🌸 Butchart Gardens: A Floral Fantasyland 🌸
Just 21 km from Victoria, BC, lies The Butchart Gardens—a 22-hectare wonderland born from a limestone quarry! 🏞️ Since 1904, the Butchart family has transformed this industrial site into a global horticultural masterpiece. 📜 History: Founded by Jennie Butchart, who imported plants worldwide. 🌍 Grandson Ian Ross added night lighting and summer concerts in 1939. 🎶 2004: Installed totem poles to honor Indigenous culture. 🗿 Now a Canadian National Historic Site! 🇨🇦 📍 Address: 800 Benvenuto Ave, Brentwood Bay, BC V8M 1J8 🌐 Website: www.butchartgardens.com ⏰ Hours: Spring (Mar 1–May 31): 9 AM–5 PM Summer (Jun 1–Sep 15): 9 AM–9 PM Autumn (Sep 16–Oct 31): 9 AM–5 PM Winter (Nov 1–Feb 28): 9 AM–3:30 PM Christmas (Dec 25): 1 PM–9 PM 💡 Pro Tip: Stay 1 hour post-closing for magic sunset strolls! 🌅 🎟️ 2025 Spring Prices: Adults (18+): $36 💲 Teens (13–17): $18 Kids (5–12): $3 Toddlers (4-): Free 👶 🌺 Must-See Spots: Sunken Garden: Quarry-turned-oasis with cascading blooms. 🌹 Japanese Garden: Zen vibes designed by Isaburo Kishida in 1907. 🎎 Rose Garden: Hundreds of scented, colorful roses. 🌹 Italian Garden: Fountains + symmetry (once a tennis court!). 🎾 Ross Fountain: 21m-tall water spectacle (built 1964). 💦 🚗 Getting There: Drive: 30 mins from downtown Victoria via Highway 1. 🛣️ Bus: BC Transit #75. 🚌 Ferry: BC Ferries to Swartz Bay + bus transfer. ⛴️ #ButchartGardens #VictoriaBC #GardenGoals 🌿✨
