Victoria, British Columbia, Canada : Butchart and Buttefly Gardens
Victoria, British Columbia of Vancouver Island has so many different activities to choose from. The city is beautiful and one could easily spend hours just sightseeing in the downtown area. You can do anything from visiting the oldest Chinatown in Canada to spending the afternoon on a tour of Craigdarroch Castle. I was in the city for less than a day and decided to visit Butchart Gardens, which is just a short drive outside of the city. Butchart Gardens is a 55 acre set of gardens which was brought to life by Jennie Butchart. What started in 1912 as a passion project for Jennie has turned into a magnificent, must see, garden oasis. The gardens have a long and interesting history. On our trip to the gardens we were given many different facts and tidbits about Butchart Gardens as well as what encompasses the greater area of Victoria.
One of the more fascinating stories we heard was about the founders of the gardens. While Jennie Butchart, the real proprietor of the gardens, collected plants, it is said that Robert Butchart, her
husband, collected many different kinds of birds. Robert had a set of birds which he considered to be his favorites. They were a rare set of ducks which had come from Germany. While on a trip to England, Robert and Jennie received word that Robert’s prized birds had died from what was described as an attack from a Bald Eagle. When Robert heard of this he insisted that he immediately go to Germany to purchase more birds. Jennie was hesitant at first because she knew that if they made this detour they would likely miss their ship back to North America. Nonetheless, she agreed and they made the trip to Germany, bought the birds, and hurried back to England as quick as possible to try and catch the ship. When they made it back to England, they realized they had miss their ship by two whole days. Therefore, Jennie and Robert made other arrangements to come back on another ship. Now, you may be wondering why I am telling this story. Well, it just so happens, as the rumor goes, that the ship Jennie and Robert were originally supposed to come home on was the infamous Titanic. That is right, the Titanic which sank on April 14, 1912. So, you could say that if it was not for the Eagle attack and the need to buy two more ducks, the beautiful Butchart gardens as we know them today may not be here. It is quite a fascinating story, which I was surprised to hear during my trip.
The garden is divided into different sections. Each section is unique and has must see floral displays. My personal favorite area is the “Sunken Garden” which was finished in 1921 by Jennie. On your trip you will definitely want to visit all the sections of the gardens.
Along with our trip to the gardens we also visited the Victoria Butterfly Gardens and Insectarium which was just a few miles up the road from Butchart Gardens. At this sight they have various butterflies, exotic birds, and other insects to view. Here you will get the chance to experience over 70 different species of butterflies fly around you. I would definitely recommend stopping here on your way to Butchart Gardens.
Fun Facts: Butchart Gardens receives about 1 million visitors annually. Also, Victoria is known as the City of Gardens due to it's mild climate, perfect for plant life.
You will definitely want your camera ready in this city, as there are
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