Chicago Botanic Garden, Illinois

Chicago Botanic Garden, located 20 miles north of the city in Glencoe, Illinois offers 385 acres and more than 2.6 million plants in 27 gardens.

There is an acclaimed bonsai collection, with 200 bonsai trees, and the geometrically designed Heritage Garden.

It is known for the annual Orchid Show, in February and March, when more than 10,000 blooms are on display.

Atlanta Botanical Garden, Georgia

Established in 1976, the Atlanta Botanical Garden is a 30-acre urban oasis in Midtown Atlanta.

It offers plant collections, shady woodlands and exhibitions.

In the Storza Woods visitors can walk among the treetops, along the Kendeda Canopy Walk and to the Skyline Garden, which features views of the Atlanta cityscape.

In addition, the Cascades Garden features an Earth Goddess installation, the romantic Rose Garden has over 100 different varieties of roses and the Dorothy Chapman Fuqua Conservatory is home to rare and endangered tropical and desert plants.

www.atlantabg.org and www.exploregeorgia.org

Desert Botanic Garden, Phoenix, Arizona

Phoenix's Desert Botanical Garden is located in the Sonoran Desert, enclosed by the red rocks of the Papago Buttes.

The 140-acre garden displays the world's finest collection of arid plants from deserts of the world in a unique outdoor setting.

It has more than 50,000 desert plants on display, including giant cacti and 180 species of agave, through five thematic walking trails that illustrate topics such as conservation and desert living.

www.dbg.org and www.visitphoenix.com

Missouri Botanical Garden, St Louis, Missouri

Founded in 1859, the St. Louis' Missouri Botanical Garden is America's oldest continually operating botanical garden and a National Historic Landmark.

It has 79 acres of gardens and historic structures.

The futuristic looking Cimatron opened in 1960 is a giant geodesic dome acting as a conservatory and housing a tropical rainforest.

Other highlights include one of the largest Japanese gardens in the country, the Stephen and Peter Sachs Museum and the English Woodland Garden, which has 300 rhododendrons and azaleas and an extensive orchid collection.

www.missouribotanicalgarden.org and www.visitmo.com

Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania

Longwood Gardens, which was founded by industrialist Pierre du Pont in 1906, is located a hour's drive from Philadelphia in Kennett Square.

Set over more than 1,000 acres of gardens, meadows, woodlands and elaborate horticultural displays, Longwood has over 11,000 varieties of plants.

These are displayed in four-and-a-half acres of indoor gardens, serene lily ponds, a variety of fountains, an orangery and a meadow garden that has three miles of trails.

Longwood has also become known for its commitment to botany, design, education and art.

www.longwoodgardens.org and www.visitpa.com

Useful links

​ www.visittheusa.com