Butchart Gardens July 2009

A must see destination when you travel to Victoria on Vancouver Island, a designated National Historic Site of Canada.

The family owned Butchart Gardens is wide spread. Each year over a million bedding plants in some 900 varieties give you uninterrupted bloom from March through October.

Almost a million people visit annually for Spring's colorful flowering bulbs; summer riot of color. entertainment and Saturday Fireworks; fall's russets and golds; the magic of Christmas' decorations; and winter peacefulness.

This was our second visit to the Gardens. While on our back from cruise trip to Alaska, the Princess cruise lines offered a halt at this premium show gardens

History

Robert Pim Butchart (1856–1943) began manufacturing Portland cement in 1888 near his birthplace of Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada. He and his wife Jennie Butchart (1866–1950) came to the west coast of Canada because of rich limestone deposits necessary for cement production.

In 1909, when the limestone quarry was exhausted, 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. 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 to the design of Butler Sturtevant of Seattle. Samuel Maclure, who was consultant to the Butchart Gardens, reflected the aesthetic of the English Arts and Crafts Movement.

In 1939, the Butcharts gave the Gardens to their grandson Ian Ross (1918–1997) on his 21st birthday. Ross was involved in the operation and promotion of the gardens until his death 58 years later.

In 1953, miles of underground wiring was laid to provide night illumination, to mark the 50th anniversary of The Gardens. In 1964, the ever-changing Ross Fountain was installed in the lower reservoir to celebrate the 60th anniversary. In 1994, the Canadian Heraldic Authority granted a coat of arms to the Butchart Gardens. In 2004, two 30-foot (9.1 m) Template: Convert/track/adj/on totem poles were installed to mark the 100th anniversary, and The Gardens were designated as a national historic site.

On our way to the Gardens