Butchart Gardens Vancouver Island

: Robert Pim Butchart began manufacturing Portland cement in 1888 near his birthplace of Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada

: He and his wife Jennie Butchart came to the west coast of Canada because of rich limestone deposits necessary for cement production.

: In 1904, they established their home near his quarry on Tod Inlet at the base of the Saanich Peninsula on Vancouver Island.

: In 1907 when Isaburo Kishida of Japan came to Victoria, Jennie Butchart commissioned him to design Japanese gardens for their estate.

: When the limestone quarry was exhausted in 1909, Jennie set about turning it into the Sunken Garden, which was completed in 1921.

: They named their home “Benvenuto” (“welcome” in Italian), and began to receive visitors to their gardens.

: Over the years the Gardens evolved – In 1926, they replaced their tennis courts with an Italian garden and in 1929 they replaced their kitchen vegetable garden with a large rose garden

: Robert & Jennie Butchart gave the gardens as a gift to their grandson Ian Ross on his 21st birthday.

: Ownership of The Gardens remains within the Butchart family today.

: The Butcharts great-granddaughter Robin Lee Clarke is now owner & managing director

: Miles of underground wiring was laid to provide night illumination to mark the 50th anniversary of The Gardens in 2004.

: In 1994, the Canadian Heraldic Authority granted a coat of arms to the Butchart Gardens

: In 2004, two 30-foot (9.1 m) totem poles were installed to mark the 100th anniversary, and The Gardens were designated as a national historic site.

: If you go to Victoria, plan on spending the day at Butchart Gardens

: The time spent will be well worth it.

: Over the years, the Gardens has expanded with additional “Garden Sections”

: I would rank it as the best “Gardens” of any kind I have photographed.

: We visited the Gardens in 2004 before their 100th Anniversary Celebration

: Much more than Gardens has been added since then.

: According to their website they now have a Children’s Pavillion & Rose Carousel which is the only carousel on Vancouver Island

: I followed a dirt path through the Japanese section of the gardens and was rewarded with this outstanding view

: If you go to Alaska and end up in Victoria, be sure and put Vancouver Island & Butchart Gardens on your to do list.

Comments are closed.