Pacific Northwest April-May 2023
Our chief attraction on Vancouver Island was Butchart Gardens. We drove about twenty miles from Victoria and were not disappointed. The gardens were in full spring bloom and we are looking forward to seeing them in other seasons on other trips.
Even the parking lot was pretty.
Whimsical sculptures were located throughout the Gardens.
Walking through a forest scape.
Butchart Gardens were built on former quarries. The flowers masked the steep sides of the gash in the hill.
A lookout house over the gardens.
Clover
Elaine can never resist taking a photo of a camellia
Trellis with hanging baskets
Tulips
Tulips
Elaine found these flowers fascinating. They’re the same as ones we saw at the Chihuly Garden in Seattle – fritillaries.
The Dragon Fountain
Totem poles
The monkey puzzle tree. Widespread during the Jurassic and Cretaceous. Native to southern South America, Australia and south Pacific islands.
Elaine and William at the wishing well
Azaleas about to burst into bloom.
The white flower is iberis, aka candytuft
The Sturgeon Fountain
Peg and Elaine at the Sturgeon Fountain.
Torii gate at the entrance to the Japanese garden
The Japanese garden was much cooler than the rest of the garden.
Trillium!
Butchart Cove Lookout.
Ladies on the Japanese bridge.
Karen resting
Greenhouse containing plants that can’t grow outdoors in British Columbia
Below is a video of a noise maker used to scare off boars, with commentary by Elaine and Karen.
Elaine and Peg pose in the Italian garden.
Italian garden
The Italian Garden was more formal than any of the areas we had gone through before.
We all pose in the Italian Garden
More Italian Garden
Elaine and William left Peg and Karen to rest, and headed off toward the Bog Garden. These bears were in the woods along the way.
Heather and evergreens
Elaine’s favorites again.
Another camellia!
The Bog Garden
More Bog Garden
This chimney is the last remnant of the cement factory which consumed raw materials from the quarry.
Moss-covered animal sculptures below the Bog Garden
Elaine and the boar
Flowers from the garden on our lunch table.
Relaxing after lunch.
Butchart Gardens is famous for its blue poppies. They are depicted here in the windows of the cafeteria. They were not in bloom yet in the garden.
Greenhouse containing plants that can’t grow outdoors in British Columbia
Orchids
Tree swallows were everywhere in the exit/entrance plaza.
Aww.
