April 28 – Butchart Gardens

Today we headed about 1/2 hour north to the world famous Butchart Gardens.

Jennie Butchart, the wife of Robert Butchart, who made his money making cement, commissioned the gardens for their estate,  section by section over the years starting in 1909.

I had been somewhat worried that we were too early to see much of anything but the tulips were out in the thousands along with a lot of flowering bushes.

Following the suggested path through the gardens we got hit with our first blast of tulips.

The limestone quarry that they used for the cement was on the estate and once it was depleted she turned it into the Sunken Garden.

You have to climb down a zigzag path to get to the bottom.

A beautiful dancing fountain was at the end of the quarry.

In the middle of the quarry there was a mound you could climb for a more central top down view.

By now it was about 12:30 so we headed back near the entrance and had lunch (chowder and baked chicken) at the mid price restaurant.

Next to it was a display of indoor plants.

Off towards the Carousel, in the glass building in the background.

The pictures of the actual carousel didn’t work, as it was dark and the moving animals got blurred.

The Dragon Fountain was being renovated so it was not running.

The Sturgeon Fountain.

We were way too early for the Rose Garden.

Into the Japanese Garden, which was the first section that was built.

The Star Pond.

The Italian Garden was not quite ready for prime time, either.

Back near the entrance Jennie had to rub the pig’s lucky nose.

Jennie checked out some of the indoor floral arrangements.

Then it was the mandatory stop at the gift shop before we headed home.