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Thursday, August 13, 2015

Butchart Gardens...

Ever since some friends gave me a book about these gardens for my 60th birthday, I have hoped I would one day see them in real life. And yesterday (Wednesday)  I did!
Walking from the carpark...


This area is like a concourse where visitors first arrive. Lots of flowering plants in containers spread around this area...
Lots of colour from impatiens and begonias...they were magnificent!
I love geraniums/pelargoniums and there so many different coloured ones throughout these magnificent gardens...like these.


There is a fenced off area known as the Private Garden which had been designed for Mrs Butchart...it is absolutely beautiful...very 'English type garden'. 
This garden adjoined the Butchart's Family home...



The number of varieties of roses in the Rose Garden area was overwhelming and some of the colours were amazing...they were so bright!
Lots of annuals making a wonderful show!

Dainty roses and containers of annuals...
Zinnias and hydrangeas...note the large bee on the pink zinnia! The bees were very busy here!
Loveliness where ever we looked!
A closer look at that lace cap hydrangea!


The bins were beautiful too! There is one in the bottom left hand corner of the collage just above...
We had a little break for a cup of tea...
Then on to the Sunken Garden! This was originally a limestone quarry for the adjoining cement factory...the factory is long gone of course! Mrs Butchart decided to turn the disused quarry from an eyesore to something of beauty...a sunken garden...
My first glimpse...
The fountain is magnificent. There are animal sculptures dotted around which are covered in plants...ground covers I think! 
A truly magical place; even non gardeners like DH and DsD3 were impressed! 

5 comments:

JeanN said...

Maria, I enjoyed walking around the gardens with you. I've never seen anything as spectacular. We got rained on during our visit, but it didn't spoil our day. Jean

Chookyblue...... said...

OMG so many flowers........gorgeous..........

margaret said...

these must be the most amazing gardens I have ever seen, what an amazing woman Mrs Butchart was. I can just picture myself sitting there with some hand stitching. Think I must check out the book if I can find it on amazon as I know I will never get to see these gardens in real life

Vireya said...

Thanks for the memories! It is 35 years since I was there, but some of it still looks the same.

Cynthia said...

Wow, magical is right! Gorgeous photos of your dream come true.