The Butchart Gardens

Fall is a wonderful time to travel, and to visit public gardens. That may seem counter intuitive, since spring is typically the season we associate with beautiful gardens, but a well-planned garden has interest for every season. Fall is a spectacular time to visit The Butchart Gardens, located north of Victoria, British Columbia on the Saanich Peninsula. In the early 1900s, Robert and Jennie Butchart settled into their 130 acre estate on Victoria Island. Jennie transformed a limestone quarry on the estate into a 55 acre garden, which is now designated a National Historic Site of Canada.

The Sunken Garden - created in an abandoned limestone quarry.

Garden features include various garden types—sunken, bog, rose, Japanese, Italian, and Mediterranean; water features—fountains, waterwheel, and ponds; green house, public gathering areas and restaurants; a plant identification station; and a gift shop that sells seeds packaged on site and other merchandise. The Butchart Gardens follows the Victorian tradition of changing out the bedding plants seasonally, so there is something new to see all year round.

The formal Italian Garden - with a Pacific Northwest vista.

My husband and I took a Gray Line tour bus from our hotel in Victoria’s Inner Harbor, and spent a sunny, fall afternoon strolling in the gardens and taking pictures, then relaxing over sandwiches and coffee in the coffee shop. We loved the open feeling of the garden, the interesting paths and details, the buildings, and the artistry of plants and trees.

Surprised by dahlias in October.