It seems like a lifetime ago but it was only about two weeks since we visited the Butchart Gardens outside of Victoria, BC. The Gardens were started over a hundred years ago by Jennie Butchart, who was the wife of a cement manufacturer and limestone quarry owner. The Butchart's house overlooked the quarry, and Jennie got tired of looking at a strip mine, so she planted flowers. The story goes she even planted ivy along rocky cliff sides from a bosun's chair. The gardens have been a tourist attraction ever since.
Research about the gardens suggested an early arrival, so I booked the first charter bus out of the harbor to the gardens. The day was clear and started out in the low seventies. The bus driver gave a non-stop speech about Victoria (the most haunted city along the west coast, among other mosts) and the environs as we traveled for about a half-hour. If I remember correctly, he was from Saskatchewan, and his accent reminded me of my time in Minnesota.
When we got to the gardens, Mark took one look at the map, saw its suggested path, and promptly lead us the opposite way. This was a good thing; the first hour or so of our garden experience was a quiet one. The gardens were still in full bloom, which a pleasant surprise—I was expecting more autumnal foliage. We saw the Italian Garden first, then the Star Pond, then the Japanese Gardens, then the Rose Garden.
I liked the boxwood hedge with arches on either side of a statue of Mercury in the Italian Garden. The Star Pond was nice, but over-hyped.
I very much enjoyed the Japanese Garden because it was shady and cool, with many little niches and covered tea ceremony benches. It also had a little metal dragon fountain springing out from the top of a slope.
At the other end of the garden, we found the cove and dock for the sea planes.
Because we went through the Japanese garden backward, so to speak, when we found it, the tori gate appeared to open up onto a main lawn; this combined with the southeastern morning sunlight made the gate extra mysterious looking.
The rose garden was very traditional and fun. I espeicially enjoyed the gazing globe there. Rose fragrance filled the air, and the trellises and hedges created a small enclosed place for contemplation — no small feat given that the number of folks traipsing around was climbing.
Where a path from the rose garden met a path from the Japanese garden, there was a medium sized fountain with another dragon sculpture. By this time in our tour of the garden, we were beginning to run into the folks who had taken the traditional path.
After some wandering, we decided to have tea (our second in as many days!). Since we didn't have a reservation, we were seated outside, with the caveat that we would likely be visited by wasps. Our waiter reminded us of Ned Flanders (it was the mustache). We ordered tea and two servings of savories. The first non-tea item was trifle By the time we finished the trifle, the wasps had indeed discovered our plates, so we put a bit of sausage roll out for them as tribute and they mostly left us alone. The meal was delightful, but I would have to add that some of the savories were trying too hard to be exotic and were more puzzling than delicious.
After the very filling meal, we wandered about and revisited the fountain, the carousel, and other features near the sunken garden. Bt this time we had been visiting for about three or four hours, and the post-lunch crowds had were visiting the gardens with us, resulting in some congestion. Toddlers in the throes of "The Snackening" were more evident.
So it was time for shopping! Nancy and I hit the gift shop while Mark did a final round of the sunken garden and the fountains. I bought some tea (which I've already brewed most of!)
We found the same bus and bus driver waiting to whisk us back to Victoria.
The gardens were fun. I would visit again; I'm not sure if the allure of formal gardens or the chance for a fancy tea with proper scones is the draw. Mark said he enjoyed the garden, but didn't need to see it again—and there were other gardens in Victoria that we didn't get a chance to visit that he would rather see instead.
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