Monday, August 19, 2019

Butchart Gardens, Victoria, BC, Canada

Recently I enjoyed three days and two nights with my daughter-in-law and granddaughter in beautiful Victoria, British Columbia. Such a lovely place! One of our days was spent at Butchart Gardens.
(Click on photos to enlarge.)

As the sign says, "Over 100 Years in Bloom." According to the garden's official website:
With a former limestone quarry for her backyard, Jennie Butchart envisioned landscaping a sunken garden in its place, transforming the property for her family--and visitors--for generations to come.


This is the classic view of the sunken garden. I'll wager that 99% of the garden's visitors take a photo from this overlook. 


Throughout the gardens, we did not see one drooping blossom or spent flower. The grounds are meticulously maintained.



The dahlia border dazzled. The website says: More than 200 varieties in 11 different forms, in all colours of the rainbow.  


Fountains, too!



And totem poles.

I can only imagine what this magnificent garden looks like in springtime when rhododendrons and azaleas are in bloom. Autumn must be lovely, too, with the trees changing color. I've heard that the Christmas decorations are a treat to see. 

More information about the garden's history and plants, a map, and more: Butchart Gardens





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23 comments:

  1. I went in the late fall. I need to go when there are actual flowers there, We enjoyed the lovely trip there anyway.

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  2. Kelly, I'd love to go there at Christmas. I'll bet their decorations are lavish.

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  3. I would love to stroll through this garden. Thanks for sharing.

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  4. Wow, what a beautiful place with all those blooms! Not much color left around here by this time of summer. I would love to visit BC.

    Sue

    2019 Big Book Summer Challenge

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  5. So lovely, Sandy. Makes me nostalgic for Victoria, where we used to go every spring for years prior to 9/11 (still don't have updated passports or enhanced driver's licenses). Thanks for the memories.

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  6. This brings back so many memories! I went with Mom a couple of times, with her and my aunt and uncle, and with my niece Kelly. The last time I went was an overnight Victoria Clipper trip in 2011 with Lora Lee Brown. An unforgettable experience

    Victoria and Butchart Gardens played an important part in my popular Juli Scott Super Sleuth series #5 YA novel, "Friday Flight." What fun!!!!

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  7. I've seen photos of these gardens before. It must take an enormous effort to keep them looking so good :) :)

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  8. Oh my goodness! That garden looks so magical...like a storybook setting. Beautiful.

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  9. I am in love with this garden. To take an ugly piece of ground after mining and to turn it into a garden paradise is such a gift to the world. Here we are 100 years later with her inheritance for the world. Lovely photos.

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  10. Hello, what a pretty garden. The flowers are lovely, I always enjoy the water features and fountains. The Totem is cool. Great series of photos. Thanks for the visit. Wishing you a happy day and week ahead.

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  11. Everywhere I travel, I check out the botanical gardens. Is that a hydrangea half in bloom?

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  12. Colleen Looseleaf: Yes. I think it's called a lace cap hydrangea. That's the complete bloom.

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  13. Butchart Gardens is such a lovely place. It's been many years since I've been there, but I remember the large fountain display set with lights and music. Don't know if they still have it. Even though we now live in BC, Victoria is a ferry ride and a long drive from our little town. - Margy

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  14. Wow, an impressive garden! How I would love to visit this one:) Love the hydrangea I once had, but did not survive my move to a little harsher climate. Many thanks for your kind comment. I see you like memes, and inviting you for a meme I run for you to join, It's called All Seasons - and it's about the experience in the season. It runs with one image for the linky list (your post can be as long or short as you like) from Sunday to Friday noon. I will separate my url: the jesh studio (.) sordpress (.) com
    Hope to see you there! Jesh

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  15. I love visiting botanical gardens. They are so full of color and create such a serene feel around you. I am lucky to have one near me that I try to visit a few times a year to get all the colors. This year I am going to go in the fall which is my favorite season.

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  16. Lovely selection of botanical gardens photos ^_^

    Happy Day to You,
    A ShutterBug Explores,
    aka (A Creative Harbor)

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  17. Hi! Very beautiful Photos! We went there about 3years ago.

    https://minorusaito.blogspot.com/2016/07/victoria-in-vancouver-island.html

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  18. I have visited Butchart Gardens a couple of times and it is an amazing place. Yes, I took a photo from that viewpoint. The entire city seemed to be in bloom, even in the shopping district with all the concrete.

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  19. Your wager is correct. I took a picture from the same place back in 1995! I didn't know it was a sunken garden (There is one called that in St Pete, FL). Is the picture of the flower in bluish purple a hydrangea? By the way, my lavender still has not bloomed. It probably won't this year:-) I'll dry the leaves and make sachets with them.

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  20. That's a pretty place. And the view from the lookout it superb!
    I'm sure you had a lovely time there. :)

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  21. We’ve been there twice....midsummer and at ?Christmas .... both times way way too long ago! What a wonderful getaway with your “girls”.....beautiful photos.

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  22. We were there in September and the dahlias were magnificent!

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