The Sunken Garden at Butchart Gardens
Eponymously named Butchart Gardens with luxuriant vegetation offer a reprieve from the strict routine. The commodious gardens are meticulously laid. The limestone paths are built along the psychedelic collection of flowers and trees. The floral displays are adjusted according to the seasons, so that the gardens remain exceptional throughout the year. During Christmas, the Butchart Gardens are turned into a Christmas Wonderland.
Attractions at the Butchart Gardens
Sunken Garden was constructed over the exhausted quarry owned by Robert Pim Butchart, a trailblazer in the flourishing cement industry of North America. Allured to the limestone deposits, he established a quarry and a cement plant at Tod Inlet. Later, when the deposits ran out, his wife Jennie Butchart converted the isolated quarry into a garden.
Concert Lawn Walk is located just outside the Sunken Garden. There are 30 handcrafted animals and chariots made of wood. This is the Children’s Pavilion and Rose Carousel.
Rose Garden is the heart of the Butchart Gardens. It is located close to the Concert Lawn. Smell the sybaritic fragrance in the air, and treat your eyes with the marvelous view of the different varieties of rose flowers. Walking past this garden, you will see the frog fountain and the wishing well. Located outside this garden is the Sturgeon Fountain made in Florence.
Enter through the Torii Gate to reach the Japanese Garden. This garden features bridges, ponds, streams, and a lot of flowers.
The Italian Garden’s facade features a magnificent twelve-point Star Pond, especially designed for Mr. Butchart’s collection of ornamental ducks. It has a lovely frog fountain located in the center. The Italian Garden has two arched entrances.
Walk towards the car parking area, you will be able to spot the Mediterranean Garden with a perfect arrangement of tropical plants from all over the world.
Events at the Butchart Gardens
- Fireworks displays are done only in the summer season, and just on Saturdays.
- Special events such as musical concerts, boat tours are organized from time to time.
- At dusk, you can enjoy the panoramic view of the well-lit gardens.
Butchart Gardens Location Map
Facts about Butchart Gardens
- The construction of the gardens began in 1904.
- Grandson Ian Ross received the gardens as a gift on his 21st birthday.
- Robin-Lee Clarke, the great granddaughter of Jennie Butchart made an addition to the gardens in the form of the Children’s Pavilion.
- The Butchart Gardens became a National Historic Site in 2004, close to its centennial celebration.
- As a prequel to the Christmas celebrations of December, Butchart Gardens is organizing ‘The Magic of Christmas Dinner and Dance’ on Saturday, 29 November. Both small and large groups can attend this event for a little more than ninety dollars each. The Magic of Christmas Dinner and Dance will have all the elements of a grand celebration, with some Christmas spirit sprinkled on the top. There will be scrumptious appetizers (Amuse Bouche) followed by a lavish buffet dinner in the Blue Poppy restaurant. After dinner guests are welcome to join the carolers as they merrily jaunt through the gardens. The caroling will be followed by a dessert buffet. All the guest are invited to dance after dinner, to live music performed by Chris Millington and his group.
Where is Butchart Gardens ?
The Butchart Gardens are sited on Vancouver Island, about 23 km north of Victoria. Public transit and shuttle buses are available from Victoria to the gardens. The Swartz Bay ferry terminal is 20 km north from the gardens. From Vancouver, car, bus, and ferry are available to reach the gardens. From Washington, you can choose to fly, or travel by catamaran, or take a ferry or public transit to the gardens.
Address: 800 Benvenuto Ave, Brentwood Bay, BC V8M 1J8, Canada
Best time to visit Butchart Gardens
The peak season is during July and August. Some of the tourists visit the gardens during late afternoons. They wait for the night illuminations.
Butchart Gardens Hours
The gardens open at 9:00 a.m. daily, except on December 25, when it opens at 1:00 p.m. The closing time of the gardens varies with the seasons:
Spring
| March 1 – March 31 | 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. |
| April 1 – May 31 | 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
| June 1 – June 14 | 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. |
Summer
| June 15 – September 3 | 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. |
| September 4 – September 15 | 9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. |
| September 16 – September 30 | 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
Autumn
| October 1 – October 31 | 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. |
| November 1 – November 30 | 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. |
For more info refer : http://www.butchartgardens.com/visit/hours
Butchart Gardens Tickets
The seasonal admission rates range from $18.05 to $32.80 for adults, $9.05 to $ 16.30 for youth, and $2 to $3 for children (age 5-12 years). Annual passes are also available.
More about Butchart Gardens
What are the coordinates of the Butchart Gardens?
48.562490, -123.466613
Which are the interesting places near the Butchart Gardens?
Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre, Hatley Park National Historic Site, Victoria Butterfly Gardens, Fort Rodd Hill National Historic Site, Della Falls, Elk Falls Provincial Park, Mount Arrowsmith, and Ucluelet Aquarium.
Image Credit : Marcus
