“All the beauty is in the Upper Massandra” – so enthusiastically told travelers in the XIX century in the Crimea and were certainly advised to visit these amazing places. It is here, among relict groves, sacred mountains and picturesque reliefs, that a magnificent palace and park ensemble in a refined French style stretches. Fountains, sculptures, the very layout of the Massandra Palace, combined with majestic sequoias, firs, magnolias, many roses and a wide variety of flowers and climbing plants gave an extraordinary expressiveness to the court part of the park. Thanks to the evergreen shrubs and trees, the park, even in winter, looks elegant and lush. In the coldest months, the fruits of the horizontal dogwood turn purple on the lower alley. And with the first rays of the spring sun, when sometimes there is still snow, delicate snowdrops wake up. Veronica, forest violet, and honeydew are rushing to please them with their colors. The end of March falls on the flowering of forsythia, as well as multicolored primroses and copses appear, evergreen viburnum and meadowsweet bushes turn snow-white.

When the nature of the Upper Mountain Massandra departs from the cold and spring winds, the corners of the park begin to play with a riot of colors and aromas – Japanese quince, bobberry, white acacia, hawthorn, purple, lilac. A magnificent “living carpet” is formed by brightly flowering plants of carnations, snapdragons, calendulas, petunias and dahlias. In a large figured pool with a fountain, pink-and-white nymphs opened their water lilies.

In summer, irises, California poppies, hydrangeas and yucca begin to bloom, and fragrant lavender blooms, which has taken pride of place in the garden of aromas – on the field in front of the southern facade of the palace. All year round, the fragrance garden is filled with the indescribable smell of medicinal mountain herbs, medicinal plants and seasonal flowers.
At the entrance to the park, we are greeted by a small tree with a spreading crown and delicate pink-red flowers – this is the Indian lagerstremia. Its inflorescences resemble tiny dancing ballerinas in tutu skirts made of delicate petals.

And here is the queen of flowers – a beautiful majestic rose. The entire court territory is planted with it. Garden roses have 39 varieties, among which bushes in the form of a tree stand out – these are stem roses grafted to the trunk of a rosehip. This method of cultivation protects fragile delicate flowers from the harmful effects of natural factors, so roses delight with their flowering all year round.