Historical Gardens of the World Quiz

Answer: Sun King

Louis XIV, known as the "Sun King" due to his belief in his absolute power to rule, began the Versailles garden project in 1661. He retained André Le Nôtre, a gardner with no specialized training, to design and guide construction of the magnificent grounds of the Versailles palace. Over decades, the gardens spanned over 2,000 acres and were laid out in geometric patterns of paths, flowerbeds, and topiaries.

There are over 600 fountains and a large Grand Cancal in the shape of a cross. Various groves of trees contain hidden, smaller gardens that also house some of the 400 statues sprinkled throughout the area. A large greenhouse also showcases citrus trees, some of which are over 200 years old. Every century, the gardens are replanted to maintain the Sun King's wish of perfection.

Answer: World's oldest botanical garden

This garden was founded as a medicinal vegetable garden of the city of Padua, Italy, in 1545 and is the oldest botanical garden in the world. It was built so that the University of Padova's students could learn to recognize the "simple herbs" more easily and was surrounded by high walls to protect its precious plants. It still preserves its original layout - a square inside a circular central plot, symbolizing the world, surrounded by a ring of water. The square is divided into quarters, each named for a giant, ancient tree that grows there.

There is a large collection of medicinal and insectivorous plants. There is also a whole section dedicated to historical trees. One such example is a Goethe's Palm (also known as St. Peter's Palm) dating back to 1585, the oldest in the garden. It is said to have inspired the German writer Goethe, who visited Padua in the autumn of 1786, to develop his theory on the metamorphosis of plants. Due to the fact that the garden served as an introduction to many plants in Europe and has deep ties to history, it was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.

Answer: South Africa

When Cecil Rhodes died in 1902, he bequeathed a large area of land on the eastern slope of Table Mountain in Cape Town, Africa, to be set aside as a botanical garden. In 1913 the garden was established and Harold Pearson laid it out with sweeping lawns interspersed with flowers, local plants, and water features. All of this used Table Mountain as the background to the vista.

The garden contains over 7000 plant species, with the majority being local to the scrubland and forested areas nearby. There are massive tropical palm trees and a tree canopy walkway that winds in and out of the forest and gives amazing views of the gardens below. Kirstenbosch also boasts about 300,000 dried plant specimens.

Answer: The Poison Garden

Alnwick Castle, in the county of Northumberland in the UK, dates back to 1096. In the 1750s, the Duke of Northumberland created gardens around the castle that was maintained and updated for over 150 years. After WWII, the grounds fell into disrepair and it was not until 1997 when Jane Percy, Duchess of Northumberland, began to redevelop the gardens and it opened to the public in 2001.

The garden contains over 4000 plant varieties, including large areas of blooming, seasonal flowers. It also has a labyrinth made of bamboo plants and the largest wooden treehouse in the world as of 2025. There are numerous water features, including a Grand Cascade with a water show. There is also a huge collection of Taihaku cherry trees that burst into bloom in the spring.

A very unique part of the garden is a section entitled "The Poison Garden" and houses over 100 toxic plants. It is enclosed by iron fencing and can only be viewed on special tours for visitors' safety.

Answer: China

Henry Huntington, a railroad tycoon, was a collector of beautiful things including art, rare books, and pleasing gardens, In the early 1910s, he and his wife turned a California ranch into an art museum, library, and botanical garden. It encompasses over 130 acres for the public to view and is divided into multiple themed sections.

One of the most popular is the China Garden, or as it is called, the "Garden of Flowing Fragrance". For many years, it has held the title of the largest Chinese garden outside of China. It was designed based on the famous gardens of Suzhou, a city located near Shanghai in southeastern China. It has symbolic plants, serene locales, authentic architecture, multiple water features, and Chinese limestone rock formations.

Other sections include areas devoted to Japan, Australia, California, herbs, jungles, roses, and even Shakespeare.

Answer: True

The Yu garden was built in 1559 by Pan Yunduan in Shanghai as a comfort for his father, Pan En, in his old age. The full name of the garden, Yuyuan, means "pleasing to one's parents". It was privately owned through the centuries, until the government repaired it and opened it to the public in 1961. It covers five acres and is known for having over 40 scenic spots.

One of these spots is the "Exquisite Jade Rock". Belying its name, it is actually made of Taihu rock, a form of limestone which allows water and incense smoke to flow through its numerous openings. This kind of rock, along with Lingbi and Yingde, make up the three famous Chinese rock types.

The garden is laid out in six sections including a rockery with caves and gorges, an area with aged ginkgo trees, a water corridor, and pagodas with furniture dating back to the Ming dynasty. Iron lions and walls decorated with dragons divide the different sections.

Answer: Non-producing quarry

Coming from Ontario, husband and wife, Robert and Jennie Butchart moved to Vancouver Island in 1904 to build a cement plant on a limestone deposit. In 1912, the limestone quarry was no longer producing and Jennie decided to build a beautiful garden to "give back to the land". The garden grew into 55 acres and is still privately owned by the family but open to the public.

The first part of the garden that was created was the Sunken Garden that resulted from the quarry. It boasts 151 flower beds while containing an impressive assortment of flowers, trees, and shrubs. There is also a rose garden, an Italian garden, and a Mediterranean garden. There are also amazing water features and a delightful bronze boar statue. It is believed that rubbing this statue's nose will bring the person good luck.

Answer: Baroque

The Wilanow Palace was built for King John III Sobieski starting in 1677. It also included elaborate gardens surrounding the palace in different tiers. It is currently comprised of over 100 acres including woodlands.

One of the areas to explore is the Baroque Garden section. This is based on the elaborate style that flourished between the late 1500s and the early 1700s. This involves multiple levels with ornamentation and topiary and citrus trees in gilded planters.

There is also a rose garden, an area celebrating Chinese landscaping, various canals with viewing spots, and an orangery dedicated to growing citrus and exotic plants. Sculptures, statues, and fountains are found throughout the areas and the palace itself is a well-preserved piece of history.

Answer: Frederick the Great

Sanssouci Palace and its garden area was commissioned by Frederick the Great as his summer residence and built following his own designs. He personally conceived the plans for his palace with terraces dedicated to growing grapes for wine, where he also laid out his grave site.

The gardens encompass 700 acres, including vineyards and over 230,000 plants. The core of the park consists of vineyard terraces and areas for attractions such as Frederick the Great's Chinese tea house and multiple water features. There are over 1,000 sculptures from various art periods throughout the grounds. Multiple temples are built on the gardens as well serving as both memorials and mausoleums.

Answer: Tulip

The history of the grounds dates back to the 15th century. That is when Countess Jacoba van Beieren used the grounds as a source of herbs for her kitchen, hence the name "Keukenhof," meaning "kitchen garden". The castle grounds were redesigned in the 1800s and in 1949 leading bulb growers used the estate to showcase their flowers. It was then open to the public in 1950.

Known as a spring garden mecca, literally millions of tulips bloom from late March until the middle of May. Each year they are planted in unique designs. A large windmill exists as a Dutch symbol surrounded by fields upon fields of tulips. Quiet electric boats take visitors through the fields of tulip varieties.

But there are more plant varieties than just tulips. An English landscape exists in one area while an historical walled garden showcases older varieties of plants. A Japanese garden sits near a perennial garden while different pavilions rotate out exhibits.