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Welcome to Hipfig's Video Guide Series on Victoria, British Columbia.
In this DIY video we'll be showing you Butchart Gardens.
We'll share how to get there and what to see once you arrive.
Butchart Gardens is located 23 kilometers north of Victoria
and 20 kilometers at 800 Benvenuto Avenue in Brentwood Bay. You
can get there by driving or taking a bus, taxi, or a boat from downtown Victoria.
To get to Butchart gardens by B.C. Transit bus, take bus number 75 which goes to and
from downtown Victoria to Butchart Gardens. Use the B.C. Transit Trip Planner
for times and stops, make sure to check for the last two departure times
from Butchart Gardens for your return to Victoria. For Butchart garden, you can
purchase your tickets online or when you arrive at the ticket booth at the
Gardens. Ticket prices vary depending on the season you visit; the summer is the
most expensive. There are also various tour companies which provide transport
and flexible returns to and from Victoria with admission to the garden.
Look below in the description section for the link to book this tour. Hours of
the gardens vary depending on the season, but they are generally open from 9 a.m.
to 4 p.m. yearly. Hours during the peak seasons of
January July and August are extended. Check on their official website for
specific times. In 2004, the gardens were designated as a National Historic Site.
After you enter into the gardens you'll pass through its gift shop and
restaurants, you'll find the restrooms here as well. In this area you'll find
the visitor center, the Show Greenhouse, the Blue Poppy
restaurant, restrooms, and then the dining room restaurant. You'll continue walking
towards the Rose Garden and then on the left you'll go to the Sunken Gardens. You
will walk through a wooded pathway to the Sunken Gardens Outlook. Here, you will
see stone walls, remnants of the old quarry, beds of annuals flowering, trees,
and unique plants. As you walk down and stroll through the garden, you'll see a
large rock mound in the center, the Ross fountain, and other plants of all kinds;
there's even a waterfall. Wheelchair access is available: follow the gradual
path into the sunken garden to the right of the garden. In 1909, when the limestone
quarry which existed here was out of commission,
Jenny Butchart began her quest to make the quarry into the Sunken Garden, which was
completed in 1921. My favorite part of the sunken garden is the Ross Fountain.
The Ross Fountain was installed in the lower reservoir to celebrate Butchart
Gardens' 60th anniversary. The water is choreographed and synced with music; in
the evening the fountain is illuminated.
After you go through the Sunken Garden, you will walk through the pathway to the
Children's Pavilion and Rose Carousel. As you continue on the pathway to the left,
you'll also see two totem poles carved by artists from First Nations which
overlook the Fireworks Field.
Continue in the gardens around the Concert Lawn
during the various times in the year, there are concerts with live bands. As you
continue on the pathway to the left, you will find the Dragon fountain and the
Sturgeon fountain. The Dragon fountain was a gift to Butchart Gardens from the
city of Xu Zhuo in China, Victoria's sister city. As you continue
on this path, it will lead you into the Rose Garden. The Rose Garden is filled
with beautiful and aromatic roses. Its variety of roses is marked by name
origin and year registered with the American Rose Society. Walk through the
pathway to the Frog fountain and Wishing Well and don't forget to smell the roses.
As you continue through the garden go through the big orange Torii gate,
marking the entrance to the Japanese garden. You will find interesting plants
and trees along the streams, ponds, and bridges. If you visit in the summer, be
sure to take a boat tour of the Tod Inlet from the wharf near the bottom of
the garden. After touring the gardens, stick around for the fireworks in the
summer months. It's free with admission. On Saturday evenings during the summer,
these fireworks feature a jaw-dropping, dazzling show with both aerial and
ground displays choreographed to music.
Happy Travels!
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