Butchart Gardens, located pretty much half way between Victoria and
Vancouver, BC are simply gorgeous and the grand daddy of gardens in an area
full of gardens. One of
the most beautiful gardens in North America, it is said to be the most
photographed one. A strange thing happened when we visited the gardens my
second (of 3) time. Everybody slowed down. People talked softly, waited
patiently while people finished taking their photos, and slowed their pace. It
was most refreshing.
Located
in an abandoned limestone quarry, the gardens cover 50 acres of the 130-acre
estate. Tulips were in bloom everywhere---there were only 60,000 bulbs! Fifty
gardeners are kept busy full time year-round in the gardens to ensure
continuous color. Each morning before
the public is admitted, gardeners survey
the gardens and dead head any plants that are beginning to fade.
The rose garden has 2500 rose bushes of
250 varieties. It was a bit early for rose blooms, but the plants were all in
bud. The gardens are beautiful any time of year as many plants are always in
bloom. Many people have wanted
to buy the gardens, but it simply is not for sale and has been in the family
for 100 years. Mrs. Butchart appreciated the money earned from the quarry and
her husband’s cement business, but thought that the quarry was a blight on the
landscape. People told her nothing would grow in the quarry, but did she prove
them wrong!
There are many benches around the
gardens for one to sit and contemplate awhile. A restaurant and café are on the
premises. A lovely gift shop occupies part of the original home.
The gardens were left to a grandson who
was quite literally married to the gardens. His wife lived in a home in town,
but he stayed in a cabin in the gardens. They did put on a good public
marriage. When he died, a brother took over the gardens, but he died three
years later. However, he was the one who designed the fountain in the large
pond. Now a sister runs the enterprise.
The Butcharts started planting
flowers, shrubs, and trees in 1904 from their extensive travels. The couple,
always the gracious hosts, named their home Benvenuto,
Italian meaning welcome.
The 50 acres include a Rose Garden,
Italian Garden, Japanese Garden, Stage Show Garden, and a Sunken Garden. In 1953 lights were added to illuminate the
gardens at night. At night, lights make the Ross Fountain a spectacular
shimmering fantasy as its waters soar 80 feet into the air.
In the patio area near the gift shop
stands a large 1620 bronze boar, named Tacca. He is a copy of an original that
is in the Straw Market in Florence, Italy. The Butcharts purchased him on one
of their European trips. The unique posture of Tacca suggests neither attack
nor repose, but instead that he was awakened suddenly by the sound of the hunt.
Years later a pond was added at the base with bronze plants, frogs, snakes, and
turtles. His snout is finely burnished by thousands of visitors who have given
him an affectionate rub for good luck. He is dedicated to all the children and
animals who visit Butchart Gardens.
My
last visit to the Butchart was an evening one. It was a bit of a disappointment
after having seen the gardens twice before in the daytime. The paths were not
well lit which made one walk carefully and the gardens lost a lot of their
color and beauty. It also was harder to comprehend the whole layout of the
area. If it had been my first visit I may have been enthralled, but in my
opinion, daytime is a much better time for viewing.
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