Visiting the Best Victoria, B.C. Gardens

With its temperate climate, thousands of varieties of different plant life can survive and thrive in British Columbia, from rare flowers to old growth rainforest. Known as the ​“City of Gardens,” Victoria, B.C. is one of the best places to go to see the full breadth of the province’s rich greenery, especially in spring.

For nearly 50 years, the people of Victoria celebrate the budding of the spring flowers with the annual Victoria Flower Count, where local communities count the number of flowers in their area to determine the ​“bloomingest” municipality in the city.

You can experience the city’s spring colours for yourself at a number of great Victoria, B.C. gardens. From the famous Butchart Gardens to smaller public gardens and botanical gardens, here are some of our favourites.

Butchart Gardens

Located a half-hour north of Victoria, the Butchart Gardens is a century-old floral garden with a diverse variety of international installations ranging from the tranquil Japanese Gardens to the otherworldly Mediterranean Garden. Designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 2004, the Butchart Gardens welcome more than a million visitors a year and are home to thousands of rare varieties of plants and flowers. Spring is the best time to visit Butchart Gardens, when their famous Victoria Rose Garden blooms with a rainbow of vibrant buds. 

Government House Commons

The official residence of the Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia, Government House National Historic Site of Canada is also home to several formal gardens across its expansive 36 acres grounds. The British Columbia Native Plant Garden is a showcase of the diverse plant life that thrives all across the province’s verdant wilds. 

The English Country Garden is built in the style of a traditional British retreat with colourful displays of vivid wildflowers that are in full bloom in the summer months. The rocky Pearkes Peak was so named for ​‘60s-era Lieutenant-Governor George Pearkes, who cleared and planted the garden himself as a reprieve from his official duties. The Terrace Gardens also feature not just drought-resistant plants from across the world, but also spectacular views of the Government House grounds.

Hatley Castle Gardens

Constructed in 1908, Hatley Castle was built by Lieutenant-Governor James Dunsmuir to be the grandest estate in the burgeoning city of Victoria. He is reported to have told architects ​“Money doesn’t matter, just build what I want,” and the castle’s lavish halls, grand stone exterior, and its expansive gardens lend credence to the claim.

The Hatley Gardens span over 650 acres of carefully manicured landscapes. The formal Italian Gardens feature an orderly grid of hedges, ornate statues, and vine-wrapped gazebos. Their Japanese Gardens in Victoria, B.C. were designed by the legendary Isaburo Kishida of Yokohama, and features a tortoise-shaped island within the garden, as well as bridges, stone lanterns, and a well in the Japanese style. The walled Rose Garden was built in the Edwardian-style in an enclave past the tennis court, a peaceful respite surrounded by colourful rose bushes.

The Abkhazi Gardens

A peaceful floral garden and teahouse, the Abkhazi Gardens offer a serene oasis in the heart of Victoria. Established following World War II by Prince Nicholas Abkhazi and his wife Peggy Pemberton Carter, the last surviving members of the Georgian noble family wanted to cultivate a little slice of European splendour on the shores of Western Canada. 

Though Nicholas and Peggy have since passed away, the legacy of the Abkhazis lives on in the garden they worked tirelessly to preserve. The teahouse on the grounds also offers a British-style high tea you can enjoy while taking in the colourful scenery of the gardens.

The Finnerty Gardens in Victoria, BC

Managed by the University of Victoria, the Finnerty Gardens were originally established by Jeanne Buchanan Simpson in the 1920s and cultivated throughout her life. Following her death in 1974, her prized rhododendrons were bequeathed to the care of the University who transferred them to the grounds and expanded them into a verdant woodland with over 500 species of rhododendrons. The Finnerty Gardens span 6.5 acres of winding, wooded paths centred around three ponds.

The Botanical Beach in Victoria, BC

Located in Juan de Fuca Provincial Park on the southwestern shore of Vancouver Island, Botanical Beach is a 251-hectare stretch of coast rife with abundant plant and animal life. Since the early 1900s, the beach has been an important site for marine research due to its incredible biodiversity. Sandstone tide pools contain glittering scenes of violet anemones, orange starfish, blue mussels, and much more. Off the coast of the beach, flocks of whales and dolphins can also be seen, especially from the cliffs overlooking the beach. 

Special thanks to the staff at the The Vic, Ascend Hotel Collection in Victoria, B.C. for contributing to this piece.