Victoria, British Columbia
The Sea Lion had remained dockside in the harbor of Victoria, British Columbia during the previous evening. Many of us had enjoyed a brief walk through town before returning to our ship for a good night’s sleep. Our expedition leader made her usual wakeup call this morning and began preparing us for our day here in the Capitol City of the province of British Columbia. We would begin our morning with a short journey to Butchart Gardens located in Todd Inlet on Sannich peninsula approximately thirty minutes from the Sea Lion and the inner harbor of Victoria.
Once onboard, Lisa, our guide continued a commentary throughout our short trip to Butchart Gardens. The gardens include 180 acres of land planted in a variety of colorful and complex arrangements.
The Butchart family arrived in this area in 1904 and began construction first on a quarry that would yield rock and gravel for the making of cement, the business that brought Mr. Butchart to this area. Mr. Butchart was an extremely successful pioneer in the manufacture of cement, and had been the president of a leading Pacific Northwest operation called Portland Cement. Mr. Butchart expanded his operation too include the southern tip of Vancouver Island, namely Todd Inlet. As Mr. Butchart exhausted the limestone in the quarry, which was located near his home his enterprising wife, Jenny, conceived a plan to create what became a series of gardens. She started with the Sunken garden which filled the exhausted quarry grounds and then moved out into the family land to include what became the Japanese garden, the Rose garden and the Italian garden.
The Butchart gardens slowly gained fame and by 1915 Mrs. Butchart had served 18,000 cups of tea to guests who came to see the spectacularly arranged flowers beds. By the late 1920’s more than fifty thousand people had visited this private home turned public garden. The Butchart gardens remained under family ownership passed down through children and then grandchildren; resting now, in the management of Jenny Butchart’s great granddaughter! Carrying on Mrs. Butchart’s work, the gardens have established an international reputation. Millions of visitors make a journey from their respective homes around the world to the Sannich peninsula of Vancouver Island in British Columbia to spend a few hours walking among a dazzling array of beautifully arranged flowers, trees and shrubs. Each year over 100,000 bedding plants in some 700 varieties are planted throughout the Butchart Gardens to ensure uninterrupted bloom from March to October. We took our time, wandering through each area watching, as the sun warmed the flowers drenched with morning dew.
All too soon we had to return to our waiting coach and begin our journey back into the center of Victoria. The Sea Lion awaited our arrival with lunch ready to be served in the dining room. Once our midday meal was finished we were invited to do some more exploring of this charming port city. Our historian came forward during lunch, with a few words on the Royal British Columbia Museum and other attractions within Victoria. Available for exploration by everyone were many historical sights built during the early history of this city. One of these historic buildings located just behind the Empress Hotel is the Crystal Garden. Architecturally unique and opened in 1925, it was designed by Rattenbury and James two well-known Victorian architects. In this building generations of citizens of Victoria learned to swim, enjoyed flower shows and craft exhibitions or gathered regularly for big band dancing. And for residents and visitors alike, the warmth and charm of the Crystal Garden provided a welcome respite from the tribulations of the Great Depression and World War II.
In 1971, due to soaring maintenance costs, the Crystal Garden was closed. An outpouring of protest from heritage-conscious citizens and those who had literally grown up with the Crystal Garden promoted the Government of British Columbia to invite proposals to save the building. Reopened in 1980, the Crystal Garden continues its traditional role as a unique landmark in Victoria. Inside, we found an amazing array of blooming orchids, a large butterfly room and many, many tropical birds all being misted creating a jungle-like atmosphere punctuated by dreamy sunlight coming through the glass walls and ceilings of this historical building.
