Butchart Gardens, located near Victoria, British Columbia, Canada on Vancouver Island, contains 55 acres of simply gorgeous floral gardens. I had the great pleasure of visiting these gardens a couple weeks ago. Even in the fall, they are breathtaking!
In 1907, garden designer, Isaburo Kishida, came to Victoria to build a tea garden for Esquimalt Gorge Park. A prominent citizen of the area, Jennie Butchart, saw the garden and commissioned Kishida to create Japanese gardens for her estate. In 1909, the sunken garden was created, followed by a rose garden and an Italian garden.
Ownership of the gardens remains within the Butchart family, but they are open to the public. The gardens are open every day from 9AM to 4 PM, except for Christmas when the gardens open at 1:00 PM. Admission prices range from $3.00 for children, to $30.00 for adults, depending on the season you visit.
