The 9 Most Bizarre Gardens in the World

Which Bizarre Gardens?

Usually, when we picture a grand garden, the idea we initially have in mind is to find one that is obviously pleasing to the eye. But what does that mean exactly? Gardens are some of the world’s most sought-after outdoor areas.

They’re a place to stop, reconnect, and reflect on the wonders of our world. Maybe even enjoy a picnic, surrounded by all that nature offers. But some gardens are much more unique than others.

We’ve found some fantastic, sometimes peculiar, and even deadly gardens that aren’t just a typical bed of roses. While botanical gardens offer a look at beautiful plants and the delicacy of nature, these bizarre gardens offer things that can’t be seen anywhere else on Earth.

Some even remind us of the dangers of the natural world. Others show the perseverance of nature in hostile environments. And others can be a testament to the force of human creation long after habitation.

These growing spaces are much more than pretty flower beds and deserve a dedicated trip of their very own.

Keep reading to see 9 of the most bizarre gardens the world has to offer!

Tarot Garden: Tuscany, Italy

A lot is happening at the Tarot Garden in Tuscany if we’re talking about aesthetics. But you shouldn’t expect anything less than exquisite disarray from the mind behind this project, French artist Niki de Saint Phalle.

Over two decades, the painter/sculptor recruited dozens of artists to help her fill out the phantasmagorical sculpture garden, which she finally opened to the public in 1998 and now welcomes over 100,000 visitors each year.

The property includes more than 20 sculptures and, according to de Saint Phalle herself, was designed to be “a small Eden where man and nature meet.” The Tarot Garden is an open-air art exhibition based on the 22 representations on the tarot cards.

The sculptures in this bizarre garden are larger than life, and they are even interactive. You can climb on them, go inside, and walk around them. They’re actually so large that one of them became the artist’s home while she brought her vision to life.

Minneapolis Sculpture Garden: Minneapolis, Minnesota

This “Bizarre Garden” contains 40 permanent installations that spread out across 11 acres. The Minneapolis Sculpture Garden is the most extensive sculpture garden in the US.

At the heart of this bizarre garden is the iconic “Spoonbridge and Cherry,” a peculiar fountain that displays a cherry located on the end of a spoon that’s connecting two pieces of land, and it’s broken up by a pond.

The peculiarity continues at the nearby Walker Art Center, a partner of the Sculpture Garden. It has thousands of works on display, mainly focusing on the “casual, performing, and media arts of our time.”

Overhanging Gardens of Marqueyssac: Vezac, France

These bizarre gardens, which opened in 1997, will offer you an unbelievable picturesque view of the Dordogne Valley and attains a style that can only be described as Alice in Wonderland meets Downton Abbey.

A garden that contains roaming peacocks is arguably in-and-of-itself enough to warrant a whimsical status. Still, the Overhanging Gardens of Marqueyssac goes one step further by surrounding its walkways.

It’s a “walking garden,” with boxwoods that almost feel cartoonish in their objectively simple shape. If you decide to visit, you’ll find there a total of 150,000 incredible displays, so be sure to bring your camera along!

If you like bizarre places, check this out: 8 Fascinating Yet Bizarre Places Weirder Than the Bermuda Triangle

The Poison Garden: Alnwick, England

You’ve undoubtedly heard of this bizarre garden at some point in your life, though I’m not sure if I would recommend visiting it! As its name suggests, every plant you find here poses a considerable risk to your health, and that’s what makes it so fascinating.

Luckily, a visit to the Alnwick Garden’s Poison Garden can only be arranged through a guided tour. And if you do happen to book one, you should expect to see roughly 100 toxic plants, including one that produces cyanide and another that can give you blisters for up to seven years.

Hmm, that doesn’t sound like a fun weekend getaway to me!

Lost Gardens of Heligan: Cornwall, England

Heligan is actually one of the most mystifying manors in England. It was lost to the brambles of time since the outbreak of World War 1, and this Sleeping Beauty was re-awakened in the early nineties to become Europe’s largest garden restoration project.

Spread out on more than 200 acres and containing the “UK’s only jungle,” these Lost Gardens are probably most recognized by the three particularly whimsical leafy sculptures they have: The Mudmaid, the Giant’s Head of Heligan, and the Grey Lady.

Visiting here feels like a trip inside a storybook. One that’s 200 years old! While visiting this bizarre garden, be sure to check out the “Pineapple Pit” on the land!

Nong Nooch Tropical Botanical Garden: Chonburi, Thailand

Spanning across 500 acres, this dazzling beauty has multiple themed gardens, restaurants, and rental houses on the property. The bizarre gardens have a wide variety of exhibits and beautiful exotic flowers from worldwide that attracts various insects and birdlife.

Their famous ‘Thai Cultural and Elephant’ shows are probably the star attraction of this getaway. But the real beauty is the stunning garden around it.

A stroll down the paths will bring you face to face with several butterflies and birds flickering among the lovely flowers and plants. The gardens have been elaborately landscaped, and there are a lot of different and unique sections to go through.

There’s a European-style garden with stunning sculptures that adorn it, a vibrant umbrella garden, A French garden, and very captivating butterfly gardens. Just make sure you don’t forget to check out the orchids that Thailand is famous for if you ever visit.

Topiary Park: Columbus, Ohio

If you’re a fan of post-impressionist painting, landscape architecture, gardening, or just things that look like other things, then you’ll love Topiary Park. This bizarre garden is a landscape architect’s and an artist’s dream come to life!

It spans 7 acres in downtown Columbus, and the green space sits framing what used to be the Ohio School for the Deaf in the 19th century.

But it has since become a re-make by Ohio artist James T. Mason, known for his famous post-Impressionist painting: A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, which depicts lots of people in the shape of bushes enjoying a day out at the park.

If you love bizarre gardens, you might also like: I’ve Visited 7 of the Most Bizarre Small Towns in America…And They’re a Best Kept Secret!

Gardens by the Bay: Singapore

With its manmade, massive Supertrees that are, at their tops, connected by walkways, this Singapore staple is visually astonishing, especially when surrounded by fireworks.

And if those incredible vertical gardens aren’t enough, the Bay also features a misty cloud forest that shelters rare flora as well as the largest indoor waterfall on the planet.

An essential part of Singapore’s “City in a Garden” vision, Gardens by the Bay spans a whopping 101 hectares of prime land at the center of Singapore’s new downtown, Marina Bay.

Forming three waterfront gardens, Bay South, Bay East, and Bay Central, Gardens by the Bay showcases horticulture and bizarre garden artistry that will bring the world of plants to Singapore and introduce Singapore to the world.

Rock Garden of Chandigarh: Chandigarh, India

This bizarre garden was a pet project of late government official Nek Chand Sani, who began work on it in 1957. The rock garden near Sukhna Lake is made from discarded, and recycled items, including home waste, glasses, and pots Nek Chand Sani found around the city.

After 18 years, Sani learned that the 40-plus-acre land he’d been working on, which now contained an overflowing number of sculptures, was actually an off-limits conservation area.

But when authorities with plans for demolition began to close in, public support saved the day! In 1976, the site was officially opened to the public, and Sani was even granted a staff of 50 people to assist him in finishing his plans.

So have bizarre gardens made your bucket list? If not, we may have something else you would like. Check out: 10 Inspiring Forgotten Ruins Reclaimed By Nature