If you’re planning to hit the big cities this spring, it’s likely that your trip will be action-packed, with little room for down time.

But for those of you who would like an escape from the busy metropolis, why not venture off to a garden, where you can spend private time lost in natural beauty?

Sure, you can fight the crowds in New York’s Central Park or wait until springtime to catch DC’s cherry blossoms… but you may not know that there are some secret gardens you may have missed, even in your own city. The following are just a few of some of the lesser-known gardens around the world that are well worth a visit.

Bette’s Rose Garden — New York, NY
Teller Avenue, between E. 164th & 165th St., Bronx, NY

Of course, New York City boasts the famous Central Park, but why not escape to a smaller, more secluded garden? Founded in 1995 by Bette Midler, The New York Restoration Project (NYRP) has restored and cultivated dozens of neighborhood gardens, parks, and open spaces. In honor of Bette and NYRP’s 10th anniversary, the trustees funded the restoration of a lovely rose garden in the South Bronx. The 1,500 square foot, wedge-shaped plot is near Yankee Stadium and is located at Teller Avenue, between East 164th and 165th Streets.

Bette’s vision was to enrich the surrounding community of each garden. Across the street of Bette’s Rose Garden Roberto Clemente Intermediate School, and the garden doubles as an outdoor classroom where students grow vegetables, create a butterfly garden, and learn to appreciate our environment. For more information on this garden or any of NYRP’s other gardens, visit https://www.nyrp.org.

The Japanese Garden — Los Angeles, CA
6100 Woodley Ave., Van Nuys, CA

Sharing the same address as the Donald C. Tillman Water Reclamation Plant, The Japanese Garden in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles features three gardens in one. The dry Zen meditation garden has a Tortoise Island, a three-Buddha arrangement of stones, and a wisteria arbor.

The Chisen-Kaiyushiki, or “wet garden with promenade” seems to have a berceuse effect, with trickling waterfalls, lakes, and streams. This garden recreates the type of garden owned by feudal lords in the 18th and 19th, and is dotted with stone lanterns hand-carved by artisans in Japan.

Perhaps the most beautiful element of this garden is the Shoin Building, with an authentic tatami mat teahouse and teagarden. The teahouse faces the lake, which symbolizes the sea. Many aspects of the garden’s design symbolize elements of Zen Buddhism and Japanese mythology. The teahouse also serves as a place for special events, such as tea ceremonies and traditional children story telling.

The Japanese Garden sits adjacent to a water reclamation plant, indicating that even an environment as delicate as a Japanese garden can thrive off of reclaimed water. Docent-led tours are by reservation only, and self-guided tours are Monday through Thursday and Sunday. For more information on the garden and its special events, call 818-756-8166. For a list of Japanese gardens around the U.S., visit https://www.jgarden.org.

Filoli — Woodside, CA
86 Canada Road, Woodside, CA

Just 30 miles south of San Francisco, Filoli remains as one of the finest country estates of the 20th century. The 654-acre estate features a historic house and 16 acres of formal gardens. The house primarily features Georgian architecture, but elements of other architectural traditions can also be found, such as French door, trim from the Stuart period, and the Spanish tiled roof. The house also features exhibits, and this Spring Canton porcelain from China and “Architecture and Gardens from Around the World,” a photography exhibit, will be on display.

Beyond the house, each garden, separated by hedges, brick walls, and fences, is unique. You’ll discover variation in each garden, from the perfect rows of the Rose Garden to the less rigid, sprawling nature of the Woodland Garden to the Sunken Garden, centered with a reflecting pool fraught with water lilies. In the springtime, you can find many delicate blooms, such as lavender, knot gardens, columbine, Chinese forget-me-not, and violas, and the gardens display over 75,000 tulips and 15,000 daffodils.

Perhaps the most unexpected find is the Chartres Cathedral Window Garden. This garden replicates a stained-glass window with colorful flowerbeds as stained glass outlined with boxwood borders as lead. Guided tours are by reservation, and self-guided tours are offered throughout the year. Nature hikes, orchard tours, and afternoon tea are also offered. For more information, call 650-364-8300.

Philbrook Museum — Tulsa, OK
2727 South Rockford Rd., Tulsa OK

Located in Tulsa, OK, Philbrook is known for its artwork, but it also prides itself in having a spellbinding, botanical exhibition. The design of the garden incorporates Italianate garden iconography and plants native to the respective areas. With each season, Philbrook’s gardens exhibit new arrangements. And the gardens are even more beautiful, thanks to a 22-month long renovation, which was recently completed. The new south garden showcases meditative alcoves created from plants and wrought iron that was inspired by arch designs in Villa Philbrook.

The eastern formal gardens descend to a tempietto, which is similar to a small temple. Visitors can enjoy native Oklahoma plants, pleasant pathways, bridges, and a newly refurbished creek. Even if you don’t visit the museum, the garden’s landscape itself is a gallery peppered with sculptural works from several international artists. For more information, call 800-324-7941.

Garden in the Woods — Framingham, MA
180 Hemenway Road, Framingham, MA

When you think of Boston, the first things that pop in your head are probably baked beans, baseball and Harvard. If “gardens” isn’t on that list, it’s probably because Boston doesn’t even have its own botanical garden. However, you can head to the nearby 45-acre headquarters of the New England Wild Flower Society’s Garden in the Woods.

Framingham is touted as the largest native plant nursery in New England, and you can have a piece of the garden as plants from the nursery are on sale from mid-April through September. There are more than 1600 kinds of plants on display at the garden, with different flowers and plants blooming with the changing seasons.

The New England Wild Flower Society also offers over 250 courses on botany, horticulture, symposia, and other plant-related subjects. The NEWFS’s native plant education program is the largest of its kind in America, so if you’re in Massachusetts for a while, you might be interested in taking a course. For more information, call 508-877-7630.

Get more ideas in our Off the Brochure Travel Guide to Boston, Mass.

Portland Classical Chinese Garden — Portland, OR
239 NW Everest St., Portland, OR

Upon visiting, you would never believe that this garden, dedicated to relaxation and serenity, is situated on an old parking lot. When you learn the history, though, it starts to make more sense: Suzhou, China, and Portland, Oregon, became sister-cities in the 1980s, and thus the idea for making a Chinese garden in this area of Portland was born. The majority of the plants in the garden are indigenous to China, but grown in America. There are some that are native to China and over 100 years old, though. Many aspects of the Chinese garden illustrate a merging between two cultures, the East and the West.

The Garden has several exhibits on display, such as the Scrolls from China Exhibit and the Peasant Art Showcase. Summer concerts will also be taking place in the garden, as well as classes on potting plants and feng shui. For more information, call 503-224-3506.

Chicago Botanic Garden — Chicago, IL
1000 Lake Cook Rd., Glencoe, IL

The Chicago Botanic Garden is one of the country’s most visited public gardens as well as a renowned scientific research center for plants and flowers. The Garden consists of nine islands surrounded by lakes, adding up to a total of 385 acres of 23 display gardens and three native habitats. The Garden has programs, events, and activities available for your convenience, but you can also just visit for a walk along one of their many waterways or among the woods.

The Chicago Botanic Garden is holding their 41st Annual “A Bloomin’ Sale” on May 18-20, in which more than 30,000 flowers and plant species will be on sale. There’s also going to be a Wine Festival on June 2 and 3 at which over 250 kinds of wine will be available for tasting, along with food and entertainment. For more information, call 847-835-5440.

Check out our Off the Brochure Travel Guide to Chicago.

Zemurray Gardens — Loranger, LA
23115 Zemurray Gardens Drive, Loranger, LA

The Zemurray Gardens near Hammond features a 150-acre azalea garden, blooming trees, and flowering shrubs of Southeast Louisiana. The Gardens also feature statues, fountains, and unusual buildings. A nature trail passes around the gardens’ scenic 20-acre lake, with self-guided walking tours available. The Garden’s main building is the lodge complex, which is significant for its architectural style following the early-1900’s New Orleans style. The Gardens are open March through mid-April. For more information, call 504-878-2284.

If you’d like some fresh garden vegetables and healthy treats, Eat Like a Local (even if you aren’t one).

Don’t miss more offbeat travel ideas in our Off the Brochure Travel Guides section.