Day 5 – Monday 29th May – Oceanside RV Resort, Saanichton, Vancouver Island

Research ahead of the trip has indicated that we can easily make the short drive to visit the Butchart Gardens.  These gardens are world famous, and as we soon discover, rightly so.  I appear to have passed my cough to a number of others, or perhaps they also picked it up independently on the cruise, and Simon has succumbed.  So it is just Mary, Helen and I who drive across the peninsular to the gardens.



They really are impressive.  The concept is very simple, take a worked out limestone quarry, land which housed a Portland Cement works and woodland down to the creek side and turn it into a series of stunning gardens.  Oh yes and use an extraordinary amount of money in the process!  We head first for the sunken garden.  There is little trace of its industrial past as the former quarry is now filled with trees, shrubs and flowers, and also has the extraordinary Ross Fountain.  The only clue to its industrial past is the remaining chimney from the cement works which is visible in the photo above.

We are a little early for the rose garden, but I can imagine that by mid-June this too will be stunning!  Then it is on to the Japanese Garden with its simple lines and traditionally designed planting, water features, winding paths and bridges.  A detour here takes us down to the creek and the boat and float plane dock.

We hunt out the dragon fountain with its ornate sculpture and the much simpler entwined fish of the sturgeon fountain.

We end the tour with a visit to the Italian garden and enjoy some people watching and a much deserved ice cream in the shade.


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