Gardening with Gael - Vancouver Island’s inspirational Butchart Gardens

On the way home from visiting my son in Connecticut, Dawn, my travelling companion and I decided to stop over in Vancouver and visit her relatives. Some of my friends have offspring who now live in Vancouver and it seems a good idea. Dawn has been many times before but has never visited the famous Butchart Gardens on Vancouver Island. I have to admit I was tired and a bit reluctant and it was only Dawn’s determination not to miss them this time that propelled me on to the ferry, train and bus.

I wouldn’t have missed them for anything. Jennie Butchart, the original owner, first conceived the idea of the gardens in 1906. She chose a gentle slope down to the sea with the idea of creating a Japanese garden. As Dawn and I looked around we felt sure from the size of the gardens [55 acres] that she must have had help. Fresh from digging my son’s garden I agreed that the scale was too enormous for one person. Some research proved that yes, although the garden is indeed the inspiration of Jennie Butchart, she had plenty of help at her disposal.

Isaburo Kishida, a garden designer from Japan, assisted her in the formation of the Japanese garden for two or three years. Having recently visited many gardens in Japan we could appreciate the wonderful tranquillity Jennie had achieved and we could also notice the difference in her concept to the more traditional Japanese gardens. Her plans include more flowering plants, more foliage and fewer dry areas. The result is stunningly beautiful.

By 1909 a quarry on the property was no longer in use and Jennie set about creating what is now known as the Sunken Garden. Horses and carts brought in loads of top soil and, suspended in a bosun’s chair Jennie planted all the nooks and crevices.

We visited in the spring. The tulips had just finished but the azaleas and rhododendrons were in full flower. In between the dying bulbs, plantings of small annuals, wall flowers, alyssums, salvias, violas, dianthus and thrifts took the eye away from the fading leaves and stalks. Unfortunately the rose garden, consisting of 6600 roses was about two weeks away from flowering. If I lived nearby I think I would want to visit every two weeks as aspects of the garden take their turn in flourishing.

Jennie Butchart left the garden to her 21-year-old grandson Ian who, after World War Two decided to turn the gardens into a self-sustaining tourist attraction. With his wife Ann-Lee he was completely involved in the operation of the gardens for 50 years. Recently they added a magnificent hand carved carousel big enough to accommodate children and adults.

The garden remains in the family. As we walked from one outstandingly beautiful area to another, we noticed teams of gardeners busy in many corners. There are 55 full-time gardeners and 12 part-time. In the peak season the gardens employ 550 staff. It’s no wonder there isn’t a weed to be seen and the gardens are brilliantly maintained whatever the season.

Inspirational.

GARDEN OF EDEN: The famous gardens are a must-see if visiting Victoria, with a seemingly endless number of floral displays.