Dragon-inspired Sity by Sonik Module

Bulgarian firm Sonik Module has designed this unusual structure for Shanghai’s city center as part of its design entry in the Re-Thinking Shanghai 2012 competition. The project was considered for the redevelopment of an area along the Suzhou Creek in Shanghai. The structure traverses over an artificially created river and park system 

Flower Paradise at Hitachi Seaside Park, Japan

Hitachi Seaside Park, located in Hitachinaka, Ibaraki prefecture, Japan, next to the Ajigaura Beach, is a flower park and a popular tourist destination. The park covers an area of 3.5 hectares and the flowers are amazing all year round. Each season you will find a different variety of flower blossoming over the “Miharashi No Oka”, a hill commanding a panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean. The park is particularly famous for blue nemophilas. Nemophilas are annual flowers with transparent blue petals. During spring, more than 4.5 million blue nemophilas bloom all over the park. The blooming period is called “Nemophilia Harmony” and attracts many visitors.

Aside from nemophilas, the park has about a million daffodils blooming amidst the pine trees, about 170 varieties of tulips and many other flowers. Filled with woods, gardens, a mini amusement area and cycling courses sprinkled throughout the park, Hitachi Seaside Park is a must-see for anyone venturing to Japan.

Dalston Roof Park London

A mere hop, skip and ladylike stumble from Dalston Kingsland station is the Print House, a four-storey former factory which is home to the innovative Bootstrap Company and the annual outing of the Dalston Roof Park. Designed by Zector Architects it’s a staggering space - and not just because of the views over the City. A whopping great solar panel turns the roof into a long L-shape, and dozens of grow-bags full of spring blooms lead to a wooden shack at the far end.The shack is a pop-up bar, complete with frozen margarita machine. The Roof Park’s summer events calendar includes small productions by the nearby Arcola Theatre, outdoor film screenings and gigs, rooftop foodie evenings plus barbecues put on by local restaurants. It’s free to visit the roof garden, you just have to become a friend of Dalston Roof Park, which is as easy as walking into into the ground-floor gallery at the Print House and picking up a card.

As you’d expect from a roof park, the view is amazing and it’s a great place to see the regeneration of Dalston happening in front of you.

Rooftop Open Spaces and Gardens  Chicago

Saiki Peace Memorial Park by Earthscape

Landscape Design: EARTHSCAPE/Eiki Danzuka
Completion: 1995
Location: 3-3 Tsuruyamachi Saiki-city Oita, Japan
Type: Public Park

The old naval facilities on this site, which was a former naval port, were dismantled and the area transformed into a park,before being opened to the public. The large open air is covered by grass and the main spaces are defined as geometric forms by the white paths cutting through it. These simple pathways are dressed with such things as river boulders as well as bout forms, and abstract interpretations of natural flow patterns in Saiki. To these, we constructed mounds, pools and monuments to form a harmonious whole through which the movement of people would become organically involved.

A Medieval castle rising dramatically above a celebrated garden.

Powis Castle Wales is a  medieval castle on a rock, with a seventeenth century garden. It has a great late-renaissance terrace garden which steps down the hill. It is the nearest thing to a Tuscan renaissance garden in the British Isles. The terraces were built in the seventeenth century (c1680) and are shown in an engraving of 1742. The valley floor has been, successively, a water garden, a landscape park by William Emes, a kitchen garden and, now, a flower garden. The terraces at Powis Castle have sculpture, fantastically mounded yew trees, and National Trust planting.

The world-famous garden, overhung with clipped yews, shelters rare and tender plants. Laid out under the influence of Italian and French styles, it retains its original lead statues and an orangery on the terraces. High on a rock above the terraces, the castle, originally built circa 1200, began life as a medieval fortress.

Remodelled and embellished over more than 400 years, it reflects the changing needs and ambitions of the Herbert family - each generation adding to the magnificent collection of paintings, sculpture, furniture and tapestries.

A superb collection of treasures from India is displayed in the Clive Museum.

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Welcome to Tatton Park

Tatton Park is one of the UK’s most complete historic estates.  It is home to a Tudor Old Hall, Neo-Classical Mansion, 50 acres of landscaped gardens, a rare-breed farm and 1,000 acres of deer park. Our speciality shops, restaurant, adventure playground, events and educational programmes combine to make Tatton one of the most popular family days out in the North West.

The Old Hall was the estate manor house until the late 17th century, when work commenced on a new house. The Neo Classical Mansion, is celebrated for its Gillows furniture and collection of ceramics, paintings and books. The library collection is considered one of the finest in the National Trust.

50 acres of beautiful gardens reflect over 250 years of garden design.The gardens are renowned for their remarkable glasshouses, the Japanese Garden, considered the finest in Europe and the extensive Kitchen Gardens.

The working rare-breed farm is a must-see for our family visitors. Meet our rare breed cattle, horses, sheep, pigs, goats, poultry and donkeys and take part in themed events throughout the year.

Herds of Red and Fallow deer roam freely in 1,000 acres of parkland. The meres, woodlands and rough grassland provide a perfect habitat for wildlife. The parkland is a stunning setting for a leisurely stroll or high-octane cycle. Children adore the adventure playground.

Tatton hosts over 100 events a year including the RHS Flower Show, Summer Picnic Concerts with the Hallé Orchestra, car shows, antiques fairs and much more.

For nearly 400 years the estate was the property of the Egerton family until it was bequeathed to the National Trust in 1958. It is financed and maintained by Cheshire East Council.

Tatton Park was the winner of Cheshire’s Large Visitor Attraction of the Year 2009 and 2010.

Welcome to Tatton Park

Tatton Park is one of the UK’s most complete historic estates.  It is home to a Tudor Old Hall, Neo-Classical Mansion, 50 acres of landscaped gardens, a rare-breed farm and 1,000 acres of deer park. Our speciality shops, restaurant, adventure playground, events and educational programmes combine to make Tatton one of the most popular family days out in the North West.

The Old Hall was the estate manor house until the late 17th century, when work commenced on a new house. The Neo Classical Mansion, is celebrated for its Gillows furniture and collection of ceramics, paintings and books. The library collection is considered one of the finest in the National Trust.

50 acres of beautiful gardens reflect over 250 years of garden design.The gardens are renowned for their remarkable glasshouses, the Japanese Garden, considered the finest in Europe and the extensive Kitchen Gardens.

The working rare-breed farm is a must-see for our family visitors. Meet our rare breed cattle, horses, sheep, pigs, goats, poultry and donkeys and take part in themed events throughout the year.

Herds of Red and Fallow deer roam freely in 1,000 acres of parkland. The meres, woodlands and rough grassland provide a perfect habitat for wildlife. The parkland is a stunning setting for a leisurely stroll or high-octane cycle. Children adore the adventure playground.

Tatton hosts over 100 events a year including the RHS Flower Show, Summer Picnic Concerts with the Hallé Orchestra, car shows, antiques fairs and much more.

For nearly 400 years the estate was the property of the Egerton family until it was bequeathed to the National Trust in 1958. It is financed and maintained by Cheshire East Council.

Tatton Park was the winner of Cheshire’s Large Visitor Attraction of the Year 2009 and 2010.

•  Butchart Gardens Canada II
• One of the most beautiful gardens in the world, located just outside of Victoria on Vancouver Island, BC, Canada
• Robert Pim and Jennie Butchart bought a property at Tod Inlet in 1904 as a convenient place to live while operating their adjoining limestone quarry. When the quarry closed, Jennie decided to make it into a garden. Her descendents continue to manage the gardens and additions are still in progress. There is an Italian Garden, a Japanese Garden, a Sunken Garden, a Rose Garden and a Star Pond. The gardens are a very popular visitor attraction.

Contemporary Garden Designs

The Horta Maze was created when a Catalan aristocrat decided to convert an old, extensive family property at the end of the 18th century. The garden’s layout, buildings and ornamentation were designed by Bagutti – an Italian architect – and Delvalet – a French gardener. It was enlarged in the mid-19th century, this part adopting a romantic style. In 1969 the family reached an agreement with Barcelona City Council who acquired the estate and opened it to the public. Restoration works began in 1993. Although the extraordinary maze is the best known part of the gardens, its other areas, statues and especially its luxuriant vegetation make a visit thoroughly enjoyable.