Beautifully manicured gardens can definitely make for lovely settings for photo sessions. But really, a great portrait can take place just about anywhere, with a little creativity and some good lighting.
Sometimes a random patch of tall weeds under a tree will do just fine:
Lying on a bed by a big window works well too:
And who needs to drive miles and miles away, when you can just be out on the sidewalk, in front of your next-door neighbor's over-grown shrubbery: