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The Butchart Gardens
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- Good for Kids:
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44 reviews for The Butchart Gardens
The Butchart Gardens is one of Victoria's absolute gems. I've visited twice and thoroughly enjoyed myself both times. My first visit was with my family (including elderly grandparents). I liked it so much I returned with the bf. It is a beautiful and relaxing place that can be enjoyed by everyone of all ages. The paved pathways and plentiful rest areas make it very user friendly, allowing you to tour the grounds at your own pace.
The series of distinct gardens are all lovely. My favorite is the hanging garden with the neon colored fuchsia, followed closely by the sunken garden. Given that it used to be a hollowed out quarry and complete eye sore, the transformation is most impressive.
BG is open late during the summer, so I recommend coming in the afternoon/evening when it's less crowded.
It was my second time to this place and let me tell you, it never gets boring. Once again we ran out of time...you can really just get lost here. The flowers are AMAZING...
My favorite is the pig...a must rub on the way out =)
BEAUTIFUL! Totally worth the trip. If you in Victoria, then it's a must see. My family and I (7 adults total) went to Butchart Gardens for the day. We went our separate ways and explored the place. We could have spent the entire day here. My husband and I enjoyed the Italian garden, the Japanese garden, and the sunken gardens especially. There are so many different gardens and areas. Each one of the gardens is unique! There is a cafe and a nice restaurant. We had dinner at the restaurant and then went to see the colorful fountain show near the sunken gardens.
This is a great place for the whole family. Take a look at the website and photos that everyone has uploaded. If you love beautifully manicured gardens that don't end, then this is the place for you.
Go at least once on a day with fireworks. After that, it's your choice.
BIG tourist trap. Food is outrageous and admission is crazy. For the fireworks, they don't allow you to leave and come back like on other days. And, what's the point in paying admission and just coming for fireworks? So, you end up coming early enough to need food while you're there, and unless you pack food (do this!!!) you'll need to fork over more cash than you would like. One option we liked was splitting a sandwich and salad (we had brought some snacks). This kept our total under $14 for food.
Fireworks run about 30 minutes and start at 9:30. Bring a blanket (plus trash bags for underneath) and leave it as soon as you get to the gardens in a prime spot (in front of the stone area is nice). Then, your spot is staked out for later.
It takes about 2-3 hours to see everything, and longer if you are stuck behind slow walkers. You know, the kind that have to walk slowly then stop suddenly, walk a little more, stop to take a picture . . . uuuuuuugh.
*This review is for Afternoon Tea at The Dining Room Restaurant.
We chose to have Afternoon Tea in lieu of lunch during our recent visit to Butchart Gardens. We were very pleased with the quality and variety. They included: A Berry Trifle, Savory Tea Sandwiches, Roasted vegetable quiche, house- made sweets, Candied Ginger Scones, a Grand Mariner truffle and a large pot of tea.
All delicious! A must do if you are at the garden.
On a recent trip to Victoria, we enjoyed spending the afternoon wandering around these gardens which are now a National Historic Site of Canada. There are well manicured paths, lots of varying topography and a rich diversity of flora in a variety of botanical styles. At the entrance there is also a restaurant & cafe, perfect for fueling up before tackling the ~55 acres of choice floral vegetation.
My favourites parts were the Italian & Japanese gardens, the northern end of which gives way to a splendid view of a sheltered little cove on the straits of Georgia.
This is the kind of place to go for a relaxing afternoon of quality time, with the parental or grand-parental units. 5 Stars!
I've been hearing about this place since I was a kid. Before I ever even got into plants, you would hear the chant ... "Have you been to Butchart Gardens?" It was background noise I would shut out. Like the rest of the junk that seemed to have no relevance to my life.
But as the years progressed, and I began working on lawns, then trees, then nurseries and garden sales, then delivery and finally some landscape and design, then spraying [to become informed of what really works & what doesn't ] and finally pruning full time, I finally was able to see Butchart with informed eyes. Suddenly I was thinking "No I haven't seen Butchart ... but I'd love to."
When I finally arrived I was taken back by the tour bus atmosphere of the parking lot and was beginning to think I made a mistake. But after walking around I could quickly see what all the fuss was about. And the benefit of having an army of worker scour the grounds. It is beautiful to the point of perfection, basically everything I had heard. And I have to admit I was secretly gleeful to see they were having troubles with a pest on one of the flowering trees, that had been troubling everyone in Seattle at the time. And despite their best efforts even Butchart couldn't "fix" it. But that's just my warped sense of perspective.
All in all this is a top notched garden and really the only problem is too many people know about it.
Beautiful gardens filled with flowers of all kinds, bursting fountains and breathtaking layout...Butchart Gardens is like magic. I swear.
A person can just lose themselves in appreciating the landscapes of the various 'mini' gardens. It can take hours of picture taking as well. :)
I love the concept of the garden changing every season and wish I could come here to see the Japanese garden in the Fall.
A definite must be for anyone traveling to Victoria.
This review is for the afternoon tea at The Dining Room Restaurant. Located inside the Butchart Garden, right next to the Rose Garden. The restaurant's very bright and inviting, and definitely worth dining at if you ever visit the garden.
The afternoon tea is $26.65CAD per person, and it included:
~ A Seasonal Berry Trifle (layers of sponge cakes with blackberry compote, finished with chantilly cream). It was decadent, everything just melt in your mouth with a hint of sweetness from the berry compote and cream.
~ Savory Tea Sandwiches: A savory house-made sausage roll with imported mustard Roasted vegetable and cheese quiche. Locally smoked wild BC salmon with maple and whole grain mustard cream cheese. Egg salad and watercress. A mango-curry chicken salad with toasted cashews. Smoked honey ham on a rosemary and aged cheddar biscuit, and Cucumber with fresh ginger cream cheese) Everything was tasty, but my favorite finger sandwich would have to be the mango-curry chicken salad with toasted cashews, the nuttiness of the cashews was a perfect combination to the light curry chicken salad.
~ House-made sweets ( Dark chocolate barquette with fresh fruit Raspberry marzipan Napoleon, Lemon and poppy seed loaf, coconut chocolate macaroon, Chocolate Grand Marnier truffle and Candied ginger scone, accompanied by strawberry jam and whipped vanilla Devon-style cream)
~ Large pot of Tea of your choice: Gardens Blend, Bachelor Button, Teaberry Blend, Rose Congou Chinese, Earl Grey and English Breakfast.
I had the afternoon tea while my mom ordered a Cobb Salad($17) from their lunch menu, and they were both delicious, will definitely come back again next time when I visit the garden.
I'm not a big flower guy. I've always kind of thought that they're a waste of money. Enter Butchart Gardens. I wouldn't say I'm a changed man but even I could appreciate this 100 year old garden made from an old limestone quarry.
The colors of the flowers were almost unbelievable and the scent of the flowers were "heavenly" according to my mom. The fountains were also incredible. The scale of the place was what was most impressive to me. The garden was huge and extremely well manicured but not in a Las Vegas fake sort of way.
It's a little expensive at $26/person.
It's also quite a ways outside of downtown Victoria.
I breezed through everything in about 1 1/2 hours. Sure, it's beautiful, but there's really nothing else to do except take pictures and avoid tripping over the kids running around and strollers hogging the sidewalks.
I'm glad I went but don't feel the need to ever go back.
Wow... the fireworks show Saturday night was amazing!!! We came in the afternoon. Walked all over the gardens - so beautiful. Had a picnic dinner on the lawn. We ate around 6pm and stayed on the lawn to hold our spot for the fireworks viewing. Totally worth it. The lawns were packed by the time the show started at 9:15pm. Thank goodness we packed a blanket and spread out so we were nice and comfy. People that came later had to make due with odd shaped spaces and were squeezed in anywhere they could fit. After the show, we walked around the garden some more to avoid the mass exodus in the parking lot and I swear it felt like a different garden when it's all lit up at night. It's about $30pp but totally worth it.
It doesn't matter what time of year you visit this place is *ALWAYS* beautiful! Something is always in bloom!
Fountains a waterfall....birds twittering {not with ipods dearies} all over..
I was first introduced to the place when my parents returned from a vacation when I was about 12-14....I spent days looking through the photos they took
It was more than a decade later when I went and saw it for myself. I visited in autumn while they visited in early summer and I do not think one season is any more or less spectacular.
Upon searching their website I have found their admission prices have skyrocketed...it's insane what they are charging now! I understand we're in an economic downturn and things are rough all over but I am sure this admission jump isn't anything recent. And these outrageous prices are what's kept me from giving 5 stars. Yes the gardens are amazing! Yes they take a lot of time and money for upkeep! Yes it takes a lot to compensate 50 gardeners and other volunteers but good gracious! What are you people doing with the admission fees? Eating them?
2009 Dates Adult (18+) Youths (13-17) Child(5-12) Group rate
All admission prices* include Goods and Services Tax and are in Canadian funds.
Spring
March 21/09 - June 14/09 $26.00 $13.00 $2.00 $23.40
Summer
June 15/09 - September 30/09 $28.00 $14.00 $3.00 $25.20
Autumn
October 1/09 - October 31/09 $23.50 $11.75 $2.00 $21.15
November 1/09 - November 30/09 $18.00 $9.00 $2.00 $16.20
Christmas
December 1/09 - January 6/10 $22.50 $11.25 $3.00 $20.25
Winter
January 7/10 - January 14/10 $16.25 $8.25 $2.00 $14.63
January 15/10 - March 20/10 $22.00 $11.00 $2.00 $19.80
* Subject to change
Even in March the beauty of this place is hard to miss. Do I wish I had gone in the blossoming spring or the warm breeze of summer? Absolutely! Would I have appreciated it any more? Who knows?
The landscape, the work that went into it, the intent behind the gardens, the promise of the beauty about to spring forward... makes me sad I wasn't able to see it in is full glory, but also makes you appreciate the timing of things.
As with life, sometimes there is no right time like the present moment. The beauty is in the appreciation of the present moment, and yes, maybe you didn't catch it in its splendor and glory, but how often in life are things timed that way?
Admission was around $20, but, despite the rain, despite the cold, despite the barrenness of the twigs... still worth it.
These gardens were amazing! So beautiful and kept up well. Every flower was vibrant, colorful, and outstanding. You have to come here if you are ever in Victoria. It's just breathtaking. My favorite gardens was the sunken garden. I also enjoyed the rose garden. Not much else to say about the Butchart Gardens except that it's the best gardens I have ever been to and it's a must see!
This is a wonderful way to spend half of a day. This garden, which was an abandoned lime quarry was transformed into one of the world's most beautiful gardens over 100 years ago, under the direction of the quarry owner's wife, Mrs. Butchart. It takes a true gardener to really appreciate this amazing work of Art. The gardens are kept immaculate by a team of 50 gardeners. The variety of flowers, trees, and shrubs are from around the world. The Sunken Garden is a panoramic array which makes one think of the Garden of Eden. The trails and walk-ways have wheel-chair access, and are not too far apart or too steep for the elderly. There is sufficient parking, and it is the perfect family outing. The gift & seed shop is perfect for getting souvenirs and their is a wonderful restaurant, and picnic lunches, and yummy waffle cones of gelato and sorbet. My wife and I had a wonderful, memorable day.
*Who* is going to rate this less than a five? Wonderful gardens.. well maintained in a heavy rainfall climate that just guarantees lushness.
The sunken garden in the old limestone quarry has to qualify as the most spectacular part of these gardens.. but the sloped - shaded, hillside, glade-like, water-blessed Japanese garden also has to qualify as rather unique in my mind..
Admission used to be $7 per person. ....back in 1998. How things change.
After our dollar takes a plunge off the bailout plan it'll be more like $30 USD's per person. Bummer.
I was in 8th grade when I went, a ripe 14 years old. I've never been amazed by plants but I remember this place humbled me, especially the lake with the three underwater high pressure fountains and the japanese garden. Japanese gardens are awesome.
I'd love to go back again but who knows when it will be. The journey there is cool from Seattle though, with a long and worthwhile ferry ride through random islands as part of the trek.
Two words:
1) Lovely.
2) Overrated.
More words:
Okay, Butchart is gorgeous. Even in March, it's pretty pretty, though most things aren't in bloom yet, and if you aren't into gardening or garden design, you might have trouble appreciating the bare, thorny rose canes and the newly planted beds.
Besides its prettiness, Butchart is also ridiculously -- and I mean outrageously -- expensive. And it's largely the expensive that makes me give the place only 2 stars.
I've been having the time of my life on vacation up here...until this afternoon, when I spent about $40 (USD) for my husband and I to freeze our butts off for about an hour and a half in the most touristy of tourist traps. (If you don't know what I mean here, visit the gift shop!) I feel like I've been taken for a ride -- and not in a good way. Entrance here is worth less than half of what we paid. I guess tacky tourism is partly a willing submission to things like this, and perhaps I should have known better. Now you will, too.
Save your money, and walk any or all of the beautiful (and free/by donation) parks and gardens all over the beautiful city of Victoria. Props to Government House, Beacon Hill Park, and the expansive waterfront walk along Ross Bay.
Oh my... These are so beautiful... How did they get them so large... Oooh... Aaah... Be prepared. That's all I'm saying. Go when you are feeling it, with maybe people who appreciate it, like your mother. It is beautiful, but I won't say that I wasn't a bit annoyed. Some of the walkways are narrow and you have people walking really slow and taking lots of pictures. $28 is kind of a lot, but it looks like there was a lot of care that went into the garden. Beautiful, but better to spend the day, relaxing maybe having tea and soaking up the sun with the little ones or your dog. Apparently you can bring dogs. I saw a dog that looked between a hyena and gremlin. Very curious what breed it was.
Although it's been a few years since I've been to Butchart Gardens, I still have the memories and pictures of this beautiful place. There are so many displays of different kinds of flowers and plants that, at times, can be sensory overload. Visually remarkable and worth taking a trip to Victoria to see.
I was fortunate to go during the summer and see such sights like the Ross Fountain (kind of a Bellagio-esque fountain show but on a smaller scale), Japanese Garden, Italian Garden, and the popular Sunken Garden in full bloom.
Photo junkies and even novice photographers like myself, bring your camera and be prepared to be amazed by this place. I also picked up a fridge magnet with a pressed flower encased in glass from the gift shop to remind me of my trip.
Truly one of the better treasures you'll find in Canada, well, other than their beer!! Bwahahah....*ahem*....
One of the secrets of the gardens is the summer-only nightly fireworks show, granted this is nothing close to Disney, I mean what is? This place actually has a ground-show, and there isn't a bad view in the house. Bring something to sit on as the ground can be a bit damp, yes, even in the summer.
The kiddos and the Mrs. luv this place, well worth the trip up from Seattle. Also, make sure to dine in the seasonal Blue Poppy restaurant with the family or ditch the kids and have tea, http://www.butchartgar... , at the Dining room restaurant, this is served year around!
Another item to note, if you plan to stay at the gardens for the fireworks show, they offer a "to go" meal from the vending stands, at the last trip we had a cold chicken breast salad, seasonal fruit, and some bread. Nothing too fancy, and priced decently, packed and ready to go, so you can head over to the firework viewing area and save your spot.
This is a worthy highlight to visit while up north of the border.
It takes 5 hours to get there from Seattle (driving and ferrying) and 5 hours to get back. If you happen to go in the middle of summer and are some kind of a "shutterbug", that's pretty much your entire day. The ferry prices and the admission ($26 CAD) are much higher than I would ever imagine paying to see flowers, either... but it's pretty much worth it for a one-time (or once-in-a-while) deal.
If you've never been there, let me just say that the gardens are BEAUTIFUL. Just seeing it in pictures online doesn't give it enough justice. I wouldn't go in the late winter or early spring months (even though it looks beautiful when it's snow-covered, it really doesn't snow that often in these parts), as most everything you see will just be green - which isn't bad, but when you're paying $26 CAD to see colors, there better be color! And July delivers.
There's a pretty wide variety of flowers, planted to beautiful landscaping. They have a separate rose garden, with about a hundred varieties of roses... and picture spots with rose arches. (I wish the fiance had gone with me, dammit!) There's a Japanese garden, and an Italian garden. They have a row of dahlias... a section of hanging fuschias... and various other flowers planted everywhere.
There's also a really cool peephole right by the Japanese gardens, where you can see the water and some docked boats/ships. Quite a beautiful view. I could almost imagine it as a peephole for pirates, hahaha.
In any case... I really don't know how much more I can say about Butchart. Beautiful really just about sums it up. Well, Beautiful and Expensive.
Absolutely stunning.
The gardens are beautiful and I could have spent days wandering around, examining each separate garden. My favorite, of course, was the Japanese garden complete with a koi pond. Even though there were tons of tourists, the space still seemed tranquil.
I was also impressed by the fireworks show. If you're in the area, Butchart Gardens is a must-see.
One of the only events I remember from my first trip to Canada as a young child was my visit to Butchart Gardens.
Even that is fuzzy... but I know it involved a double decker bus, a tour with an old couple from Ohio, and auguring with our tour guide about the age of the oldest tree in the park.
While I've sense learned that docents typically know what they're talking about, I'm still amazed at the beauty and ongoing craftsmanship that surrounds the gardens here. There is a wide range of flowers and garden types to stroll through. The Japanese gardens are my favorite by far... but I always find myself grinning like an idiot when I finally stumble across the big fountains.
This is a worthwhile spot to visit if you find yourself in Victoria and itching to get out of the city for a few hours.
Just don't argue.
Somehow I managed to pull up to the gardens without realizing the price, and I did have a bit of sticker shock: "$26.50?!....erm, ehm, aaah what the heck, let's do this."
Now the price seems perfectly reasonably, almost a deal. This place is amazing! Vancouver Island's mild climate makes it a prime place for this kind of flora showcase, as there is something in bloom all year round. The grounds are meticulously cared for, with the flowers blooming quite respendently and with attention to complementing colors. It is a place to quite literally stop and smell the roses, and peonies, and fuschias, and delphiniums, and snapdragons...
There are several thematic gardens like Rose, Japanese, Italian, etc, and the paths connecting them are also packed with prettiness. Random interestingness ranges from the totem poles, the summertime nightly fireworks, serendipitously placed cafes, and a wharf where you can arrive by boat if that's your thang.
Definitely a highlight of our trip to Victoria - I'd unreservedly recommend it to anyone who's remotely close by.
I first saw the Butchart Gardens three years ago; my father, who had just completed his Master Gardener certificate, had longed to see the gardens for most of his adult life. We detoured on our way back from lovely Vancouver, BC, via the Victoria ferry, wending our way between mist-shrouded and mysterious islands, clustered silently in a dark and hoary sea.
It was early spring. The daffodils had been coming up all over Vancouver like fish feeding, like joy rising at the dawning of the midsummer sun. Cherry blossoms frothed all over Vancouver Island in frivolous bursts of Bohemian decadence, a flash of Can-Can petticoats completely at odds with straitlaced, orderly Victoria. The gardens, when we reached them, were just shaking off their winter sleep and beginning their spectacular bloom, promise fulfilled. Tulips in every color and shape cascaded across curved beds and borders; blue squilla danced in faerie rings around the gnarled trunks of ancient orchard trees; waterfalls cascaded past weeping cherry boughs and hanging gardens of clinging vine and blossom. Yet it was early enough that the exquisite bone structure of the underlying limestone quarry -- converted by one amazingly dedicated lady -- showed, high cheekbones of impeccable pedigree. I took photo after photo, each astonishing new vista claiming awe and delight and my entire attention. I sat to rest briefly, by the pond, at one point; the sun burst from behind the tattered remnants of rain clouds, illuminating the green water through the delicate fronds of new willow, offset against the vermillion and gold foliage of the grasses at the verge. It was so dazzlingly beautiful, so profoundly harmonious, I wept. I have never been so moved by a garden in my life.
I have returned two times since. Once at twelfthnight -- while the gardens slept, the vistas were still phenomenal, and the lights...! A winter wonderland the likes of which I have never seen, before or since. (Of course, it wasn't until we saw the Eight Maids A-Milking that His Goatness and I *got it* -- we still think of the Three French Hens as Three Chickens Drinking Cappuccino.)
Most recently, the gardens were still dormant -- I was given to understand that spring is about a month behind, this year. Still, I will happily stroll around the Butchart Gardens in any weather, on any day of the year, and find myself perfectly content with the world. I hope, someday, to see them in Autumn...
And, of course, tea in the conservatory is everything one could wish for, and the gift shop is worth hours of browsing delight... I especially love the selection of beautiful clothes, and gorgeous HATS!
100 stars! Anyone who knows me knows, I am not a fan of the outdoors,, so for me to highly rate anything centering around nature, even caged nature such as this is astounding. I reccomend it to all, and the afternoon tea was very good (better than the fairmont in my opinion).
Admission is currently $25 USD for adults.. they don't offer a student rate here.
It's still worth visiting though.
It probably takes three hours to explore the entire park.
Definitely an interesting place with a waterfall, totem poles, Japanese Garden, and star fountain.
Easily accessible from downtown Victoria via an express bus for only $2.25.
+ unique and beautiful place
+ they have carts with umbrellas if it starts raining
- admission is a little pricey
A trip to Victoria, Canada would not be complete w/o a visit to the wonderfully acclaimed Butchart gardens. After a 3 hour Clipper ferry ride, we took a city tour around Victoria including 2 hours at the Butchart gardens. 2 hours is enough if you're "skimming" the gardens which was perfect for our family of four. It is definitely hotter at the gardens than near the waters in Victoria. It's a huge lot of land but walking through it isn't too bad - just follow the arrows on the map. Unfortunately, you are obligated to visit every garden (we couldn't skip the rose garden to get to the japanese garden). My favorite were the first and last - first being sunken gardens (their famous iconic picture and where you'll probably take most of your pictures) and the last being the italian gardens - it's small but beautiful colors and flowers. I wasn't super impressed with the japanese gardens (huntington gardens in san marino is just as nice) but i think the fall autumn leaves would be a different story. The rose garden was alright..very crowded and hard to walk the path to get to the japanese gardens...i might've enjoyed it if there had been less peeps. Food there is expenso (tho their hotdog were delicious..maybe i was just hungry..haha) so you can choose to bring your own food. Gelato at the end at the italian garden is a nice treat though you may want to wait and try the delicious ice cream at roger's chocolates in downtown victoria. Beautiful Gardens - loved it :)
This is a beautiful place to visit; looking back at this visit I wished i had a digital camera then to remember the beautiful flowers and scenery from this garden. When i visited BC, it was in the early 90's. My only souvenir is a refrigerator magnet (which i love to collect) from here.
I remembered we weren't rushed, we were able to take our time to admire the flowers from here. But since our time was limited we weren't able to see everything.
If I do get an opportunity to visit BC again, I would love to take the eco-friendly electric boat tour.
this review will be short and sweet given i will be echoing all the other reviews:
BEAUTIFUL!!! the gardens are mind-blowingly beautiful and peaceful. even in may, we got lucky with later blossoms and it was still breathtaking. i highly recommend.
to the point that some people make about the gardens being overpriced, i want to play devils advocate. the gardens are not ridiculously overpriced, but they aren't cheap either. if you plan on coming more than twice over the course of the year, buy the pass because you'll make your money back on it.
if you're in town and just visiting though, i don't think $26 bucks is too much to ask for the experience. imagine the operating cost of keeping the place as pristine as it is for you to enjoy for the day.. it is worth it!!
Quite possibly the cutest gardens in North America. Located in the middle of nowhere on the island of Victoria, my interest in Victoria was piqued when a friend told me that was where she had the best afternoon tea ever. I had to try it for myself! We went during labor day weekend, where Butchart gardens had a firework celebration every Saturday night. The gardens were really beautiful, everything was well groomed and being a holiday weekend it was packed. The staff was so friendly and gave us tips to lay out a blanket to save a seat for the fireworks show that evening. We did just as they suggested and scored ourselves an amazing view for the fireworks at the end of the night.
Afternoon tea: Nestled right near the rose garden, the afternoon tea was really charming. I think it cost $30 per person (plus cost of admission which was $25) and we each had a pot of tea and a huge variety of savories and sweets. We had so much food that we had to pack some of the items for late nite snack in the afternoon. The scones were delicious and the sandwiches were of differing varieties. We really enjoyed this afternoon tea and would recommend it to anyone. We were thinking about having afternoon tea at the Fairmont Empress but the price ($70 per person) really steered us away from that idea.
We stayed at Butchart Gardens for over 7 hours, partly because we had to stay for the fireworks show and partly because our tea reservation was at 3, but we had a great time at the garden and recommend both the tea and the garden to everyone!
Very very nice garden.
Loved the color combination of all the flowers. Very good looking.
(the Japanese Garden there was ok)
And, gelato at the end of the park is just perfectly yummy.
For the little time that I had here, I wish I had enjoyed every minute of it. Everything looked beautiful from the tulips to the peonies. I came here with my family for a week in Canada. My dad suggested we visit this place. I can't blame him for letting myself, my brother and two sisters experience a great looking place like this. At the time, I complained I didn't want to see flowers....now that I look back on it, I wish I could come back again and really take everything in. This is ONE of the places you can't miss out. Worth every penny.
Absolutely worth every dollar and every minute spent waiting for the bus in the pouring rain. Even in cold and wet March the gardens were in full bloom. The sunken garden is definitely the most popular part of the park and is a photographer's paradise. I don't care how long it took to get here, I'll definitely come back the next time I'm on the island!
As in a previous review by Andrew C. my true Yelp blood I share, the year was 1998 when I was there which made me almost turning 8 years old. I know, I know. A baby. I know the off-track attitudes of 8 year olds can focus on anything but what the event is, but I must say I remember the most amazing spreads of flower gardens. I thought it was unique how the Butchart Gardens just began in the middle of a neighborhood; and that I made my parents take pictures of me next to every elaborate statue that I could find. The grounds are gorgeous, and I would love to go back now that I've got some years on me and really take in the beauty.
I've been there twice, once around Thanksgiving and once now at the end of June. Quite different of course. I actually sort of liked the fall version more even though there were basically no flowers blooming. I'm not big on gardens and my four star rating is sort of an average of my actual enjoyment and how I think a true garden lover would perceive the place. It's really well done, even I can see that, and if you're into roses, there is a bazillion different kinds, all labeled. I like the Japanese garden best and so did the kids I think. It's not a very formal Japanese garden and I suspect a Japanese garden keeper would raise an eyebrow or two, but it's nice looking and tranquil. The price is a bit steep for grownups but quite fair for kids, especially the younger ones. The drive is easy from Victoria and early in the day there were no lines or anything. The shop is quite all right, and the kitchen magnet made on Vancouver Island with real flowers were a nice little gift at only $4 each. The cafe is a bit pricey but all right pastries and tolerable lattes (the scone with jam was especially good).
A trip to Victoria isn't complete without a visit to The Butchart Gardens. I went as a teenager and now as a so called "adult" and enjoyed it both times. It's the most unbelievable garden you'll ever see (my parents dragged me to a lot of gardens as a kid). It takes a good couple of hours to tour but there's a surprise and oohh and awwe at ever turn. Make sure to take a rain coat. They provide clear umbrellas if it starts raining but you'll want to make sure your good and dry so you can keep looking. It's a bit pricey but definitely worth admission and a site you won't soon forget.
BEAUTIFUL! What more do you want to know? I have seen beautiful gardens at the plantations in Charleston but they didn't even compare to this. In total we spent about 2-2.5 hours at the gardens and that included grabbing a quick bite to eat and stopping for a gelato in the Italian garden. If you are a flower person I'm sure you could spend all day here to take pictures and read about all the different varieties of flowers. This is a must see if you are in Victoria!
