DAY 1

Our first day is all about dahlias, imperfection that’s actually pretty perfect, and a place which despite its name is far from little.

Lundens trädgård, Lunden 2, 511 94 Älekulla
Eksäter Trädgård, Övralidsvägen 9, 51993 Kungsäter (Gunnarsjö)
Trädgården vid Viskan, Fageråkra 19, 432 66 Veddige
Williamsro Garden, Ekegatan 11, 432 46 Varberg

We start our garden tour by heading to lovely Älekulla in the county of Mark. Our first destination is Lunden’s Garden, a paradise for dahlia lovers. Pretty stone paths wind through the garden and we walk round admiring the magnificent floral display. Every year around 1000 dahlia tubers are planted here, which flower captivatingly during late summer. Apart from the dahlias, we’re impressed by the beautifully designed beds and the pond with its waterlilies. As we stand on the little wooden bridge Monet’s garden springs to mind. What a start to our trip! 

^{Dahlia border in Lundens Garden.}  
After about half an hour's drive, we arrive at today's second destination, which is Eksäter Garden. Inspiration and the joy of change are the bywords here. Nature sets the tone and perfection and tight control are not sought after. We walk around among the themed garden rooms, all of which are separated by tall hedges. One moment we’re in the Hard Rock room and the next enter an Asian inspired area. We go from room to room and each time we turn a corner there’s a surprise. In addition to the lovely flowers, ponds and fruit trees, there are also vegetable beds full of tempting specimens. And luckily some of the harvest is for sale. It’s time for a fika, so we find a seat and enjoy coffee from our flask, whilst reading up on the story of Hilda at Eksäter, who looked after the garden in the 40s. It feels good to honour her with a visit here.

^{Footbridge in Eksäter Garden.}

Next we head off to is Veddige and Trädgården vid Viskan.  This park like garden is bordered by the river Viskan and its not an exaggeration to call it a pollinators’ paradise. The air buzzes with bumble and other bees, and the butterflies flutter around showing us their beautiful wings. We wander around the site, which used to be an orchard but is now full of flowering borders. The summer flowers are incredible, such splendour and colourful magnificence. Around 70 dahlias also clamour for our attention. After a lovely  walk around this captivating place we’re ready for our next stop.

We end the day (and complete this garden journey) with a visit to Williamsro Garden. This family garden is situated on Lugnet in Varberg, The Lagerstedt family open up their private garden for us and we walk around the perennial borders and smell the herbs in the kitchen garden. Wherever we look, its aesthetically pleasing. The owners’ creativity shines through. Lavender, roses and peonies are just some examples of the lovely flowers here. We sit by one of the murmuring fountains and enjoy the moment. How wonderful summer, foliage and gardening are!

^{Garden table at Williamsro} 

DAY 2

Today we’ll visit a pollinators’ paradise, enjoy gardens surrounded by a beech forest and buy top quality plants. A wonderful second day on our journey!

Källdalens Trädgårdar, Gödeby 71, 311 61 Ullared
Eriksgård i Tvååker, Brogård 10, 432 77 Tvååker
Hörsåsens Plantskola, Fastarp 9, 432 77 Tvååker
Lisbeths lilla paradis, Granvägen 21, 432 79 Varberg

The first garden we stop at is as large as yesterday’s last one, in other words a huge two hectares. We’re at the Garden by the Viskan. This park like garden is bordered by the river Viskan and its not an exaggeration to call it a pollinators’ paradise. The air buzzes with bumble and other bees, and the butterflies flutter around showing us their beautiful wings. We wander around the site, which used to be an orchard but is now full of flowering borders. The summer flowers are incredible, such splendour and colourful magnificence. Around 70 dahlias also clamour for our attention. After a lovely morning walk around this captivating place we’re ready for our next stop. 

^{The Garden by the Viskan in all its glory.}
We now find ourselves in the heart of Halland, more specifically in Källdalens Gardens, which is today's second destination. The place buzzes with activity and biodiversity and organic farming fans will  feel they have come to the right place. The garden is surrounded by beech forests in a beautiful cultural landscape. Fortunately, we have plenty of time to spend here because there is so much to see and enjoy. We visit the nursery, the herb garden, the greenhouses and finally the forest garden. The latter is a peaceful spot to rest for a while, and the way it is designed invites you to sit and just be. We get out our picnic. Anyone who doesn’t have their own food can buy light refreshments from the farm shop, as well as vegetables and flowers, which we are obviously tempted by. Relaxed and happy, we’re ready to move on.

^{Herb pots in Källdalens Gardens.}
After about 20 minutes’ drive, we arrive at Eriksgård in Tvååker, today's third destination. As we have pre-booked a tour of their private garden, a guide takes us around their unusual trees, many shrubs, hedges, perennial flower beds, a plant tunnel and impressive pool area. In addition to the private garden there is a large perennial nursery growing varieties that can withstand the Swedish climate. These are sold to wholesalers, so private customers are encouraged to look for the perennials sold in plant shops and garden centres. A visit here gives us a unique insight into what happens before the plants reach us in the stores.

^{Garden art at Eriksgård.}
As, after our visit to Eriksgård, we suddenly feel a strong desire to buy plants, it’s opportune that we end the day at Hörsåsen’s Nursery, which conveniently is also situated in Tvååker. Excellent quality plants of are sold here, everything from the smallest perennial to the largest tree. Their love of horticulture is obvious and our shopping basket fills up quickly. Hope everything fits in the car boot! The nursery is in a beautiful setting not far from the sea and the Åkulla beech forest. Our second garden day has come to an end, and we turn again to vastsverige.com to find suitable accommodation.

^{Aquilegia at Höråsen’s Nursery.}

With the car filled with plants, we end our day with a visit to Lisbeth's little paradise. The owner has managed to transform a worn-out lawn and a few modest shrubs into a lush garden paradise. Here, a garden vision has been realized. We walk around among sweeping flower beds and winding gravel paths. The green, leafy feel makes it homely and cosy. The floral splendor here is stunning, with dahlias, roses, birch bark and other summer flowers competing for our attention. At one of the ponds, we stop and observe the adorable water turtles that swim around in pleasure. We take a turn into the greenhouse where vegetables such as tomatoes, cucumbers and chilies grow and thrive. The diligent bees contribute to the garden's charm and for us bee enthusiasts there is a viewing hive. We are amazed at the intensity with which the bees work. What a wonderful place to end our garden trip.