In the early 20th century the Butchart family bought the land to quarry limestone but as supplies became exhausted Jennie Butchart knew that the land still held great promise, so she planned a display garden to rival the best of Europe.

As a result these gardens are one of the most impressive examples of remediation you'll see anywhere and attract almost a million visitors a year, throughout all seasons. 

These are gardens of colour for any season and there are many different precincts within the 55 acre site including:- 

The Sunken Garden: 

This covers 5 acres featuring 150 flower beds and 65,000 bulbs planted for springtime. In the centre is a limestone mound offering a vantage point to view the entire garden precinct.

Japanese Garden: 

Plenty of flowing water, gorgeous Japanese Maples, 500 or more Rhododendron and Azalea, along with Japanese bridges and lanterns - all in one crazily colourful acre of land.

Italian Gardens:

Formal yet intensely colourful this garden features a wide range of flowering plants all set in the typically geometric arrangements of Italianc gardens.

Mediterranean Garden: 

Here you can see hundreds of exotic and drought resistant plants from around the world acros nine garden beds.

Rose Garden:

Summer to early autumn is the time to visit here to see the huge collection of around 2,500 modern roses, especially the rose arches supporting climbers and ramblers, a magical walk.

These beautiful gardens are not only one of the best floral gardens in the world but also a National Historic Site of Canada. Each year over a million bedding plants including different 900 varieties provide uninterrupted displays of colour from March through to October.

There is also a large stage and concert grounds where classical, jazz and popular music concerts are held as well as the famous fireworks lawns where thousands come to experience the aerial displays on selected Saturday nights throughout the year.

Come to Butchart just about any time of year - from the fabulous bulb and rhododendron displays in spring to the roses and borders in summer and the pinnacle time for these gardens in the autumn where the Acers and other deciduous trees turn to blazing shades of reds and golds to the deafening sounds of thousands of clicking camera shutters.

You'll not be disappointed.