13 gorgeous gardens

The highlight of Parc de la Tete d'Or, a vast urban park in Lyon, France, are three beautiful rose gardens. The park's name, which means "Golden Head Park," comes from a legend about a golden sculpture of Christ's head buried somewhere on the grounds by the Crusaders.

Award-winning rose breeder David Austin has been developing English roses for 50 years. His eponymous rose gardens on the Shropshire Border in the UK feature 700 varieties over two acres.

Cherry blossoms, bridges and streams are hallmarks of Kenrokuen in Kanazawa, Japan.

Claude Monet bought a house and land in the village of Giverny, France, in 1890 and created the Monet Garden to provide inspiration for his art.

The UK's Abbey Garden features some of the finest outdoor specimens of subtropical flora found in the Northern Hemisphere, including great spiky agaves from the Mexican desert and King Proteas from South Africa.

Rome's dreamlike Roseto Comunale (Municipal Rose Garden) in the Via di Valle Murale hosts a rose competition each May.

It's beautiful now, but the site of Canada's Butchart Gardens was once a limestone quarry.

At Germany's Garden Kingdom Dessau-Woerlitz, the Snake House (pictured), so called because of the shape of its gutters, was a retreat for the wife of Prince Franz of Anhalt-Dessau.

At the Peterhof Palace Garden in St. Petersburg, a famed view looks across the Grand Cascade and Samson Fountain through a canal to the sea.

Beautiful from the outside, frustrating on the inside. Among the gardens at Denmark's Egeskov Castle are four hedge mazes.

Christchurch Botanic Gardens were established in 1863 with the planting of an English Oak. They now feature many trees more than 120 years old.

At London's Royal Botanic Gardens, the Temperate House is the world's largest surviving Victorian glass structure. The iron-framed greenhouse was built in the 19th century.

No such thing as color clash in nature. Or at Hershey Gardens in Pennsylvania.

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• Most of the world's famous gardens are notable not only for their design and beauty, but for their history


• Many host international competitions that are open to visitors


• Parc de la Tete d'Or in France will host the World Rose Convention and Festival in 2015


• Garden Kingdom Dessau-Woerlitz in Germany was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000

(CNN) -- History and botany mix with landscape design and architecture in these 13 fabulous gardens around the world.

While many are attached to famous estates, the gardens are destinations in their own right and deserve their own list.

Parc de la Tête d'Or (Lyon, France)

This beautifully maintained 289-acre park in Lyon has an extensive botanical garden but is best known for its spectacular rose gardens, which are playing host to the 17th World Rose Convention and Festival in 2015.

The park's main highlight is the International Rose Garden, with its 16,000 rose bushes showcasing 450 varieties, while the Competition Rose Garden hosts an annual contest featuring the newest varieties.

Fun fact: the park's name, which means "Golden Head Park," comes from an old legend about the grounds about buried treasure. The Crusaders are supposed to have buried a golden Christ's head somewhere on the park's property.

Parc de la Tête d'Or , 69006 Lyon, France; +33 4 72 69 47 60; free admission

READ: World's largest natural flower garden opens in Dubai

It's hard to believe, but the site of Canada's Butchart Gardens was once a limestone quarry.

Butchart Gardens (British Columbia, Canada)

When Jennie Butchart's husband, a manufacturer of Portland cement, told her in 1904 that his company had exhausted the limestone in their quarry, the door was opened to create what would later become one of Canada's notable tourist attractions.

Butchart Gardens near Victoria in British Columbia were created within that disused quarry.

Featured views include the Edwardian-style Sunken Garden (gallery above), with a lake where reflections of multi-colored foliage surrounding it take on a beauty of their own.

Butchart Gardens , 800 Benvenuto Avenue, Brentwood Bay, British Columbia, Canada; +1 250 652 5256; official peak season June 15-August 31; adults CA$30.80 ($28) youth CA$14.35 ($13)

Hershey Gardens (Pennsylvania)

When chocolate magnate Milton S. Hershey decided to create a thing of beauty to be enjoyed by residents of "his" town in Pennsylvania, the result was Hershey Gardens, opened in 1937.

A notable feature is the Butterfly House, home to hundreds of North American butterflies, in which visitors can observe the entire life cycle of the butterfly, from egg to adult.

There are 11 themed gardens on site, including the whimsical Children's Garden and a rose garden with nearly 6,000 roses of 275 varieties.

Hershey Gardens , 170 Hotel Road Hershey, Pennsylvania; 1 717 534 3492; adults $10.50, children 3-12 $7.50

The Royal Botanic Gardens (London)

On a bend of the Thames at Kew in southwest London, the Royal Botanic Gardens was listed as a World Heritage Site in 2003, acknowledging its contributions to botanical and environmental science since 1759.

The Temperate House is the world's largest surviving Victorian glass structure.

An iron-framed greenhouse dating from the 19th century, it was to become a model for conservatories around the world.

The Royal Botanic Gardens (Kew Gardens), Brentford Gate, London, +44 20 8332 5655; adults £15 ($25), children free

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The small island of Tresco is home to one of the finest gardens in the United Kingdom.

Abbey Garden island (Isles of Scilly, UK)

Two and a half miles long by a mile wide, Tresco is one of the Scilly Isles, off the coast of England.

Here, next to the ruins of an old priory, the Abbey Garden was created in the 1800s.

It features some of the finest outdoor specimens of subtropical flora and fauna to be found in the Northern Hemisphere, including great spiky agaves from the Mexican desert, brilliant Spear Lilies from Australia's Queensland coast, King Proteas from South Africa and huge South American bromeliads from the Andes.

Abbey Garden , Tresco Island, Isles of Scilly, United Kingdom; +44 1720 424108; adults £12 ($20), children under 16 free

Monet Garden (Giverny, France)

One of the founders of the French Impressionist painting movement, Claude Monet bought a house and land in the village of Giverny in 1890 and set about establishing the gardens that were to provide inspiration for his art.

The often-painted Japanese-style garden is famous for its water lilies, ponds and bridge and is a popular destination for art tours.

Monet Garden , 84 Rue Claude Monet, Giverny, France; +33 2 32 51 28 21; April 1-November 1 €9.50 ($13), children under 7 free

Roseto Comunale (Rome)

Rome's municipal rose garden at the foot of Aventine Hill has a complicated past.

Since the 17th century, the site had been a Jewish cemetery, but a road was built through it in 1934 to celebrate Mussolini's rise to power. While all graves were supposed to have been moved to the city's main cemetery, thousands of bodies are still thought to remain.

The city turned the site into a rose garden in 1950 with the Jewish community's approval, designing the paths in the shape of a menorah, a Hebrew candelabra, and installing a plaque in memorandum of the garden's Jewish past.

Each May, the garden hosts the "Premio Roma" rose competition, which is open to the public.

Roseto Comunale , Via di Valle Murcia, 6 (Aventine), Rome; +39 06 5746810; free admission

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Garden Kingdom Dessau-Woerlitz (Dessau, Germany)

"I was deeply moved as we strolled through the lakes, canals and woods by how the gods have allowed the Prince to create a dream around himself."

That's how Johann Wolfgang von Goethe described this place -- then called Luisium Castle Garden -- in 1778.

Now known as the Garden Kingdom Dessau-Woerlitz in Germany, it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000.

The Snake House, so called because of the shape of its gutters, was a retreat for Louise, the wife of Prince Franz of Anhalt-Dessau.

Garden Kingdom Dessau-Woerlitz , Kulturstiftung DessauWörlitz, Schloss Großkühnau Germany; + 49 340 2164253; each house tour €6 ($8); gardens free admission

Egeskov Castle Garden (Funen, Denmark)

Egeskov Castle is a beautifully preserved Renaissance structure dating back to 1554.

Covering 20 hectares, the original old grounds have been divided into a number of impressive gardens that won the European Garden Award in 2012.

Among the gardens are four 270-years-old, eight-meter-tall hedge mazes, so visitors should allow time for getting lost.

Egeskov Castle , Egeskov Gade 18, 5772 Kværndrup, Denmark; +45 6227 1016; official peak season June 22-August 18; adults DKK 180 ($33) children DKK 110 ($20)

You can spot the Versailles influence at Peterhof Palace Garden.

Peterhof Palace Garden (St. Petersburg, Russia)

The World Heritage listed Peterhof Palace was built on the orders of Peter the Great and mostly completed by 1725.

Its palaces and formal gardens were modeled on Versailles.

They feature a multitude of fountains.

One of the most famed views (see gallery above) looks across the Grand Cascade and Samson Fountain through a canal and gardens to the sea.

Peterhof Palace , 2 Razvodnaya Ulitsa, Peterhof, St. Petersburg, Russia; +7 812 450 52 87; adults RUB 500 ($14) children RUB 250 ($7)

MORE: 50 natural wonders: The ultimate list of scenic splendor

David Austin Rose Gardens (United Kingdom)

Award-winning rose breeder and specialist grower David Austin has been developing English roses for 50 years and selling them all over Europe.

His vast rose garden on the Shropshire Border is open to visitors and features 700 different varieties -- including the National Collection of English Roses -- over two acres.

David Austin Roses , Bowling Green Lane, Albrighton, Wolverhampton, West Midlands, United Kingdom; +44 1902376342; free admission

Kenrokuen (Kanazawa, Japan)

Kenrokuen is considered one of Japan's "three most beautiful landscape gardens."

It was formerly the outer garden of Kanazawa Castle.

From the 1620s to 1840s, various rulers added waterfalls, a teahouse, winding paths, streams and bridges.

The garden was opened to the public in the 1870s.

Kenrokuen , 1 Kenrokumachi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920−0936, Japan; +81 76 234 3800; adults ¥310 ($3), children 6-17 ¥100 ($10)

Christchurch Botanic Gardens (Christchurch, New Zealand)

Founded in 1863 with the planting of an English Oak and now featuring many trees more than 120 years old, the Botanic Gardens in Christchurch, New Zealand, survived the city's major earthquake in 2011 and celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2013.

A quintessential experience, reminiscent of England, is to pole a boat along the River Avon through the gardens.

The Gondwana Garden is the beginning of a new feature on site -- a recreation of a Jurassic forest.

Christchurch Botanic Gardens , 7 Rolleston Ave, Christchurch 8013, New Zealand; +64 3 941 5556; free admission

Story originally published in 2013. Updated on June 20, 2014.

Biggest threat in the air? You

From disobeying crew commands to full blown air rage, passenger disruptions are on the rise.

• IATA has reported 28,000 incidents of unruly passenger behavior since 2007


• Experts agree the figure is unrepresentative, and growing


• Tweaks in airport design, security measures and airline policy could help address the problem

(CNN) -- The skies are under threat. Not from terrorists or hardened criminals, but from everyday passengers who seem to go a little loco when the airplane leaves the tarmac.

According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), there have been 28,000 reported cases of unruly passenger incidences from when the organization started recording in 2007 to 2013. It's a number that, according to aviation experts, is both underrepresented and on the rise.

Unruly passengers have become enough of a disturbance to airline professionals to warrant a two-day conference dedicated to the topic.

Last week, London hosted DISPAX World 2014, the second international conference on how to handle disruptive travelers.

Approximately 100 professionals -- made up mainly of airline training managers and regulators -- representing 35 different countries attended the event.

Low-cost carriers have introduced a new breed of passenger into the sky

Philip Baum,

"We're not really sure of the number of incidents taking place, though it's safe to assume there are about 300 to 400 per week happening on board airliners," says Philip Baum, the managing director of Green Light Limited, the company that organized the event.

In addition to the passenger bad behavior in the news (Justin Bieber and Ralph Lauren's niece are two of the more high profile fliers that made headlines with their on-board antics this year), Baum notes that there are many more low-key altercations that don't ever get reported.

"The definition of unruly behavior can range from disobeying crew commands, to becoming verbally abusive, then escalating to becoming physically abusive, then potentially life-threatening," says Baum.

"IATA reports there having been 8,217 unruly passenger incidents in 2013, but this is only the tip of the iceberg. IATA's figures are based solely on a limited number of IATA member airlines reporting. Most airlines are not IATA members and few are willing to share their incident reports."

Starting at the airport

One man's seat back tray is another's snare, bass and cymbal. The only drum sticks allowed on planes should be battered and fried. Budumm-bish!

"And if you press here, you not only access a whole flight's worth of touchscreen gaming, you also get to annoy the guy in front by constantly jiggling his seat back for the duration."

OK the violin we can probably deal with. In short bursts. But if he's about to launch into "Nessun Dorma," we have a problem. Amateur singing is not for planes. Or any small enclosed public space, for that matter.

How many no-nos can you fit into one photo? Bare feet? No. Polishing the nails? No. Bright white? No no no. If you have to paint your nails on board, do so in the washroom. And wait there till it's dry too.

"Maybe if we pretend we're asleep she'll go away." Ignoring the flight attendants' instructions and refusing to return seats to the upright position were among the most annoying plane behaviors for readers.

There are times when applause is appropriate. Like when you're celebrating the illustrious career of Harvey Keitel. But according to some CNN Travel readers, clapping because the pilot successfully landed the plane is ridiculous.

Airplane changing tables are there for a reason -- to ensure you don't have to take care of baby's business at your seat.

"No, they're not all for you."

Sitting next to the Pope would be an honor. For everyone else, please leave the religious evangelism at the gate.

You know when someone smiles politely and resorts to watching movies without headphones, your words are being wasted.

In a plane cabin, everything is condensed and exaggerated, especially the chemical stench of that travel-sized fragrance that's been sitting at the bottom of your bag for the last 18 months.

By a distance, the most annoying thing people do on planes, according to our readers, is grab your seat when they're moving about the cabin. "(It) illustrates how people are oblivious to the (effect) of their actions and couldn't care less about the person in front of them," says commenter robert.

11. Tapping the seatback screen

8. Ignoring the flight attendants

7. Applauding the landing

6. Changing diapers in the middle seat

4. Overstepping religious turf

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Reader's picks: 12 more annoying airplane behaviors

Among many of the solutions batted around by presenters at DISPAX were several that took an early-prevention approach -- namely, ones that started at the airport.

Unruly fliers reported to airlines grows

"I see unruly behavior due to frustration and lack of information more than anything else," notes Prasad Yarlagadda, a professor of science and engineering at Australia's Queensland University of Technology.

Yarlagadda gave a talk on his experience working with Australian regulators to devise an airport design to help alleviate the type of traveler angst that often leads to outbursts.

See dramatic airplane outburst

"An informed passenger will take 21 minutes to get from the curb to their flight. For an uninformed passenger, this could take 30 to 40 minutes," he notes. Even simple tweaks, like introducing more frequent and clearer signage, and ensuring staff are better trained to direct passengers through the right channels, he argues, could make all the difference.

"If a passenger has a good experience at the airport, that will continue when they board their flight."

Better screening of passengers could also potentially help carriers avoid headaches up in the air.

Marcia Mendes, a research scientist at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, has been studying behavioral screening tactics used by airport security -- usually as a means of spotting criminal activity. At DISPAX, she discussed how the same procedures could be used to spot potential problem passengers.

"The main task of officers conducting behavioral security screening is to identify passengers with criminal or terroristic intentions. Nevertheless, being responsible for the observation of passengers, officers would possibly also spot those who pose a safety risk for other reasons. Airlines could surely profit if such information would be passed on to the crew prior to take off," she notes.

What Would Monarch Do? (WWMD?)

Perhaps the biggest factor for the rise in aggressive passengers, however, is alcohol, a problem exacerbated, says Baum, by low-cost carriers shuttling groups to prime party destinations.

"Low-cost carriers have introduced a new breed of passenger into the sky, and I don't think airports and airlines do enough to counter the binging culture associated with many of these passengers," he says, pointing to the fact that in many airports, bars can open as early as 6am.

One company that has worked to reduce on-board binging is Monarch Airlines. By adopting a "zero-tolerance" approach to drunk passengers -- particularly on the UK-Ibiza leg, Monarch claims it has halved passenger flare-ups. One particularly useful tactic has been to train crew to identify when duty-free carry-ons have bottles in them, and to store them in the overhead.

Monarch is also one of the few airlines to work with local police to deal with such passengers before they board. Such collaborations, says Baum, are all too rare.

"Aircrew are extremely concerned at the lack of legislation in many states to prosecute offenders. As a result, whilst many unruly passengers are handed over to the authorities, far too many walk free," he says.

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