Regardless of whether you find gardens interesting or not, the Butchart Gardens in Victoria, Canada are a stunning and tranquil place to visit.
The Butchart Gardens are located on Vancouver Island, about 23 km north of Victoria at 800 Benvenuto Ave, Brentwood Bay. The gardens are open every day, but you should check the web site for opening hours and entry ticket prices.
In 2004, the gardens was named a National Historic Site of Canada.
Reason 1 – The stunning sunken garden
The gardens were originally created from a limestone quarry owned and operated by the Butchart family. When the limestone was depleted in the early 1900’s Jennie Butchart started the long process of creating a sunken garden from the old quarry.
The chimney is the only remaining part of the old limestone quarry and provides a reminder of the origin of the gardens.
Take your time to wander around the sunken garden and find hidden treasures. We found an owl in a tree.
Reason 2 – The flowers are beautiful
The gardens are worth visiting just to see the beautiful flowers.
You will also find a beautiful indoor garden in the buildings near the entrance.
Reason 3 – The sculptures
There are a number of bronze sculptures to find throughout the gardens, including this carousel horse near the Rose Carousel.
The bore, named Tacca, is a replica of the 1620 bronze cast by Peitro Tacca. His snout is shiny as travellers rub it for luck. He may also seem familiar. There are other replica’s of this statue around the world (I have rubbed the nose of other replicas in Florence and Sydney).
The fountain statue of three sturgeon is near the Japanese garden.
Reason 4 – The tranquility of the Japanese Gardens
The Japanese gardens are well established and has a beautiful stream flowing through it as well as having a number of ponds throughout.
Reason 5 – The stunning manicured gardens
Make sure you see the beautiful manicured gardens of the Rose Garden, the Italian Garden and the Star Pond.
Another reason – The Rose Carousel
I had to add another – I’m just a big kid at heart so I needed to include the Rose Carousel. The Carousel was opened in 2009 and while you might think it is only for children, I only saw “big kids” on it while I was there!
I decided to ride the giraffe. There are also rabbits, zebras, ostriches and even a reindeer to ride.
So Why Visit The Butchart Gardens
They are stunning! It is that simple. There are so many other beautiful features at Butchart Gardens that I haven’t listed, so if you are visiting Vancouver Island, make sure you add the Butchart Gardens to your list of places to visit.
If you’re in Canada, two days on the Rocky Mountaineer from Banff to Vancouver is well worth it.
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