From cacti in the American desert to moss in a Japanese temple: The incredible GARDENS you can visit around the world

Most of us imagine a garden is made up of flower beds, a grassy lawn and maybe some trees.

But there are incredible floral and fauna collections around the world that are considered gardens. And in some, the plants are almost secondary to the architecture, like the water fountains of Villa d'Este in Tivoli, Italy.

Indeed, many countries have different ideas about what a garden is and here, MailOnline Travel rounds up some of the wonderful places you can visit.

Butchart Gardens, British Columbia, Canada

The first of the Butchart Gardens, the sunken garden, was established from the remains of a limestone quarry by Jennie Butchart

The collection later expanded to include a Japanese (pictured), Italian, Mediterranean and rose garden thanks to its micro-climates

Butchart Gardens on Vancouver Island, BC, is actually a series of separate gardens.

The first one, the sunken garden, was established from the remains of a limestone quarry by Jennie Butchart, whose husband had a cement business based at the quarry.

Later, the gardens expanded to include a Japanese, Italian, Mediterranean and rose garden thanks to the micro-climates created by the sheltered environment.

The result is an award-winning collection of gardens that are worth visiting all year round.

Entry starts from CAD$17.75 (£9.69) for adults and varies seasonally. In the summer, performances on the lawns are also included in the ticket price.

www.butchartgardens.com