If you’ve haven’t read my newest book, you’re going to get a photographic glimpse of walking through The Butchart Gardens. One of the sisters who tells her story, Lacey Bloom, takes a walk of her own through the rose garden in the amazing Canadian historical site.
In April, I walked through these gardens located 35 minutes north of Victoria, BC with my best friend. The season was different and the sky spat rain at us most of the morning while we perused the Sunken Garden, Rose Garden, Japanese Garden and Italian Garden.
Spring flowers rioted. The beauty left me speechless, and the pictures couldn’t capture the delicate petals dancing with raindrops.
In my book, Lacey walks through the rose garden on a paved pathway. That’s about what was accurate from my description in her story.
On my walk, the rose bushes were bare roots with a few new shoots. When Lacey visited in August, they would have been in bloom. Since I didn’t see them in bloom, it’s impossible to say if they are organized by color. Although the video tour of the garden that I used as research showed them this way.
My favorite fountain was a dragon tucked away beside a vine-covered building. According to the signs, the building contains a large pipe organ, and the second story windows are thrown open to let the music escape.
Winding beneath a red arch, we entered the Japanese garden. A stream hosted a smaller dragon gripping what might have been a magical orb. If you believe in such things.
The tinkling melody of rushing water pattered through the winding and sometimes narrow baths beside pagodas and benches and several pools with lanterns. It wouldn’t have been complete without a bridge.
Large green spaces offered a verdant backdrop for the rainbow of spring and perennial flowers. As someone with a black (or brown) thumb, I couldn’t name most of the species. But I recognized tulips well enough.
Although the sunken garden flabbergasted me the most, each vista offered welcome surprises and a fresh glimpse at the wonders of nature.
My next visit will be in the summer to see the roses in bloom. But I’m certain any season will offer glimpses of awe-inspiring wonder.
If I lived there, I would own a season pass and visit monthly.
Have you ever been to The Butchart Gardens? What did you love the most? Have you been to another large garden? Tell me about it in the comments.