On the Road-Victoria BC

Thursday August 17

BUTCHART GARDENS -over 100 years in bloom

On Vancouver Island in the city of Victoria, (Victoria is the capital of British Columbia) is a National Landmark of Canada call Butchart Gardens. These 55 acres of different gardens is the result of the pet project by Jennie Butchart, wife of a cement manufacturer. Their property was an enormous Lime quarry (lime being what is processed to make cement. The lime excavation created deep barren chasms and Mrs. Butchart set about creating gardens in this area She brought back seeds from all over the world and had many gardeners and access to landscape architects, money being no object. If the limestone was of inferior quality, that area was not mined and this created walls around one sunken garden. There is also a Mediteranium Garden, a Japenese Garden, a Perennial Garden...We had been advised to arrive at the garden in late afternoon so that we could see the garden in daylight and wait around until dark when the garden is transformed with lights. Waiting around was not difficult as sat outside and had a little dinner and then at 7:30 entertainment began on the concert lawn. A large band played music from the 40's and audience members danced quite competently to the waltzes, cha=cha etc.