WORLDS AWAY
Like many lovers of plants, I always look at travel destinations, particularly those overseas, as opportunities to see and learn about unfamiliar trees, shrubs and other plants. Recent trips found me exploring three world-class botanical gardens in or near popular overseas destinations.
BARCELONA’S GEM
In Barcelona, the Jardins de Mossen Costa i Llobera are within easy walking distance of both the cruise-ship terminal and the iconic Columbus Monument at the harbor end of the popular strolling district known as La Rambla. My son Andrew stumbled upon this gem while studying abroad. Knowing my interest in all things green, he strongly encouraged me to set aside time for a visit when Barcelona became a vacation destination.
Named after a beloved Catalan poet and Catholic priest, the gardens comprise cacti, other succulents and assorted semi-tropical palms gathered from the world’s significant desert areas. Distinctly Mediterranean species, including olive and fig trees, also star within the gardens’ confines.
Given the size of the gardens—about 15 acres—and the apparent maturity of the specimens, I was surprised that the spaces were laid out in 1970. I was even more surprised to learn that a significant fraction of the magnificent collection was killed off by a freak cold had declared this one of the 10 most beautiful gardens on the planet for that year.
