Last Summer we had the pleasure of visiting Canada, crossing from Toronto to Vancouver by train. When we got to Vancouver, we could not leave without crossing over to Vancouver Island. I had the privilege of visiting the most beautiful garden I've seen to date, Butchart Gardens.
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| Welcome - Butchart Gardens |
Butchart Gardens started to take shape over a century ago when Jennie Butchart decided to turn the old cement quarry that used to belong to her husband into a garden. Over the course of time, one garden turned into two and three, and now the gardens are composed of six main areas. The Sunken Garden, the Rose Garden, the Concert Lawn, the Fireworks Lawn, the Japanese Garden, the Italian Garden with the Star Pond.
The gardens employ over fifty gardeners who do all the work at night, so that the visitors can enjoy the gardens during the day time. It is meticulously kept with not a dead leaf in sight. When you see the enormity of this place it's quite a feat.
I will split this feature into four posts, one for each garden, starting with the Sunken Garden. It is perhaps the most breathtaking garden of all, and the entrance to it is certainly intended to leave visitors in awe.
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| Butchart Gardens Sunken Gardens Entrance |
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| Towards the Sunken Gardens |
As we made our way through the darkened paths we were completely unaware what was waiting for us beyond the final bend. We were quite happy feeling belittled by the enormous trees that surrounded us. Then we came to a clearing ....
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| The Sunken Gardens |
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| The Sunken Gardens |
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| The Sunken Gardens - steps to another view point |
It was hard not to gasp, and as we stood there is was quite entertaining watching people who were walking behind us have the same reaction we did a few seconds before them. The pictures cannot begin to describe the work involved in this garden.
It took Mrs Butchart twelve years to transform this cement quarry into a garden. She started in 1909 and finished in 1921. To date this garden still blooms, and it just as magnificent as it was over one hundred years ago.
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| Sunken Garden - The Original Cement Quarry |
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| Animals in the Sunken Gardens |
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| Sunken Gardens Quarry Walls |
Towards the back of the quarry a small lily pond appears, and Ross Fountain dances in the distance. The fountain was installed in 1964 to mark the 60th Anniversary of the gardens.
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| Sunken Garden Lily Pond |
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| Sunken Garden Lily Pond |
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| Ross Fountain |
We have come to the end of the first part. I hope that you have enjoyed our tour of the Sunken Gardens, stay tuned for part two, the glorious
Rose Garden.
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