What says romance better than a dozen roses? How about thousands of roses, along with lilies, tulips, philodendrons, and every other flower you can imagine.
You don’t have to spend a fortune at the florist to please your valentine. Your budding romance can bloom by spending the day in one of the Most Romantic Gardens in the U.S.
And if you’re planning a June or summer wedding, maybe one of these romantic gardens will be the perfect backdrop.
We’ve done the research to spotlight one romantic garden for each state (and Washington, D.C.), so you can be the master of your own date.
What makes for a garden romantic? These aren’t the biggest or most popular botanical gardens in the country. The most romantic gardens have lush greenery, intimate settings, and picture-perfect backdrops for wedding photos.
How did we select the most romantic gardens across America? We scoured dozens of romantic gardens, visited many of them over the years, and we factored in reviews from Tripadvisor and Wedding Wire.
The end result: These gardens are definitely the most alluring ones to visit with your special someone.
Table of Contents
Most Romantic Gardens by Region
Most Romantic Gardens Slideshows
Northeast region (Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, D.C.)
The Frelinghuysen Arboretum is perfect for a midday picnic, a romantic proposal, or a beautiful photo session. With more than 125 acres of lush landscape, this large estate offers all the majesty of the Old World, located in the cozy comfort of new-world convenience.
Ratings:
Tripadvisor excellent rating: Nearly 60%
The Frelinghuysen Arboretum / 353 E Hanover Ave Morris Township, Morristown
/ Photo credit: CC0 1.0
If one of you is a history buff and the other has a green thumb, we have the perfect outing for you to take together. The U.S. Botanic Garden, established in 1820, was a vision of George Washington’s to promote the symbol of continued growth for our nation. This garden has been recognized and accredited as a museum all its own. Bartholdi Park and the Terrace Gardens are currently open, while the Conservatory and gated outdoor gardens remain closed due to COVID.
Ratings:
Tripadvisor excellent rating: 66%
U.S. Botanic Garden / 100 Mayland Avenue SW / Photo Credit: USBG
Washington, D.C: U.S. Botanic Garden
Walking through these grounds is like walking back in time and a reminder of simpler pleasures. The aroma of more than 1,000 peonies fills the air. The flowers are designed in the pattern of a stained-glass window. The gardeners here use only organic pest control, so as not to discourage the birds and bees from visiting. So take your time, stroll at your own steady pace, and take in the view of this historic landmark.
Ratings:
Wedding Wire: 4.9 out of 5 stars
Hildene, The Lincoln Family Home / 1005 Hildene Rd, Manchester / Photo credit: CC By-SA 3.0
Vermont: Hildene, The Lincoln Family Home
If you and your love share an animal attraction, Green Animals Topiary Garden is the place for you. Walk among the more than 80 neatly trimmed animal topiaries, or check out the vegetable and herb gardens, and fruitful orchards. Get lost together in the magical forest of green animals.
Ratings:
Tripadvisor excellent rating: 50%
Green Animals Topiary Garden / 380 Corys Ln, Portsmouth / Photo Credit: CC BY-SA 3.0
Rhode Island: Green Animals Topiary Garden
At the Phipps Conservatory & Botanical Gardens, you can take your valentine on a romantic stroll through the elegant 1893 glasshouse, then gaze on exotic flora in the Tropical Forest Conservatory. Don’t miss the Palm Court, where you and your date can compete to spot the glass installations by Dale Chihuly among the lush plant life.
Ratings:
Wedding Wire: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Phipps Conservatory & Botanical Gardens / 1 Schenley Drive, Pittsburgh
Photo Credit: CC BY-SA 4.0
Pennsylvania: Phipps Conservatory & Botanical Gardens
Nestled inside Central Park is the 4-acre gem of Shakespeare Park, known for its winding stone paths and seasonally changing flora. If these trees could talk, they would tell you about the hundreds of thousands of proposals, the millions of wedding pictures, and the countless numbers of passionate kisses, warm hugs, and giddy smiles they have witnessed over the decades.
Ratings:
Tripadvisor excellent rating: More than 50%
Shakespeare Garden in Central Park / West side at 79th / Photo Credit: CC BY-SA 3.0
New York: Shakespeare Garden
Connecticut: Bartlett Arboretum and Gardens
New Jersey: The Frelinghuysen Arboretum
Fuller Gardens is perfect for weddings and wedding photos, offering spots near the Japanese garden, the koi pond, or the front garden. And did we mention the rose gardens? Designed in the Colonial Revival style, hundreds of varieties of meticulously maintained rose bushes line paths leading to the greenhouses and turn-of-the-century estate.
Ratings:
Tripadvisor excellent rating: More than 50%
Fuller Gardens / 10 Willow Avenue, North Hampton
New Hampshire: Fuller Gardens
At Tower Hill Botanic Garden, you can easily get lost together, from the apple orchard to the inner park. Spend the day exploring all 17 gardens and plants from all over the world.
Ratings:
Wedding Wire: 4.7 out of 5 stars
Tripadvisor excellent rating: Over 70%
Tower Hill Botanic Garden / 11 French Dr, Boylston
Massachusetts: Tower Hill Botanic Garden
Built in 1785, the Georgian mansion Hamilton House and surrounding gardens are a historic national landmark. Pack a picnic lunch or dinner to enjoy in a spot overlooking the Salmon Falls River. Then, stroll through the perennial garden and take some photos in front of the garden cottage.
Ratings:
Wedding Wire: 4.3 out of 5 stars
Hamilton House / 40 Vaughans Ln, South Berwick / Photo Credit: CC BY-SA 4.0
Maine: Hamilton House
The Winterthur Museum is fascinating, but not nearly as breathtaking as the surrounding gardens. If your date goes really well, a Winterthur wedding could be in the cards. The garden has won Wedding Wire’s “Couple’s Choice” award for three years in a row.
Ratings:
Wedding Wire: 4.9 out of 5 stars
Tripadvisor excellent rating: More than 70%
Winterthur Museum and Garden / 5105 Kennett Pike, Wilmington
Delaware: Winterthur Museum and Garden
A winter walk among the collection of magnolias at Bartlett Arboretum and Gardens is the perfect date-time activity. Return in the spring to see the magnificent display along Magnolia Drive. Visit the conifer gardens and don’t miss the collection of nut trees.
Ratings:
Tripadvisor excellent rating: Well over 50%
Bartlett Arboretum and Gardens / 151 Brookdale Rd, Stamford / Photo Credit: CC By SA-3.0
Southeast region (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia)
Mississippi: Rosalie Mansion and Gardens
Known for its colorful landscapes and deep forestry, West Virginia is no stranger to fertile, natural beauty. Visit the West Virginia Botanic Garden for your next romantic jaunt through the countryside and you’ll be pleasantly engulfed in the showy plant life, reflective ponds and the wild woodland. Walk hand in hand through the rhododendron garden or hike one of the many scenic trails.
Ratings:
Tripadvisor excellent rating: 50%
West Virginia Botanic Garden / 1061 Tyrone Rd, Cheat Lake
West Virginia: West Virginia Botanic Garden
While peak season may be a draw for most garden-goers, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden promises a memorable experience year-round. Walk through the Asian Valley, see the cherry trees, then kick up the romance in the Cochrane Rose Garden. If it’s too cool for an outdoor jaunt, no need to change your plans. The 11,000-square-foot Conservatory houses seasonal displays and exotic plants from around the world.
Ratings:
Wedding Wire: 4.2 out of 5 stars
Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden / 1800 Lakeside Ave, Richmond / Photo Credit: CC BY-SA 2.0
Virginia: Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden
Want to feel like you’re the only ones on an exotic island, surrounded by flowers and spirited, swooping delight? Parrot Mountain & Gardens is home to a menagerie of color. Tropical birds enhance the landscape with their flamboyance and vividly bright decadence. Grab a lunch at the cafe and a picture at the rushing waterfall to carve out this memory as one you’ll never forget.
Ratings:
Tripadvisor excellent rating: Nearly 90%
Parrot Mountain & Gardens / 1471 McCarter Hollow Rd., Pigeon Forge
Tennessee: Parrot Mountain & Gardens
Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, the oldest public garden in America, is a gem for romantics with a sense of history. This majestic estate opened to tourists in 1870, and the garden is unique and untethered: Groundskeepers do not mold and control the vegetation. Instead, they allow the natural beauty to take over, overflowing and filling space as it sees fit.
Ratings:
Wedding Wire: 4.9 out of 5 stars
Tripadvisor excellent rating: 50%
Magnolia Plantation & Gardens / 3550 Ashley River Rd, Charleston / Photo Credit: CC BY-SA 4.0
South Carolina: Magnolia Plantation and Gardens
Set on 55 acres of Duke’s campus, Sarah P. Duke Gardens remains a public botanical garden, overflowing with robust blossoms, lazy streams, and ever-changing foliage along pathways. A tasteful banquet hall is perfect for weddings and other memorable occasions.
Ratings:
Tripadvisor excellent rating: Nearly 85%
Sarah P. Duke Gardens / 420 Anderson St, Durham / Photo Credit: Picryl
North Carolina: Sarah P. Duke Gardens
A number of gardens surround the historic Rosalie Mansion. Step back in time as you walk through the Patricia Walton Shelby Bicentennial Garden, the Walter Reed Page Smith Garden, and the Janet Terreson Sims Memorial Rose Garden. Looking for a place to pop the question? The Bicentennial Garden has a gazebo with a view of the river.
Ratings:
Tripadvisor excellent rating: 70%
Rosalie Gardens / 100 Orleans St, Natchez
Alabama: Birmingham Botanical Gardens
Spring is the best time to enjoy a self-guided tour for two of Ladew Topiary Gardens. You’ll find more than 100 sculpted yews and shrubs on this 22-acre site, many of them replicas of ones Harvey Ladew admired in England. One of Baltimore’s glamorous gardens, Ladew is closed until April so save this garden for a spring fling with your lady or beau.
Ratings:
Wedding Wire: 5 out of 5 stars
Tripadvisor excellent rating: 67%
Ladew Topiary Gardens / 3535 Jarrettsville Pike, Monkton
Maryland: Ladew Topiary Gardens
The 14 gardens at Longue Vue House are enough to set a romantic scene, but it’s the 22 fountains on the 8-acre estate that will wow you. After touring the gardens, head inside the mansion for a tour. You’ll see an impressive art collection, including works by Picasso, Gabo, and Henri Laurens.
Ratings:
Tripadvisor excellent rating: 67%
Longue Vue Gardens / 7 Bamboo Rd, New Orleans / Photo Credit: CC BY-SA 4.0
Louisiana: Longue Vue House and Gardens
Perfect for a simple stroll or a romantic backdrop, Whitehall Formal Gardens offers itself as a picturesque wedding venue. The colorful gardens surround the expansive Whitehall estate mansion, and decorative urns and perfectly shaped hedges line the stone pathways.
Ratings:
Wedding Wire: 4.6 out of 5 stars
Tripadvisor excellent rating: Over 65%
Whitehall Formal Garden / 3110 Lexington Road, Louisville
Kentucky: Whitehall House and Gardens
The Atlanta Botanical Garden, next to Piedmont Park in Midtown, displays an array of orchids, and the romantic Kendeda Canopy Walk. The amazing topiaries throughout the garden will keep you in awe. There’s also the 600-foot long skywalk that puts you at eye-level with the treetops of the Storza Woods.
Ratings:
Wedding Wire: 4.6 out of 5 stars
Tripadvisor excellent rating: Over 75%
Atlanta Botanical Garden Wonderland Exhibit / 1345 Piedmont Ave NE / Photo credit: CC BY-SA 4.0
Georgia: Atlanta Botanical Garden
The nature trails that weave through the massive oak trees set the scene for romance at the Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park. The Tallahassee gardens surround Lake Hall, where you can go kayaking or paddleboarding. Enjoy the secret garden and reflecting pool surrounded by azaleas.
Ratings:
Wedding Wire: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Tripadvisor excellent rating: Over 60%
Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park / 3540 Thomasville Rd, Tallahassee / Photo Credit: CC BY-SA 4.0
Florida: Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park
You’ll find 30 separate gardens to wander through at Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Stroll through the Japanese, all-American, rose, or crepe myrtle garden. Like what you see? Stop by the gift shop on the way out for a botanical arrangement or souvenir.
Ratings:
Wedding Wire: 3.7 out of 5 stars
Tripadvisor: 4.5 stars
Birmingham Botanical Garden / 2612 Lane Park Road, Birmingham
Midwest region (Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Wisconsin)
Missouri: Botanical Garden
Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison is the perfect option for your next great escape as a couple. Stop to smell the aroma of the rose garden, take pictures at the Thai Pavilion, or step into the brilliance of the 50-foot tall pyramid shaped Conservatory. Wander the 16 acres of greenspace, snap pictures together, and share your lovely memories with your friends and family on Instagram.
Ratings:
Tripadvisor excellent rating: 80%
Olbrich Botanical Gardens / 3330 Atwood Ave, Madison / Photo Credit: Pixabay
Wisconsin: Olbrich Botanical Gardens
What’s more romantic than an outing to Shakespeare Garden? Pack your picnic, put on your favorite linen dress, grab your loved one, and set out to this picturesque countryside destination. It's modeled after the garden of the same name in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. This is a fairly small garden compared to others on our Most Romantic Gardens list, but Shakespeare Garden affords you an intimate setting and leisurely stroll through wildflowers, complete with a lily pond to tie up the English garden experience.
Ratings:
TripAdvisor excellent rating: 85%
Shakespeare Garden & Anne Hathaway Cottage / 501 Alene Ave. N, Wessington Springs / Photo Credit: CC0 1.0
South Dakota: Shakespeare Garden & Anne Hathaway Cottage
The Myriad Botanical Gardens are a 15-acre color-pop oasis with the Crystal Bridge Conservatory as a stunning, must-see focal point. With 750 varieties of plants, gushing waterfalls, and a skywalk, it’s the perfect picturesque setting for both lovebirds and newlyweds.
Ratings:
Wedding Wire: 4.6 out of 5 stars
Tripadvisor excellent rating: Nearly 75%
Myriad Botanical Gardens / 301 W Reno Ave, Oklahoma City / Photo Credit: CC BY-SA 4.0
Oklahoma: Myriad Botanical Gardens
At the Holden Arboretum you can walk hand-in-hand through the intoxicating butterfly garden or enjoy gazing out on the myriad of Ohio’s wildflowers. There’s plenty here to get your senses stimulated. Don’t forget to check out the whimsical displays of Patrick Dougherty’s Stickwork.
Ratings:
Wedding Wire: 4.8 out of 5 stars
Holden Arboretum / 9550 Sperry Rd, Kirtland / Photo Credit: CC BY-SA 4.0
Ohio: Holden Arboretum
The International Peace Gardens feature more than 80,000 flowering annuals providing bright pops of color, intricately planted in breathtaking designs. All those flowers are a stunning backdrop for photos documenting your budding romance.
Ratings:
Wedding Wire: 4 out of 5 stars
International Peace Gardens / 10939 Highway 281, Dunseith
North Dakota: International Peace Gardens
It’s hard to imagine Sunken Gardens now as anything but extravagant, but its sordid beginnings as a neighborhood dump site pale in comparison to the vibrancy of today’s living museum. The garden is transformed annually by a league of garden artists who redesign the 30,000 annuals, uniting them under one central theme. 2021’s theme is a rich romance called “Ruby Slippers.”
Ratings:
Wedding Wire: 4.7 out of 5 stars
Tripadvisor excellent rating: Over 70%
Sunken Gardens / S 27th St & Capitol Pkwy, Lincoln / Photo Credit: CC BY-SA 3.0
Nebraska: Sunken Gardens
This Missouri Botanical Garden is not just romantic, it’s living history. It’s the country’s oldest and longest-running botanical garden, earning it a spot on the National Historic registry. The Missouri Botanical Garden also offers one of the biggest orchid plant collections in the world.
Ratings:
Wedding Wire: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Tripadvisor excellent rating: Over 85%
Missouri Botanical Garden / 4344 Shaw Blvd, St. Louis
Arkansas: Garvan Woodland Gardens
We lumped these two together since the Munsinger and Clemens Gardens are adjacent and run by the city of St. Cloud. You’ll find ferns and hostas dotting the Munsinger Gardens. Enjoy the peacocks as you stroll the walkways along the Mississippi River. Then take the red brick road over to the Clemens Gardens and enjoy the beautiful colors. Both gardens are open year-round, and admission is free.
Ratings:
Wedding Wire: 4.6 out of 5 stars
Tripadvisor excellent rating: Nearly 75%
Clemens Gardens / 1301 Kilian Blvd. SE, Saint Cloud / Photo Credit: CC BY-SA 3.0
Minnesota: Munsinger and Clemens Gardens
Run by the University of Michigan, the 300-acre garden Matthaei Botanical Gardens in Ann Arbor features a bonsai and penjing garden, herb, medicinal, perennial, and wildfire gardens. With all that beauty around, it’s easy to see why Matthaei is considered one of the most beautiful college gardens and arboretums. Bonus points: Admission to the gardens and the adjoining Nichols Arboretum is free.
Ratings:
Wedding Wire: 4.2 out of 5 stars
Matthaei Botanical Gardens / 1800 N Dixboro Rd, Ann Arbor / Photo credit: CC BY-SA 3.0
Michigan: Matthaei Botanical Gardens
Botanica Wichita’s gardens showcase natural beauty and bountiful color on a sprawling 17 acres of land in the heart of downtown. Botanica also is home to a colorful butterfly garden and interactive butterfly house. Admission for the month of February is only $5. Talk about a sweet deal!
Ratings:
Wedding Wire: 3.7 out of 5 stars
Tripadvisor excellent rating: 75%
The Wichita Gardens / 701 Amidon St, Wichita / Photo Credit: CC BY-SA 2.0
Kansas: Botanica Wichita
Walk the prairie paths at Brenton Arboretum and bask in the glow of a setting sun surrounded by tree silhouettes. That’s sure to set aflutter the hearts of you and your significant other’s hearts. The arboretum has more than 2,500 different trees and shrubs, along with a wide variety of perennial flowers and native grasses, and is known for its seasonal hues.
Ratings:
Wedding Wire: 5 of 5 stars
Tripadvisor excellent rating: Nearly 90%
The Brenton Arboretum / 25141 260th St, Dallas Center
Iowa: The Brenton Arboretum
Wellfield Botanic Gardens is the perfect site for lazy weekday meanderings or wedding venue rentals -- either way, romance is in the air for all who stroll this colorful landscape. This Elkhart landmark also features a children’s garden full of color and interactive activities. And make sure to peruse the Japanese-inspired Island Garden, with three separate mini islands.
Ratings:
Tripadvisor excellent rating: Over 75%
Wellfield Botanic Gardens / 1011 N Main St, Elkhart
Indiana: Wellfield Botanic Gardens
Whether you come during the snow-laden winter, or for full bloom in springtime, it’s easy to see why Chicago Botanic Garden made our Most Romantic Gardens list. The landscape alone offers a wide range of romantic photo ops, chock full of vegetation and peaceful garden scenes. And with more than 25 different garden sites, complete with natural and man-made archways and coverings, it allows for a perfectly framed backdrop for your next cozy couple memory.
Ratings:
Wedding Wire: 4.9 out of 5 stars
Tripadvisor excellent rating: Just over 85%
Chicago Botanic Garden / 1000 Lake Cook Rd, Glencoe / Photo Credit: CC BY-SA 2.0
Illinois: Chicago Botanic Garden
The Garvan Woodland Gardens are off the beaten path, about an hour away from Little Rock, but it’s well worth the drive. Part of the University of Arkansas, the botanical gardens sit in the secluded Ouachita Mountains in the southwest part of the state. The year-round blooms make for a perfect wedding background as well as a romantic walk around Lake Hamilton.
Ratings:
Wedding Wire: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Tripadvisor excellent rating: Nearly 80%
Garvan Woodland Gardens / 550 Arkridge Rd, Hot Springs National Park
Western region (Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wyoming)
Nevada: Ethel M. Chocolates Cactus Garden
A cherished wedding venue, the 9-acre Cheyenne Botanic Gardens offers a year-round vegetable garden, a Peace Garden, the Discovery Pond, and a Garden Labyrinth to get lost in. Make a date with your date to explore the tropical paradise and Orangerie of the Conservatory. If it’s love at first sight, scope out a setting to take your vows surrounded by greenery.
Ratings:
Tripadvisor excellent rating: Over 50%
Cheyenne Botanic Gardens / 710 S. Lions Park Drive, Cheyenne
Wyoming: Cheyenne Botanic Gardens
Take your romantic interest on a tour of the world at Heronwood Garden where you’ll see plants from Vietnam, Chile, Tasmania and New Zealand. The garden, begun as a natural retreat for plants from across the globe, has recently been restored and upgraded with three new gardens under development. Reactivate your romance just as this magical grandscape has done, working from the ground up.
Ratings:
Wedding Wire: 4 out of 5 stars
Heronswood Garden / 31912 Little Boston Rd, NE Kingston / Photo Credit: Brenda Ryan
Washington: Heronswood Garden
If you and yours truly are looking for a romantic way to end the week, Red Butte Garden’s 100 acres are packed full of greenery and ever-returning springtime sprouts. If you want to make a day of the date, venture out onto the five miles of hiking trails that wind their way through the colorful landscape.
Ratings:
Wedding Wire: 4.9 out of 5 stars
Red Butte Garden / 300 Wakara Way, Salt Lake City / Photo Credit: CC BY-SA 3.0
Utah: Red Butte Garden
Zilker Botanical Garden, full of secluded, flowery spaces, is a premier location for milling about in the company of someone special. And don’t forget to bring your loved one along to visit the calming stillness of the Isamu Taniguchi Japanese Garden.
Ratings:
Wedding Wire: 4.2 out of 5 stars
Zilker Botanical Garden/ 2220 Barton Springs Rd, Austin / Photo Credit: CC BY-SA 3.0
Texas: Zilker Botanical Garden
At the Portland Japanese Garden, you and your loved one will experience peaceful tranquility surrounded by lavish natural beauty. Full of calming streams and naturally-weathered traditional Japanese architecture, the warmth and beauty will make both of you forget the burdens of everyday life.
Ratings:
Tripadvisor excellent rating: 66%
Portland Japanese Garden / 611 SW Kingston Ave, Portland / Photo Credit: CC BY-SA 3.0
Oregon: Portland Japanese Garden
Santa Fe Botanical Garden’s Orchard Gardens are home to plenty of fruit trees flanked by a beautiful green meadow garden. If that sounds like the ideal spot for a Valentine’s Day photo with your sweetheart, you will have more to spend on a romantic dinner afterward because admission is free on Valentine’s Day for New Mexico residents and students.
Ratings:
Tripadvisor excellent rating: About 50%
Santa Fe Botanical Garden / 725 Camino Lejo, Santa Fe / Photo credit: CC SA-BY 4.0
New Mexico: Santa Fe Botanical Garden
What more can you ask for this Valentine’s Day than a leisurely stroll through a botanical cactus garden while savoring delicate, hand-made chocolates? Featuring acres of ornamental cacti and succulents, these drought-tolerant, spiny specimens are sure to prick your fancy. Then visit the chocolate factory for self-guided viewing tours ending with an extensive array of sugary confections. Sweet memories are made of this.
Ratings:
Tripadvisor excellent rating: 50%
Ethel M. Chocolates and Cactus Garden / 2 Cactus Garden Dr, Henderson / Photo Credit: Flickr
Alaska: Alaska Botanical Garden
Touted as “Billings’ best-kept secret,” DanWalt Gardens offers winding paths through rich colors amid bursting blooms, tranquil water features, and majestic statues. Open May 1 to October 15, DanWalt Gardens can be booked year-round for special engagements -- and the weddings that follow.
Ratings:
Wedding Wire: 4.8 out of 5 stars
Tripadvisor excellent rating: Over 80%
DanWalt Gardens / 720 Washington Street, Billings
Montana: DanWalt Gardens
Designed by a Zen Buddhist monk, Sawtooth Botanical Garden’s waterfalls, reflecting ponds, and rock art were created to impress the14th Dalai Lama, who visited and blessed the garden in 2005. Take a bottle of bubbly with you as the two of you walk along the babbling brook. Half of Tripadvisor reviewers give it an excellent rating.
Ratings:
Tripadvisor excellent rating: 50%
Sawtooth Botanical Gardens / 11 Gimlet Rd, Ketchum
Idaho: Sawtooth Botanical Garden
It’s tough to pin down the most romantic garden in Hawaii, but visitors and locals agree: It’s hard to top the Kula Botanical Garden on the slopes of the Haleakala volcano. Both the large and small gazebos are popular for weddings. The garden features 8 acres of colorful plants along with several waterfalls, a koi pond, and a carved tiki exhibit.
Ratings:
Wedding Wire: 5 out of 5 stars
Tripadvisor excellent rating: 41%
Kula Botanical Garden / 638 Kekaulike Avenue, Kula, Maui
Hawaii: Kula Botanical Garden
The romance doesn’t have to end after you walk down the aisle. Denver Botanic Gardens offers a family “make and take valentines” week. Explore the shapes, textures, and colors of dried flowers and create your own cards.
Ratings:
Wedding Wire: 4.1 out of 5 stars
Tripadvisor excellent rating: More than 75%
Denver Botanic Gardens / 1007 York St, Denver
Colorado: Denver Botanic Gardens
Romance is in the air, along with the butterflies at Balboa Park. Bring a picnic lunch or dinner and enjoy it with your significant other among the water lilies and towering trees.
Ratings:
Wedding Wire: 4.6 out of 5 stars
Tripadvisor excellent rating: Nearly 75%
The Botanical Garden in Balboa Park / 1549 El Prado, San Diego / Photo Credit: CC By-SA 4.0
California: The Botanical Garden in Balboa Park
Nothing says “aloe you very much” better than meandering through Desert Botanical Garden’s succulents. It’s the perfect date-night place, complete with Phoenix musicians to serenade you.
Ratings:
Wedding Wire: 4.6 out of 5 stars
Tripadvisor excellent rating: 75%
Desert Botanical Garden / 1201 N. Galvin Pkwy, Phoenix / Photo credit: CC BY-SA 2.0
Arizona: Desert Botanical Garden
If you thought Anchorage was covered with nothing but snow, you haven’t visited the romantic Alaska Botanical Gardens. Walk along the Wildflower Trail to see the native Alaskan wildflowers. Watch the salmon spawn at Campbell Creek. The cozy dinner for two in the garden sold out fast, but the “Valentine’s Light in the Garden” has plenty of room. The garden’s staff promises a few surprises and Valentine photo ops.
Ratings:
Tripadvisor excellent rating: Nearly 50%
Alaska Botanical Garden / 4601 Campbell Airstrip Rd, Anchorage / Photo credit: CC BY-SA 4.0
3 Highlights of Romantic Gardens
The Most Romantic Gardens in the U.S. are:
Beautiful Outside and Indoors
Flowers need rain to blossom, but you and your best bud may not want to get soaked while taking in the atmosphere. Pennsylvania’s Phipps Conservatory & Botanical Gardens and other gardens we chose have greenhouses to enjoy on those less-than-perfect days.
Mystical, Not Massive
Some of the most beguiling gardens are smaller and less popular. New Jersey’s Frelinghuysen Arboretum and many of the other gardens we chose offer a sense of intimacy for you and your beau. So once you’ve found a place you two can cherish, mums the word.
Picture Perfect
Whether you’re looking for a place to wed, propose, or for that first date, you want a setting that is a perfect backdrop for memorable photos. For example, New Hampshire’s Fullerton Gardens has flowers, trees, and privacy — all paramount for Instagram photos you two will want to share.
Main Photo Credit: Pexels
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