It seems that if people know anything about Vancouver Island, they know about the Fairmont Empress Hotel in Victoria and they know about Butchart Gardens. The Gardens are a 119 year old internationally renowned 55 acre display garden located in Brentwood Bay (about 20k northwest of Victoria), created by Jennie Butchart and still privately owned by the family. Jennie Butchart moved to Vancouver Island in 1904 with her husband and began transitioning a old limestone quarry into a sunken garden in 1912. Other gardens, including a rose garden, Japanese garden, Italian garden, and Mediterranean garden were added later.
Bob and I had visited the gardens on our first visit to Vancouver Island many moons ago when we also stayed at the Fairmont and enjoyed high tea there. We thought it was beautiful and decided we needed to see it again.
It was a happy, too-many-photos day, where we were constantly saying, “Oh my gosh, look at that.” It felt like nature’s version of walking through the largest box of Crayola Crayons. Highly recommend it.
for the 60th anniversary of the gardens
by Jennie Butchart’s great-granddaughter and current owner of the gardens, Robin-Lee Clarke
to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the sister city relationship
between Suzhou, China, and Victoria.
but I have a seriously untrained eye.
Peckish Travels 
2 replies on “Beautiful Butchart Gardens (9/20/23)”
Beautiful, like your good selves we visited these wonderful gardens many moons ago, it’s the cream on the cake.
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They need to have countries sit in gardens to negotiate — it’s hard to be angry in a garden! Good to see you and Mary on horses. Hope you are having or had a good holiday.
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