Attraction: Butchart Gardens

The Butchart Gardens are a collection of floral show gardens situated near Victoria on Vancouver Island in Brentwood Bay, British Columbia, Canada. Every year, over a million people visit the gardens. The gardens have been listed as a Canadian National Historic Site.

Mr. Butchart collected ornamental birds from all over the world, having a parrot in the yard, ducks in the Star Pond, and peacocks on the front lawn, while Mrs. Butchart collected plants. On the current site of the Begonia Bower, he designed many elaborate birdhouses for the gardens and trained pigeons.

Mr. and Mrs. Butchart conducted weekly symphony concerts in the beginning. These were originally only for the family’s guests, but they eventually drew a larger crowd. More recently, they have provided a wide variety of local entertainment, ranging from jazz to classical music, during the Summer Season (July and August) and the Winter Holiday Season.