By Christine March, Master Gardener, SCMG
Drive about 30 minutes NW from downtown Victoria and you’ll find one of Canada’s most beloved garden destinations. The Butchart Gardens, spread over 22 hectares (55 acres) and nestled beside Tod Inlet, are as famous for their beautiful floral displays as they are for the story of the feisty woman whose passion and creativity transformed an empty quarry into a popular destination that now welcomes over one million visitors annually.
The Butchart Gardens came about thanks to the creative vision of Jeanette “Jennie” Foster Kennedy Butchart, a wife and mother whose early years were marked by tragedy and disruption.
Born in Toronto in 1866, Jennie was bright, creative, and adventurous but was orphaned by the time she was 14 years old. She was sent to live with her aunt and extended family in Owen Sound where she thrived, excelling in her studies and embracing the outdoors. She was admitted to the prestigious Brantford Young Ladies College and, upon graduation, was offered an art scholarship in Paris, France. But Jennie’s heart had been captured by adventurous businessman, Robert Butchart, whom she met in Owen Sound. Jennie turned down the Parisian scholarship and married Butchart in 1884. Two daughters soon followed.
Robert Butchart was a progressive cement manufacturer whose business interests took the family to Vancouver Island. The Saanich Peninsula – where the Butcharts settled – was rich in limestone, a key ingredient in the production of Portland Cement. Years of mining the limestone deposits on their property left a massive, unsightly hole in the ground. The inspiration to create the garden hit Jennie “…like a flame,” she said, “for which I shall ever thank God.”
And so Jennie got to work creating what would become the showcase of Butchart Gardens: The Sunken Garden.
Jennie and Robert’s travels overseas as well as the design trends of the day were significant influences. From 1904 to 1939 Jennie and her team of designers and workers created five feature gardens which now collectively display over 900 varieties of plants. Let’s visit each of those five gardens.
1. The Sunken Garden
This is where is all began; where Jennie began the painstaking work of transforming a 3.5 acre limestone pit into a beautiful sunken garden. “Accessed by a switchback staircase that leads 15 metres (50 feet) down to the undulating floor of this garden, the initial core of the landscaping process begun by Jennie Butchart. The garden floor contains beds of annuals interspersed amongst flowering trees and shrubs planted up to the base of the towering quarry walls crowned by mature Douglas firs, cedars and Lombardy poplars.” This should be the starting point for every visitor to The Butchart Gardens.
2. The Rose Garden
This impressive collection of over 2,500 plants features floribundas, ramblers, climbers and hybrid tea roses. The rose garden dazzles with heady fragrance and beautiful colour from summer to early fall.
3. The Japanese Garden
Jennie co-designed this tranquil space with noted Japanese garden designer Isaburo Kishida. Tucked into the lush landscape amongst soothing streams are 500 rhododendrons and azaleas and numerous varieties of beech and Japanese maple trees. Visitors in late spring will catch swathes of the elusive Himalayan blue poppies.
4. The Italian Garden
Once the family’s tennis court, the Italian Garden dazzles in spring when 22,000 flowering bulbs and biennials are at their best. The garden features 85 varieties of plants displayed over 18 flower beds. On a hot summer’s day visitors can enjoy an authentic sorbet or gelato as they wander amongst the colourful blooms.
5. The Mediterranean Garden
The lush, exotic plants thrive in the temperature west coast climate. This small but delightful garden features, amongst other things, a massive agave plant.
In 1938 Jennie and Robert transferred ownership of the gardens to their grandson, Ian Ross who transformed the gardens into the world class tourist destination that it is today. In 2004, on the occasion of the gardens’ centenary, The Butchart Gardens was named a National Historic Site. Two Totem Poles were commissioned and created by local master carvers Charles Elliot of the Tsartlip Nation and Doug La Fortune of Tsawout Band. These two outstanding examples of Coastal Salish style proudly welcome guests and acknowledge the impact of First Nations culture on the region.
Over 70 years after Jennie’s death the gardens remain in the family. Today they are owned by Jennie’s great-granddaughter, Robin Lee-Clarke who is also the President and Managing Director. In time, her son Barnabas Clarke will assume responsibility for his family’s legacy.
What started as a young woman’s desire to beautify an eyesore beside her home has evolved into one of BC’s most popular tourist destinations. The Butchart Gardens is a four-season delight that has welcomed millions of visitors over its 118 years of existence. This beautiful garden should be on every garden lover’s Must Visit list.
