems still sustain the gardens in this semi-arid region;
- the lesser-known Anima Garden, where subtropical plants are combined with quirky sculptures;
- and Casa Botanica – a nursery that proves drought-tolerant planting doesn’t have to mean just cactus and gravel.
We’re planning a Morocco garden trip in 2026 – if you'd like to be among the first to hear when details are finalized, sign up for early access here:
Costa Rica
Best time to go: January-February (dry season)
Don’t get surprised if one moment you’re in a planted courtyard, and the next you’re brushing past heliconias and ferns that give way to full jungle. In Costa Rica, the line between gardens and the wild barely exists.
Unlike the formal gardens of Europe, here there are no fences and no straight lines. Costa Rican gardeners seem to have a different relationship with control than Westerners do. They design gardens as extensions of the jungle – wild, layered, and full of tropical plants.
If you’re a plant lover, bring your camera and prepare to geek out – this country is full of exotic species you rarely get to see elsewhere.
You’ll find them in places like:
- Wilson Botanical Garden, with its large palm collection and layered design;
- Else Kientzler Garden, with over 2,000 tropical species from around the globe;
- and Lankester Garden, with its big orchid collection.
South Africa
Best time to go: December- February (summer season)
If you garden in California, Texas, or anywhere else with long, dry summers, South Africa is full of ideas worth stealing. South African gardeners are masters of making beauty from dry conditions. In the Western Cape, you’ll find sustainable designs using sculptural native plants like proteas, neat hedges, gravel paths – even blending decorative gardens into productive vineyard landscapes.
Leucospermum (pincushion proteas) in bloom at Kirstenbosch National Botanic Garden, Cape Town.
- One standout is Babylonstoren, often called “the Versailles of vegetable gardens,” where French architect Patrice Taravella has combined productive plantings with Western structure, offering a fresh perspective on edible landscaping.
- At Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden, fynbos plants – South Africa's botanical equivalent of “I woke up like this” – show off their natural good looks in every season without needing special care.
- And in Pretoria’s National Botanical Garden, two different climates meet in one space, housing everything from sculptural aloes to ancient cycads that remember when dinosaurs were the neighborhood pests.
Vietnam
Best time to go: January–March
Vietnamese gardens are a textbook example of microclimate adaptation. When it's hot, they cool. When it rains, they drain.
In the old imperial city of Hue, you’ll find traditional palace gardens where ponds, trees, and breezeways shape the experience as much as the plantings. In today’s cities, modern designers are pushing those ideas even further. They use vertical gardens, shaded pergolas, and living walls to cool dense urban environments.
A striking example of a vertical garden in an urban setting
If you’re drawn to the idea of using your garden not just for beauty but as a functional response to today’s climate changes, Vietnam offers some truly creative solutions.
- Take the Farming Architects' House in Ho Chi Minh City – with its vertical vegetable wall and rooftop garden that cools the home while growing food.
- Or the imperial gardens of Hue, with their large-scale cooling designs that blend form and function.
New Zealand
Best time to go: November–February
A winter visit finds New Zealand gardens in their summer glory. What makes these gardens particularly special is the South Island’s varied landscapes – you might explore salt-sprayed coastal gardens in the morning and marvel at alpine plant collections by afternoon, all showcasing completely different garden styles within just a few hours’ drive.
Fisherman's Bay Garden, South Island, New Zealand
Many of the South Island’s private and public gardens carry the title “Gardens of Significance” – a recognition for their outstanding design, plant collections, or historical importance.
This November, we’re visiting 14 of these Gardens of Significance on a small-group tour!
Winter garden travel gives you the chance to fill your creative well precisely when your own garden sleeps. Return home energized with fresh perspectives and innovative ideas to implement when spring arrives.
Your future garden will thank you for it!
Check Out Carex Upcoming 2025 Garden Trips
Japanese Gardens in Autumn
November 7 - November 18
Gardens of Normandy
September 1 - September 9