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Categories: Parks, Botanical Gardens [Edit]
800 Benvenuto AveBrentwood Bay, BC V8M 1J8
(250) 652-4422
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
62 reviews for The Butchart Gardens
All Reviews
There are so many reasons to visit these beautiful gardens.
I encourage everyone to visit the Butchart gardens during different seasons in order to enjoy the changing beauty of the gardens. For instance, the rose garden is in full bloom and spectacularly beautiful and fragrant in June. If you came in early May you'd see a dazzling display of tulips. The Japanese garden with its trickling rivers and rocky water features seems to be strikingly beautiful all year round.
The afternoon tea served on the outdoor patio at the "Dining Room" is simply wonderful. It is especially enjoyable to drink tea in the outdoor room in May or June and feel the cool breeze on your skin as you watch people walk along the garden pathways. The floral scented breezes and beautiful views of the "Italian Garden" are the perfect companions to the delicious food. In my opinion the teas, savories and sweets served at the Butchart gardens are every bit as delicious as those served at the Fairmont Empress, and they are a good deal less expensive. Make sure to book your tea time in advance and request an outdoor table as they aren't always available for walk-ins.
These gardens are best enjoyed at a leisurely pace. I recommend giving yourself at least four to five hours (including time for afternoon tea) to fully enjoy these beautiful and serene gardens.
Simply beautiful. I will come back here again. We had only two or three hours to see the place. I felt like I had like fifteen minutes to see the Prado or the Louvre. We had to press on to see the Japanese Garden before sunset and missed so much in between the Sunken Garden and the Japanese Garden. This place is an enduring testament to the beauty of nature. If you like gardening, plants, or flowers you must visit.
We took a bus tour that included a wine and chocolate tasting at the near by Church and State winery. The garden is kind of far on the outskirts of town so it probably would be better to arrange some sort of coach transportation, tour, or rental car to get here rather than taking a cab. I really think I could spend a whole week here. I really hope to come back to experience more of Victoria and see these gardens several more times. I highly recommend this place.
Butchart Gardens is the flower equivalent of Disneyland. It's absolutely wonderful, the kind of place where you can't help but smile the entire time. Admission seems a little steep considering that the park is actually quite small (I thought it was going to be much larger & was surprised at how quickly our walk through finished). Definitely go on a Saturday in July or August for the fireworks show, which is really special. It's about 30 minutes long, has flower themed fireworks, and makes the admission cost totally worth it. Be sure to pack some extra clothes & a blanket to sit on, because it gets very cold & wet when the sun sets. Additionally there is no re-entry on firework Saturdays, so bear that in mind when planning your trip.
The food at Butchart is atrocious. We ate at the Blue Poppy, which has incredibly limited options for vegetarians or health-conscious people. The park doesn't limit what you bring in, so I suggest getting some better food from Victoria & bringing it with you for a picnic in the Italian garden (beautiful courtyard with tables).
You should pardon the expression, but the Butchart Gardens kinda smell of old lady. I actually don't mean that in a bad way, but the immaculate landscaping will appeal to the old lady in all of us. I don't know quite how else to explain the widespread appeal of this mandatory side trip from Victoria, but the remarkable flora and foliage must take dozens upon dozens of gardeners to keep in perfect condition throughout the year. However, your satisfaction will depend on how much joy you get from looking - yes, just looking - at one floral display after another after another...
In other words, there are no E-ticket thrills in this no-ride Disneyland. But there are E-ticket prices, as it is a whopping C$32 per adult to get in. You are actually pounced upon by a zealously friendly employee in a polo shirt before your car gets to the entrance gate. They count how many people are in the car like an immigration officer on the Mexican border and take your credit card to process before the price even hits your consciousness. The owners appear to follow the same tact on the Web site as it takes several clicks to get to the actual price.
Once you're led to your parking spot, the experience is rather seamless as you walk through Waterwheel Square, the main point of congregation, and follow the path to the gorgeous Sunken Garden. Here is where you will be fighting tooth and nail against every other tourist in need of a photo overlooking the garden. The second standout area is the Rose Garden, which overflows with roses of all shades. By comparison, the Japanese Garden is serene but rather boring, which may be designed to be an intentional break during your visit.
Once back at the plaza, you may find yourself lured to the local confection specialty, the Nanaimo Bar (see photo). One bite, and you will be assured a diabetic coma. This was my second trip here as I wanted to show Jamie W. the beauty of Butchart. The 28 photos I uploaded to the gallery should be testament of that. However, since I can't even keep house plants alive, even the plastic kind, I think that'll give me enough green thumb gratification for a while. If you've never been, by all means, go. Just remember your credit card and your spending limits.
We went to Butchart Gardens around 7 p.m. but since it's summer, it didn't start getting dark till around 10 p.m. so there was plenty of time to explore and enjoy the grounds.
The gardens are indeed lovely and we enjoyed walking around taking in the flora and fauna but our favorites had to be the Sunken, Rose, and Japanese Gardens. The Rose Garden especially was beautiful and whimsical at the same time, reminding me of the flowers and gardens seen in 'Alice in Wonderland.' I almost expected the Queen of Hearts to pop out screeching 'Off with his head!'
There's a carousel on the grounds which will be sure to delight young ones if you have them in your party so I'd definitely recommend stopping by to go for a spin to see them smile with joy.
I don't have a green thumb. It is something I live with everyday. Thankfully I don't work at Butchart Gardens. If I did, there wouldn't be much to see because all the flowers would be dead and people would probably just go to Surrey. What is in Surrey anyway?
My dad on the other hand does have a green thumb. He enjoys the planting thing. Maybe as I get older, I will as well, but as long as I can remember he was out in the garden planting this, that and the other once the weather turned nice. Saying that, Butchart Gardens was right down his alley. He had been here before, but it had been years and I'm always up for seeing new things and stepping out of my comfort zone once in a while.
Ferry ride from the mainland over to Victoria and a short drive later and we are driving through the gates to Butchart Gardens.
This place is fairly big. Luckily we had a nice day, but a nice day also brings out the crowds. Stupid people getting in my way. I'm kidding. Really. I like people.
We walked the whole deal. So many flowers. I thought my dad was going to take a picture of every one, but he didn't. He did point out the ones he knew, which were a good amount of them. Others, he had to consult the guide for. Guess you can't know them all.
This is probably a must stop for people who enjoy gardens. If you don't, you should probably just go ahead and move on to Victoria and get yourself a beer ay.
Apparently my trip to Victoria was mostly of the 4 star variety.
When the companion suggested we go here, I figured why not?
I'm a girl, and although I love to get flowers sent to my work so they can gloat from the safety of my desk, I always love to get out and experience flora that still has it's roots in the ground.
Sure, it's not cheap, but they do allow for a military discount (free- although I'm not sure if that's just Canadian military), and the parking lot is set up well. Once inside, you best get out your camera, and possibly grab one of the free available umbrellas just in case the natural watering falls from the sky.
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. Got some great shots, although I was disappointed that the roses weren't in bloom and was a little confused by all the stakes with the random names and countries (we figured they were roses, but I'm not THAT girlie).
Supposedly they have fireworks in the summer, which would be a relaxing way to spend and evening. Also happy that it's pet friendly, although I wish the walkpaths were wider to accommodate those inconsiderate bunches of folks who can't move out of the way. A great way to spend an afternoon- and something worth seeing.
Hands down..one of the Most Beautiful Gardens you will ever see!!
I could spend all day here! Now that I have a new DSLR camera, I must adventure to this place once again!
I can't Imagine how much work they do here after hours maintaining all this Beauty! This might be the modern day Garden of Eden.
Heres a Youtube video link showing "The 5 Seasons at The Butchart Gardens" - http://bit.ly/bzzFYs *** OOoo Ohh Ahhh =D
I flew up here with my parents for just a day trip to visit this place.
**Quick Tip: Take your significant other to The Butchart Gardens & just hold hands....its Magical ;)
Preface: Erik R's yelp (4/24/2010): Oh, contrare!!
The Butchart Gardens: an institution and a wonderful compliment to the Victoria area for locals and visitors, alike! We made The Gardens a principle staple in our visit this past week.
One would think, if so blessed, a visit to Holland would afford magnificent viewing of flowers-in-bloom most times of the year. Regrettably, I have not enjoyed (yet) such an opportunity. The Butchart Gardens, somehow, has to hold a candle to such a comparative.
How much does one pay these days to go to any major league ball game? The Gardens is major league - and the price is much less than a seat (without a cushion) at any stadium I know of.
Recommendations (per our visit earlier this week):
1. Arrive as early in the day as possible. Parking is ample and convenient to the various gardens (Japanese, French, Italian, Rose, Sunken Garden themes). Early arrival and your chosen length of stay will keep you from perhaps being distracted by bus-loads who arrive with equal enthusiasm but may distract from your photo opportunities and desires to visit-longer within a given themed garden.
2. Be sure to bring cameras! The colors (tulips, roses, daffodils) are, simply, amazing!!
3. We met various members of the Staff, at various locations at The Gardens. Very courteous, suggestive, knowledgeable, assistive.
4. For those of you who travel with pets, YES, The Gardens are pet friendly (on leash).
5. Perhaps bring, as well, your own beverage (water, of course) as you tour the grounds. Yes, there are various concessions for purchases such as beverages, light food, retail for plants and seeds, and afternoon tea. These items will be comparatively expensive and take time from your strolls through the various areas. I am not taking a point away from The Gardens (a litre of water for over $4.00 is stiff.......but.......make your checklist of things to bring before you head out.)
Wear comfortable shoes.........there's relatively little climbing on the paths that connect the various themed areas.....but you will be ever-more comfortable as you take in ALL of the marvelous and manicured settings.
The creators of The Butchart Gardens must have been messengers from Heaven!
A trip to Victoria Simply wouldn't be complete without a trip to the Butchart Gardens, no? Lest the experience leave you thinking it's pronounced 'But-Chart', it's a frenchy sort of word and should be pronounced 'Boo-Shard' regardless of how crappy the experience may be. Wait. I'm getting ahead of myself here.
Perhaps living in San Diego, so close to Balboa Park, the Zoo, the WIld Animal park, Julian, the ocean, Mt San Jacinto, and everything colored my impression of Butchart Gardens and set my expectations to high, or perhaps you'll visit, against my advice, and also agree it's the most overpriced and sourly disappointing experience in the whole of Canada. Who knows.
Butchart Gardens is located out in the middle of no wheret. It's about 25 - 30 minutes outside downtown Victoria and smack dab in the middle of some awkward residential and gas stations. Anyone familiar with the San Diego Wild Animal Park will instantly recognize the front gates and the multi-lane lines of cars waiting to pay for parking. There is foliage and flowers lining either side of the entrance which do a good deal to distract you from the shock which is about to come.
Having finally made it to the gate, a spry attendant with orange traffic vest, sporting kakis and welkin eyes approached the driver's side window where dad held a canadian 20, sure that parking couldn't cost more. All of us were sure, though none mentioned it, the colorful twenty playing in the breeze which wafted past the car couldn't possibly be inadequate for parking.
"How many sir?"
'5'
"$130CND, please"
This is the part where everyone's gut began to kick in. Paying for park admission at the parking lot gate? Charging cars for all their occupants (once inside we noticed quite a few family members who'd come to the park and simply stayed in the entrance area for whatever reason, health, lack of interest in home depot's gardening section... oops there I go again)? $130? Keep in mind, everything else of note we've seen has been free, and has been quite remarkable. Heck even Balboa Park is free, in America, a country grumbling about socialism.
Having paid the fee we parked the hybrid, and passed a collection of free umbrellas to lend should the weather turn bad. I do believe the majority of us contemplated taking one to begin offsetting the ridiculous entry fee.
Once inside you'll be treated to a wide array of plants easily obtained at your local home depot. Erm.. yeah.. you'll also be left wanting something rare, unique, or special. say an orchid? Or anything, perhaps, which isn't a staple of every garden in the US? Here are a few flowers which caught my eye and kept me from cursing the staff. Butchart Gardens was the biggest waste of time and money on the trip. If you're 82 years old, and like spending your spare time on a foam gardening pad pruning your daisies, this is the place for you. If not, your money is better spent renting scooters and toddling about Victoria. By the end of the adventure we found ourselves contemplating a line of designer trendy T's for the gardens with slogans such as:
Butchart - making the price of movies seem rasonable
Butchart - less exciting than grass growning
And my personal favorite:
Boo ooo ooo oo chart garrrr dennnns (with some indication it is to be sung to the tune of 'imagination' in the imagination land episode of southpark):
In short, the experience paled greatly in comparison to Victoria's natural beauty. I'm sure it would have been a bit more appealing where it free, but the cost is simply outrageous for local back yard plants arranged with a bit of effort.
One of the main reasons to go to Victoria. Amazing variety and selection of flowers. Nicely condensed and laid out
Beautiful and the fireworks are amazing
Get your camera ready! You'll be taking lots of pictures at this place.
Absolutely amazing! The Butchart Gardens is a must-see when in Victoria. It inspired me to work on my rose garden.
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.
The biggest and best botanical gardens I have seen in my life. Be sure to go during the summer and late spring for the best experience. Much recommended when you go to Victoria! Wow.
The Butchart Gardens is one of the most visually stunning man-made places in the world. The flower garden areas are nearly covered with exotic flowers in nearly every square inch. As a photographer, I don't think you could possibly run out of stuff to shoot here.
The summer nights are fun with the outdoor concerts and open til 11 pm at night with colored lights in the garden.
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 =)
This is our third trip to Butchart Gardens and we'll go back. The first two times were summer/fall visits, which were beautiful. I've heard that they employ 800 people during the summer and 400 in the winter. It shows in every detail. These folks truly know how to run an attraction. It's a bit expensive to enter and the food isn't cheap but this is a quality place in every way. The Saturday night fireworks during summer are a must-see for any fireworks fan. They're unusual, hilarious, beautiful and thrilling. Honest.
This last visit was the first day of the Christmas season, and it happened to be the first day they opened their new, hand made, carousel. In a stroke of luck it was a crystal clear day and night and the full moon was rising just as they turned on the lights and started up the carousel. Wow!
We arrived early and made a loop during daylight and even with almost nothing in bloom the place is a showcase. We had tea and then headed out for the lights, and that's a real treat. They present the 12 Days of Christmas with both humor and beauty and make it fun to look around for each day's display. (Don't worry about the 12 drummers drumming...you'll see them eventually) The creative use of lights is interesting and attractive. The shooting star lights near the laying geese and the flowing stream and waterfall lights in the sunken garden come to mind as exceptional. Oh, and they have musical entertainment all evening.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
*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.
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.
*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.
I wish I could think of coming here more often. I love it in the summer, but if you're hankering for a real unique garden experience come in the Christmas Season. The annual Twelve Days of Christmas are splendid for all ages. Lights, lights and more lights and the figurines are world class. My favorite being the geese, but you can choose your own. I don't remember a carousel being there in past visits, but the addition is simply magical, and the kids seem to love it. At the end of an evening visit you can find that last minute Christmas gift for the gardener on your list, or a lovely ornament to mark the occasion on your tree.
So beautiful! We came on a tour so we only stayed for 2.5 hours but I could have easily spent a full day here. Bright colors abound, and the atmosphere is just so serene. I appreciated all of the gardens and places to sit and meditate. I went summer 2007 and the weather was pleasant (warm and sun shining) and though there were many other people there, it was spacious enough to accommodate everyone there.
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.
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
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.
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.
