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Butchart Gardens
The Butchart Gardens is the foremost of Victoria BC attractions and probably of all British Columbia tourism destinations. Gazebo Bed and Breakfast is fortunate to be almost the closest of Victoria bed and breakfasts to the Gardens, being just a few minutes drive away. A visit to the Gardens, including afternoon tea which will make your visit feel like a London bed and breakfast visit, is included in many of our packages. Famed for its Sunken Garden and Japanese Garden, the Butchart Gardens are wonderful to visit at any time of the year. Check our availability and make an online reservation or telephone us toll-free to book your B&B accommodation - 1-877 211-2288. (We too have lovely gardens but only one gardener compared to the 70 at Butchart Gardens!)
There is so much to see that you may want to return the next day - for just $3!
Summary of the Gardens
- 55 acres of display gardens
- Created in 1904
- Open all year-round
- Over one million bedding plants used annually
- Special seasonal events include illuminations, concerts and fireworks
- Several dining options on-site
Butchart Gardens - Victoria BC attractions
A Brief History
Robert Pim Butchart moved his cement production business from Ontario to Tod Inlet near Victoria BC in 1904. The limestone deposits became worked out of the quarry near their home within a few years. One tall chimney from the old kiln can still be seen, remaining from the business which closed in 1916. His wife Jennie saw the potential to create a garden in the abandonned quarry so had top soil brought in by horse and cart; an enormous undertaking not completed until 1921. The family archives even has a photograph of her suspended in a bosun's chair planting into the high rockface. This, the spectacular Sunken Garden, was followed by the Japanese Garden in 1906 designed by Isaburo Kishida, an Italian Garden, and in 1929 the Rose Garden with over 100 varieties of hybrid tea rose plants alongside 400 grandiflora roses and climbing roses.
Courtesy of The Butchart Gardens Ltd., Victoria, BC, Canada
Visitors naturally flocked to see their endeavour - 18,000 cups of tea were served in 1916. By this time 50,000 visitors were coming annually to "Benvenuto", Italian for "Welcome". No longer could Jennie personally serve tea to her visitors! The Butchart Gardens, as they naturally became known, continued to be a family enterprise. In 1936 four hundred flowering Japanese cherry trees added a welcome along Benvenuto Avenue.
After the Second World War their grandson Ian Ross introduced an admission charge, opened a teahouse in the conservatory which soon developed into a full restaurant and began concerts from the open-air stage. The nursery was enlarged and the Seed and Gift Store opened. Summer illuminations were introduced in 1954 and the 70' high Ross Fountain was installed ten years later helping the Gardens become one of the leading BC tourism attractions. Up to 10,000 people come to enjoy fireworks on July and August Saturday evenings. A team of over 50 gardeners is now employed to plant and care for over 700 hundred varieties, including dramatic massed plantings, enjoyed by over 1.2 million visitors each year. In 2004, its centenary, the Butchart Gardens were designated as a National Historic Site of Canada.
Butchart Gardens - Victoria BC attractions. Right = Courtesy of The Butchart Gardens Ltd., Victoria, BC, Canada
Your Visit
When planning your visit to Victoria you should allow several hours to enjoy the Butchart Gardens, longer if you are here from mid-June to mid-September when the gardens are illuminated. But also allow time for other local attractions such as whale-watching, visiting the Royal BC Museum, touring the Saanich Peninsula including its wineries and fruit stands, strolling around the downtown Inner Harbour and driving along the East coast to Chemainus or along the quiet rugged West coast.. A minimum three night stay in the area is recommended (see below). Most of our accommodations packages include admission to the Butchart Gardens.
Are you visiting in June, July or August? Consider enjoying the Butchart Gardens Summer Dinner Package (details not confirmed for 2009).
January 1st to March 15th. A historical display of memorabilia is open inside the Butchart home. There is also a remarkable interior display open until March 31st. Garden feature: pansies, primroses, daisies, daffoldils, polyanthus, crocuses, hyacinths, forsythia, wallflowers.
March 16th to June 14th. Hundreds of thousands of bulbs create spectacular Spring colour. Garden features: narcissus, daffodils, tulips, forget-me-nots, cherries, plums, rhododendrons, azaleas, dogwoods.
June 15th to September 30th. The splendid floral displays are also illuminated in the evenings. There are evening entertainment concerts on the lawn (see schedule on their website) and fireworks displays on Saturdays from June 28th to August 30th. Garden features: azaleas, columbine, delphiniums, begonias, poppies, sweet william, dahlias, begonias, hydrangeas, fuschias, hanging baskets, and, of course, roses.
October 1st to November 30th. The Japanese Garden is full of autumnal colour. Garden features: dahlias, chrysanthemums (over 50 varieties), copper beech, arbutus trees.
December 1st to January 6th. The magic of Christmas is apparent through pretty lights, the ice rink (skate rentals available), and for the Twelve Days of Christmas displays.
Dining. The Gardens have an elegant Dining Room inside Benvenuto, the Blue Poppy Restaurant and a coffee shop. We recommend the Butchart Gardens as a venue for Afternoon Tea. You can also purchase hampers to enjoy on-site, with or without wine.
Re-admissions are permitted on any day and for just $3 on the following day, except on Fireworks Saturdays. Wheelchairs and strollers may be borrowed.
Click for a Butchart Gardens Map showing directions from Gazebo Bed and Breakfast.
Butchart Gardens accommodations
Our Favourites
Your bed and breakfast hosts have an annual pass for visits throughout the year. Here are some favourites of ours.
Favourite garden. Linda - Japanese. Martin - Japanese.
Favourite spot. Linda - sitting in the Rose Garden. Martin - viewing the Sunken Garden from the log summer house.
Favourite flower. Linda - Delphiniums. Martin - Delphiniums.
Favourite tree. Linda - Handerchief Tree. Martin - California Redwood planted in 1934.
Favourite time of year. Linda - early summer. Martin - winter (for the lights).
We're a bit repetitious! What are your favourites? Emails are welcome.
Click to view our Butchart Gardens Photograph Gallery - for daytime photos.
Click to view Butchart Gardens Illuminations - for night photographs.
See past Victoria photos of past B&B guests enjoying the Gardens.
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Planning your time in Victoria
We have many guests here who come to see the Butchart Gardens and then regret that they have not planned to stay longer to enjoy more attractions and activities in the Victoria area. Here are a few suggestions:
- Whale watching is a memorable experience which we can book for you
- See other local gardens
- Wander in downtown Victoria: explore the Inner Harbour, the magnificent Royal BC Museum, take a bus or horse-drawn carriage tour.
- Shop in Antique Row, Chinatown or Government Street.
- Visit Craigdarroch Castle, a Victorian family mansion.
- Savour afternoon high tea - we can recommend several settings.
- Enjoy fine dining locally or downtown – we can make reservations.
- Tour and taste BC wines at local vineyards.
- Revitalise yourselves with a spa massage in our Spa Cottage.
- Take a West coast drive: quiet natural scenery close to the sea,
- Or an East coast drive: various ‘sights’ en route to the interesting town of Chemainus.
- Explore beaches, parks, hiking trails, golf courses, kayaking, fishing, trail rides etc.
There are Belgian tapestries of the Butchart Gardens available on our tapestry website: see the Floral Tapestries - Gardens page for three designs you can order (one is below).
Victoria's Country Retreat ... serenity near the Butchart Gardens
Canada Select 5 Star bed and breakfast.
Return to the home page: Victoria Bed and Breakfast.
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