Canada Trip Day 2: Butchart Gardens, Vancouver Island

14 June 2010 - Butchart Gardens (and link here as well) is a definite must-see when visiting Vancouver Island. On 55 acres of land, the gardens feature flower, shrub and tree species of the most interesting appearance and colours in artistic arrangements. What is also interesting is learning how Butchart Gardens came to be starting from the Sunken Garden which used to be a quarry with later additions of the Japanese Garden, Italian Garden and Rose Garden, the history of which can be found here and here.


Signboard by the entrance


Souvenier shops


White rose


Red Fuchsia flower buds


Pinkish white fuchsia flower


A sneak peek of the Rose Garden, full of tall Delphinium flowers overshadowing the lower bushes of Rose plants


Marguerite flower


Walking down to the Sunken Garden


Stock (Matthiola) flowers in white, purple and pink


Flowers of frosty-looking plants


Pond at Sunken Garden


Mirror-image of trees and plants on the pond


Colourful trees by the pond at the Sunken Garden


Trees by the pond


Lawn surrounded by flowers and trees


Another of the many photos of the pond surrounded by trees of different colours at the Sunken Garden. I cannot help taking so many pictures while walking around the pond!


Ross Fountain located at one corner of Butchart Gardens


Ross Fountain surrounded by pine trees and small flowers


Small flowers by the side of Ross Fountain


Ross Fountain surrounded by high cliffs


People sitting or standing at the viewpoint to watch the fountain


Visitors admiring the view of the pond and its surrounding


The centre of Sunken Garden


Digitalis (Foxglove)


Closeup of Digitalis (Foxglove)


Glass building where the indoor carousal is


Indoor carousel named Rose Carousel


A totem pole


White Tree Peonies. There are many species of Peonies and you can click here or here to find out the different types.


Wilting Tree Peonies with cream petals that are bloody red at the inner ends


Different cultivar of Tree Peonies


Pink Tree Peonies (Paeonia Suffruticosa)


The bright pink makes me feel like its Chinese New Year


I love how the tree peonies are so brilliant in colours and the flowers are so huge and plentiful


Close-up of a different type of peony

Tree Peonies in a deeper shade of red

Another different species of Tree Peonies, maybe James Pillow or Virginia Mary?


Was trying to get the focus on this bee, which was hopping from one flower to the other but the point went to the other flower instead


Gardeners working


Stock (Matthiola) flowers all along the pavement


White poppy, a symbol of peace


White poppies with their buds


Wedgwood Blue Iris. Check out cultivars of Irises here.


Dark Purple Iris


Yellow and purple coloured iris (Gala Madrid Iris)


Purple Antirrhinum (Snapdragon)


Centuries-old pine tree


Heading towards the Rose Garden


Oriental Poppy


White stock flowers with delphiniums in the background


Delphinium flowers


Kousa Dogwood flowers


Kousa Dogwood tree


Three Sturgeon fountain


The Japanese Garden


Butchart Cove where boat tours ran


Interesting tree with branches sparsely spread apart and leaves clustered at the tip of each branch.


Japanese Rock (Zen) Garden


Moss-covered floor of the Japanese Garden


Birdhouses at the Japanese Garden


Trees, shrubs and pond from the Japanese Garden


Interesting-looking molds of bunches tree leaves from the Japanese Garden


Star Pond, a part of the Italian Garden


View of fountain and Plant identification building at the Italian Garden


Lotus flower on the pond


People enjoying ice cream on a sunny summer day


Child playing with bronze pig fountain


Floral showcase with waterfall