The Spectacular Butchart Gardens

For as long as I can remember I have always had a love for Victoria. I have very fond memories of taking the ferry over to explore the many fabulous touristy attractions the beautiful city offers. A few of my favorites being ‘Miniature World’, and the ‘Wax Museum’ – which sadly is no longer. There are just so many fabulous places to visit, some of which I would be happy to return to again and again. The Butchart Gardens is most definitely one of those places.

The Butchart Gardens is an absolute MUST SEE when travelling to Victoria. The grounds are so beautiful even the grassy areas are beyond perfect.

As my daughters was running her fingers along the top of the vibrant green lawn she said longingly “I just want to run and run on this grass!” (the majority of the grassy areas are roped off, but there are a few areas where you can indeed run and run – much to her delight). Obviously our moss-covered yard isn’t quite as enjoyable  😉

Now that I am living on Vancouver Island I am not as fond of visiting the gardens in the summer months, only because of the sheer volume of people who trek through each day. However, I was on a mission to see the fireworks as part of my birthday celebration, and they are only on display Saturday evenings from July until the Labour Day long-weekend.

My one suggestion is to get your viewing spot early. The gardens become an extremely busy place as the evening rolls closer to the time of the fireworks. We set up our viewing spot about an hour before the show was to start and even then we barely found a space!

We felt safe enough to leave our jackets and mats behind and killed the hour by allowing the kids to ride the nearby carousel, and getting popcorn and treats to enjoy while viewing the light presentation.

We enjoyed the fireworks display very much, so I can attest it is well worth fighting through the crowds to watch them. There was a lot of clapping, gasps, and oohs and aahs as the vibrant colors exploded into the sky.

Source via Flickr

Any season is truly a wonderful time to visit the spectacular Butchart Gardens. If this Fall display doesn’t make you want to visit, I don’t know what will!

And then there’s always Spring at the gardens! A colorful palette of soft hues that are more than pleasing to the eye. The waterwheel is always one of my favorite places to stop.

But I have to admit my favourite time of year is still during their Magic of Christmas season. Not only are the gardens decked out in hundreds of thousands of twinkling lights, they also have displays of the 12 Days of Christmas placed throughout. These displays, along with carolers and an outdoor skating rink, make walking through the gardens during the cold month of December (and early January) truly magical!

No matter what time of year you are in Victoria on Vancouver Island, I highly recommend visiting The Butchart Gardens. It is definitely not a place to miss!

What time of year is your favorite to visit Butchart Gardens?

 

 

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