Everyday Living

Butchart Gardens

~ Travel

“Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭3:18‬ ‭

We’ve taken you along the aisles of Pike Place Market where the fish were flying and the bouquets of flowers were gorgeous.  We’ve also been to Chihuly Garden & Glass where it’s almost hard to believe that the sculptures are made by hand!  But we aren’t finished with our adventures in Seattle!  While we were there, we also took an amazing day trip to Victoria, the capital of British Columbia, Canada.  We departed for a three hour cruise from Seattle on the ferry that took us through Puget Sound and into the Strait of Juan de Fuca on our way to Victoria’s Inner Harbour.  What’s there to do in Victoria, British Columbia?  Glad you asked!

Before we travel, I always spend time researching all there is to know about the place we are going ….you never know if you will have a chance to return, so I want to do and see as much as we can!  Everything I read mentioned the beauty of Butchart Gardens, but we only had one day in Victoria, and really didn’t want to spend the day there, because I wanted to explore the city!  So, we had intentions of wandering through the city…but right before the ferry landed, we decided we would buy tickets and visit the Gardens!  And it was a great decision…it was one of the highlights of our trip!  You are in for a treat today…lots for the eye to take in!  Come along as we take a walk around the beautiful Butchart Gardens!

Robert P. Butchart, a pioneer in the thriving North American cement industry, was attracted by rich limestone deposits on Canada’s West Coast.  He moved his family and in  1904 he developed a quarry and built a cement plant on Vancouver Island 13 miles from Victoria.   Close to the quarry,  Butchart and his wife, Jennie, established the family home complete with plantings of sweet peas and rose bushes.


For the next five years limestone was quarried from a massive excavation to supply the cement factory.

From the lookout, this was our first view of the spectacular Sunken Garden


By 1909, the limestone was exhausted, and a unsightly barren pit was all that remained.

Today, deep expansive walls (remnants of the quarry) cradle beds of annuals, flowering trees, and unique shrubs.


Not to be deterred, that pit  became the inspiration for Jennie Butchart’s Sunken Garden.


The renown of Mrs. Butchart’s gardening quickly spread.  By the 1920’s more than fifty thousand people visited her garden every year.


Each year the family-owned gardens are visited by over a million people.


Water features and every imaginable shade of green can be seen in the Sunken Garden.


Butch and I were amazed that Jennie Butchart had a vision of a beautiful Sunken Garden where once stood a gaping hole in the landscape.


Jennie Butchart didn’t stop with the Sunken Garden, but continued her vision by building a Rose Garden.


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Our visit was just as the roses were beginning to bloom.


The bright colors and luscious scents greeted us at every turn!


Each year over a million bedding plants in some 900 varieties give uninterrupted bloom from March through October.


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By 1906, Jennie started to develop a Japanese Garden on the seaside with the help of laborers from the cement works.


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Gentle paths guide you by streams, ponds, and bridges.


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A view of Tod Inlet that is near the bottom of the garden.


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The Italian Garden features a splendid star pond that was originally designed for Mr. Butchart’s collection of ornamental ducks.  The twelve-point pond has a charming frog fountain rising from its center.


In 2004, The Butchart Gardens, in bloom for 100 years, was designated a National Historic Site of Canada.


The Gardens cover more than 55 acres of a 130 acre estate.


The hospitable Butcharts christened their estate “Benvenuto” – Italian for “Welcome.”  Tea was served on the lawn by Mrs Butchart for her guests visiting the gardens.  Afternoon Tea is served each day as a reminder of Jennie Butchart’s welcoming hospitality.


Tuberous begonias are absolutely stunning, with large flowers coming in a wide range of brilliant colors. We saw them in baskets, containers, and mass border plantings.


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Butchart Gardens are recognized internationally as one of the most magnificent gardens around the world.


If you are ever in Victoria, I urge you to visit Butchart Gardens, if not, I hope you enjoyed seeing its beauty through the lens of my camera.

Linking with Pieced Pastimes, Silver Pennies, Life on Lakeshore Drive, Thoughts From Alice, Coastal Charm, Dwellings-Heart of Your Home, Savvy Southern Style, French Country Cottage, Stone Gable, Confessions of a Plate Addict, Worthing Court, Between Naps on the Porch, Cedar Hill Farmhouse, A Stroll Thru Life, The Charm of Home, Imparting Grace, Posed Perfection, Katherines Corner, Rooted In Thyme, Share Your Cup,  21 Rosemary Lane, Cozy Little House, Rattlebridge Farm, Rustic & Refined, Poofing The Pillows, What Meegan Makes, Celebrate & Decorate

Comments

  1. Oh my! That sunken garden, Pam! What vision. I truly love every photo you showed of these grounds. And an Oriental garden just does something for me – a very zen feeling lookng at it. Thank you for this tour.

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  2. What a spectacular treasure! I know y’all are glad you changed your mind at the last minute. That star pond is my favorite. With so many flowers, I couldn’t really choose a favorite there. It’s all stunning, and I’m sure even more so in person. Thanks for sharing and happy Monday!

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  4. While visiting our daughter in Olympia we decided to visit Victoria. The trip to Victoria on the ferry was fun and the views were outstanding. We had tea at the Empress and also visited Butchart gardens. What a memory. Just trying to imagine how the giant hole looked prior to Mrs. Butchart starting to plant her garden. What a job of joy. Her foresight, planning, and finding all the plants to survive in that terrain is something to imagine especially since the area was so large. Thanks for showing the gardens.

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  8. What a stunning place Pam, I’ve heard about it but the closest we’ve been is the replica at Epcot!! Would love to stroll around here though, the colours look beautiful and I love your picture of Tod Inlet.

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  9. This garden is on my list when we tour the Victoria area…so pretty, and I am always up for seeing a lovely garden. We are fortunate to live across the road from famous Longwood Gardens here in southeastern PA…a beautiful place any time of year, but amazing in spring and all lit up at Xmas time. Thank you for the armchair trip.

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  10. We made a trip to Victoria Island prior to boarding a cruise ship in Vancouver for Alaska back in 2000. It was an amazing experience and one I will never forget. It is so good to see the gorgeous flowers of the season and that very little has changed. Thank you so much for sharing.

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  11. Pam, We visited this garden in 2006 when we did the Alaska Cruise. We stayed about 10 days more that the others in our group and did more land traveling through Washington and Oregon. Butchard Gardens was at the top of my list of things to see on that trip. Thanks for sharing and reminding me of that beautiful garden!

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  12. I don’t know much about this part of the country at all, but I love seeing it through your eyes. What beautiful gardens and amazing plants. Thanks for the tour!

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  14. I live in Victoria, the pics you posted are wonderful!! Thanks for sharing our little piece of paradise here in Canada!! I know not too many people think of our little ( not really) island in the Pacific but we are here and we are one of the most beautiful places in the World!! Thanks again for sharing and come back !!

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  15. Querida Pam, muy agradecida de poder ver estos jardines que son sencillamente espectaculares. Prevalece el buen gusto, la dedicación, el amor a las plantas y te podría relatar un sin fin de cualidades de la propietaria de estas tierras.
    Me encantan tus viajes…gracias, amiga.
    Dolores

    Dear Pam, very grateful to see these gardens that are simply spectacular. Good taste prevails, dedication, love for plants and you could tell endless qualities of the owner of these lands.
    I love your travels … thank you, friend.
    Dolores

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    • Dolores más querido, estoy muy contenta de que haya disfrutado de los jardines! Era un lugar hermoso mi querido amigo! He recibido su correo electrónico y estaré contesto! Mucho amor, Pam

      Dearest Dolores, I am so glad you enjoyed the gardens! It was a beautiful place my dear friend! I received your email and will be replying! Much love, Pam

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  16. I visited Butchart Gardens when I was 14 – I hate to tell you how long ago that was – and I still remember it.

    Thanks for sharing with SYC.

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  17. Hi Pam, I’m so glad you were able to visit Butchart Gardens and share your lovely photos with us! My aunt and uncle visited there years ago and they still rave about the gardens! Thanks for sharing. Blessings, Janet

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  18. This is definitely on my list of places to go. My husband is in the explosives business and frequents quarries. It’s neat to us to see places that have been reclaimed and beautified.
    Happy Thoughts of Home. Pinning.

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  19. Pam, I have been there once. It was years ago and I would love to return! It was gorgeous!! The roses were not blooming when we were there. You captured some beautiful shots! Thanks for sharing with SYC.
    hugs,
    Jann

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  21. Hi! My wife and I visited this garden at the beginning in July. We enjoyed there and the afternoon tea was very delicious in this restaurant.

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  22. Wow. Just wow!! I have dreams of a clean, neat, beautiful garden. She must have had many hands helping accomplish all this. I LOVE it!
    🙂 gwingal

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  24. Pam, I have been there and absolutely loved it as well! I would really like to return some day. While in Victoria we attended a tea. That was also fabulous. Glad you had a fun time! Thanks for sharing with the Garden Party and SYC.
    hugs,
    Jann

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  27. I can understand why so many people visit these gardens every year! How stunning and so full of color. Those roses are incredible. Thank you for sharing your beautiful post at this month’s Take Me Away party. It’s always fun to catch up on your travels!
    Shelley

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  28. Stunning! Hard to believe that was once a gaping hole of a quarry. Really a wonderful repurposing of the land. I wonder how much soil was trucked in? Would have been fun to help create!!

    Thank you for sharing your adventures,
    Hugs,
    Barb 🙂

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