Road Trip Garden-Butchart Gardens

Brentwood Bay, BC, Canada

Jennie Butchart had a problem.

The old spent limestone quarry that supplied her husband’s cement plant was an eyesore.

So, Jennie got the crazy idea of turning it into a garden, filling it with a skillful mixture of rare and exotic plants-some collected by the Butcharts on their travels. The idea took off and expanded to include the Sunken Garden and Japanese, Rose, Italian, and Mediterranean gardens. By the 1920s, the gardens hosted fifty thousand people a year. Today, close to a million visitors visit Butchart Gardens annually, which the family still owns and operates. At over 100 years old, it’s one of the most famous private gardens in the world.

The gardens are intensively maintained to perfection by over fifty full-time and twenty seasonal gardeners. When I say “perfection,” I mean the highest level of maintenance insanity I’ve ever seen on such a large scale. The unique bed edges designed for drainage are cut and cleaned once a week. Even the TRASH cans are planted with exciting combos. Most work is performed before the gardens open, starting at 5:45 am.

What I love about this garden;

-It’s a top-notch garden that takes seasonal plantings to the highest level.

-The variety of gardens and plants.

-The quality of the maintenance, be it plants, bed edges, benches, or walkways.

-Easy-to-read map. (multiple languages available)

-Minimal labeling. A Flower and Plant ID guide is available at the visitor center.

Know before you go;

-Complimentary wheelchairs and strollers are available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

-Pets are welcome if they are on leashes, picked up after, and under control.

-Luggage can be stored for a small fee at the visitor’s center.

-Free and ample parking, including buses and RV’s.

-For US visitors, a passport is required to enter Canada. Ferries run regularly to Victoria, 13.5 miles south of the gardens and the most significant nearby port. Taxis, buses, and tourist shuttles are options from Victoria if you don’t drive.

-The official address for Butchart Gardens is 800 Benvenuto Ave, Brentwood Bay, BC V8M 1J8, Canada

-Chances are it will rain while you are there-pack an umbrella.

-Always check website for current rates and hours. The Butchart Gardens – Over 100 Years in Bloom – Victoria, Canada

Quick Facts;

-55 acres.

-26 private greenhouses grow most of the tens of thousands of plants used in the displays every year.

-1912, construction began by transferring topsoil by horse and cart into the spent quarry.

-Butchart can receive up to 50 inches of rain annually. Interesting, considering nearby Victoria, just 30 minutes south, only receives 24 inches. (I repeat-pack an umbrella)

-Water, when needed, comes from a reservoir at the smaller former lime quarry and Ross Fountain-not city water.