The Allure—and the Reality—of Bucket List Gardens
There’s something magical about planning a visit to a garden you’ve long admired.
You imagine the scents, the colors, the perfectly framed vistas you’ve seen in books and photos. You anticipate that deep, satisfying sense of being in exactly the right place at exactly the right time. And yet, when the day finally comes, reality sometimes has its own plans.
Bucket list gardens inspire wonder, but they also carry expectations—high, personal, and often invisible. The trick, I’ve found, is learning how to approach these gardens so that reality enhances your experience rather than letting it fall short.
On a recent trip to the gardens of the Riviera, one garden in particular—Lawrence Johnston’s Serre de la Madone—provided the perfect example.
When Expectations Run Ahead of Reality
Major Lawrence Johnston (1871-1958) created the garden of Serre de la Madone, in Menton, later in life when he moved to southern France because his health required a milder climate.
Though often overshadowed by his Cotswolds masterpiece, Hidcote, Serre de la Madone was considered equally important during his lifetime.
Yet the two gardens have had very different fates.
One traveller arrived expecting Hidcote transplanted to the Riviera: long borders, perfect blooms, and the same sense of contentment she had felt at Hidcote.
By the end of the visit, she was disappointed—not because the garden lacked merit, but because she had expected it to be something it was never intended to be.
Why Serre de la Madone Looks the Way It Does
The explanation lies in history.
Hidcote’s future was secured when Johnston gifted it to the National Trust in 1948, ensuring careful maintenance and ongoing investment.
Serre de la Madone had no such safety net. Johnston left it to a close gardening friend, who unfortunately did not have the financial wherewithal to maintain it. The garden changed hands multiple times. Restoration only began in the early 2000s—almost fifty years after Johnston’s death.
Knowing this helps visitors appreciate the garden for what it is today, rather than measuring it against its past or another garden entirely.
Historic gardens are living, evolving spaces—fragile, beautiful, and often imperfect.
Timing is Everything
And then there’s the matter of timing.
Mediterranean gardens are not at their best in September. The long, scorching summer leaves them weary, and the autumn rains haven’t yet revived them. It takes a bit of imagination—and a willingness to read a garden’s structure rather than its flowers—to appreciate them at that moment.
Visit in October or spring, and the experience is entirely different. Even the time of day can change the mood: early light softens the landscape, and late afternoon brings out the garden’s subtle geometry.
These little choices can make the difference between disappointment and delight.
Hidcote: one of the pavilions off the great lawn
Serre de la Madone: the first staircase restored, leading to the upper terrace, shaded by the canopy of ancient trees
Serre de la Madone: new plantings or Pistacia Lentiscus to replace the boxwood parterre under the plane trees on the upper terrace
Manage Your Expectations
So how do we keep expectations from overshadowing the place itself?
A bit of preparation truly helps:
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Read up on the garden’s history and recent seasons.
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Check when it’s likely to be at its best.
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Give yourself permission to experience the garden as it is now, not as it appears in books or in your imagination.
Focusing on what the garden offers today, rather than what you imagined from photos or past experiences, makes all the difference.
At Serre de la Madone, travelers who approached the garden with curiosity discovered quiet terraces, subtle planting combinations, and moments of calm that Hidcote does not offer—different, yet equally rewarding.
Serre de la Madone: a romantic statue along the staircase, the lower pool in September, and the pool on the upper terrace with the greenhouse
What Photos and Guides Can’t Capture
No matter how many images you see or guides you read, nothing prepares you for the emotional experience of being in a garden.
The scent of the air, the changing light across a terrace, or the unexpected combination of plants and spaces—these details create memories that photographs cannot replicate.
Visiting a bucket list garden is as much about inspiration and feeling as it is about seeing the iconic views that first put the garden on your list.
The Key to a Memorable Visit: Keep an Open Mind
If visiting gardens has taught me anything, it’s this: come prepared, yes—but above all, keep an open mind.
Let the garden speak in its own voice. It may not look like the photographs or your imagination, but it may offer something more enduring: a feeling, a moment, a glimpse of a designer’s vision that is entirely yours.
The most memorable garden experiences are rarely about perfection. They are about presence, discovery, and feeling.
Serre de la Madone may not have been exactly what one traveler expected, but those who embraced the garden’s story, timing, and personality found it deeply rewarding.
Conclusion
Visiting gardens is about more than seeing plants or iconic views—it’s about being inspired, noticing the small details, and feeling the space around you. That is what turns a garden visit from a checklist into a memory.
If you’ve been dreaming of a bucket list garden, take the time to prepare—but also give yourself the freedom to be surprised. Explore with curiosity, savor the details, and let each garden reveal itself in its own time.
And don´t miss Serre de la Madone in Menton. It´s a garden with history, promised to an exciting future thanks to the combined efforts of the restoration team, patrons near and far, and the willingness of passionate gardeners to see its magic endure and enable many more visitors to fall under its spell - the true sign of a bucket list garden.
Ready to plan your bucket list garden tour? Get in touch, and let’s turn your dream garden visits into unforgettable experiences.
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