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You are here: Home / Canada / British Columbia / Love Butchart Gardens on Vancouver Island 

Love Butchart Gardens on Vancouver Island 

December 24, 2017 By Pat Williams

The Butchart Gardens sign at Christmas

I’ve loved Butchart Gardens since I first saw it as a child. It was unlike any gardens I’d seen anywhere and 45 years later I can still say the same. My last visit was the summer of 1987…

Author in Butchart Gardens in 1987

until this year! The first time I’ve seen Butchart basking in it’s holiday glow, alit with more Christmas lights than I’ve ever seen displayed in one location!

Author in Butchart Gardens in 2017

At the beginning of the last century, the land that is now the gardens, was owned by Robert Pim Butchart who established a quarry to mine limestone for his cement plant on Vancouver Island. His wife Jennie worked as the company chemist.  They built the family home and surrounding gardens near the quarry. The most striking part of the garden tour is the sunken gardens which were once the limestone quarry. Mrs. Butchart turned the hole in the ground into something that is a wonder to see when you first come upon it from the upper level vantage point.

The Sunken Garden in 1987
The Sunken Garden Christmas 2017

It took us a while to realize the light tour was themed the 12 days of Christmas, at which time the 4 birds on cell phones made much more sense!

12 Days of Christmas

Partridge in a Pear Tree
Two Turtle Doves
Three French Hens
Four Calling Birds

5 GOLDEN RINGS

Fountain in 2017
Fountain in 1987
Eight Maids a Milking
Nine Ladies Dancing
Ten Lords a Leaping
Eleven Pipers Piping
Eleven Pipers Piping

Twelve Drummers Drumming were over your head as you drove out of the gardens. The Six Geese a Laying and Seven Swans a Swimming pictures did not turn out well, so you’ll just have to go see those for yourself.

The Butchart Gardens Christmas Performances

After touring the gardens, we sat to watch the brass band and carolers perform Christmas music.

Brass Band – The Good King Wants You Back (Jackson 5 & Good King Wenceslas Mashup)

Carolers: Oh Holy Night

The Butchart Gardens History & Restaurant

Butchart Gardens continues to be family owned, and as of 2004, is a registered National Historic Site of Canada. Millions of visitors travel from all over the world to see the stunning gardens. The original Butchart home was enlarged and renovated in the early 1900’s and now includes the restaurant. Visitors have two choices for meals, a full service restaurant and an upscale cafeteria-style option. There is also a coffee shop. We opted for the casual Blue Poppy Restaurant and I ordered an apple cider to accompany the braised pork shoulder, roasted mushrooms, and corn risotto with smoked pork lime broth. The cost ran just about $25 but it was delicious and filling.

Picture of braised pork shoulder, roasted mushrooms, and corn risotto with smoked pork lime broth from Blue Poppy Restaurant

If you’re interested in learning more about the history of The Butchart Gardens or would like to include it in your visit to Victoria, BC, visit their website at www.butchartgardens.com.

Rubbing the Boar’s nose for luck in 1987
The Boar in 2017

The Butchart Gardens Summer 1987

The Butchart Gardens Christmas 2017

Entry
Shops
Go Ice Skating
Miniature Village
Window View
Canada’s 150th Birthday
Totem Pole
Friends since Jr. High / Middle School

Filed Under: British Columbia, Canada Tagged With: BC Tourism, Gardens, Then and Now, Vancouver Island

Previous Post: « Ladysmith & the Festival of Lights
Next Post: Ghosts of the Past »

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Pat Williams at Crater Lake
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Pat Williams @Cletch

Adventurer, explorer, entrepreneur, mother to two brilliant young men. Travels and works full-time from an RV. Home is where the heart is and my heart is looking forward to the next hike…

My other sites:

CyberCletch.com, CanadianaConnection.com, GoRealCoaching.com

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