Road Trip 2025 - The Butchart Gardens Part 2

 
Part 1 of our Butchart Gardens tour took us through the Sunken Garden, Concert Lawn, and Rose Garden. Part 2 will now take us through the Japanese Garden, Italian Garden, and Waterwheel Square. 

Gateway to the Japanese Garden, July 2025, Butchart Gardens, Brentwood Bay, BC

Everything in the Japanese Garden is there for a reason...to immerse you in peace and feed your soul. It's a quiet place. You barely notice the dozens of other people on the paths because they walk slowly and hushed, paying tribute to the peace. The sound of a soft waterfall, a sprinkling fountain, and what I call a bamboo water drop (shishi-odoshi), are natural sounds in the garden. 

Shishi-odoshi, Japanese Garden, July 2025, Butchart Gardens, Brentwood Bay, BC

The shishi-odoshi is my favourite feature in a Japanese garden. I seek it out and wait as the closed bamboo tube fills with water, and then slowly...slowly...the bamboo starts to tip until finally, it releases a soothing stream of water. But wait---it's not finished yet because as the tube empties, gravity pulls the base of the bamboo back down where it hits the rock with a loud, hollow knock. And the process begins again as long as there is water to fill the bamboo tube.

Japanese Meditation Garden, July 2025, Butchart Gardens, Brentwood Bay, BC

Another feature I appreciate in a Japanese Garden is the Zen Meditation Garden, often called a stone garden. It's purpose is not the digging and planting of a flower or vegetative garden, but one for meditation and reflection. The sea is represented by undulating lines of sand or gravel curving around large stones and natural elements giving the aura of rippling waves. The art of creating such a garden is skillful. The art of allowing yourself to sit beside such a garden is calming...if you allow it to be. Breath slowly and relax. Let the world slide by for a moment or two as you follow the waves of a dry sea.

Moss-covered Stone Lantern, Japanese Garden, July 2025, Butchart Gardens, Brentwood Bay, BC

The cool Japanese Garden is filled with dappled sunlight which restricts growth, yet encourages moss. Moss abounds which helps deaden noise and allows for interesting, if somewhat subdued, views.  

Japanese Garden, July 2025, Butchart Gardens, Brentwood Bay, BC

A lily pond is beautiful on its own, yet takes on an ethereal beauty when floating above an artistic stone floor that shimmers as lily pads dance above.  

Artistic river bed, Japanese Garden, July 2025, Butchart Gardens, Brentwood Bay, BC

As we left the Japanese Garden, we felt the full rays of the late afternoon sun. We grabbed a quick view of the wide Star Pond before heading toward the historic Italian Garden. 

Italian Garden, July 2025, Butchart Gardens, Brentwood Bay, BC

The Italian Garden was constructed alongside the residence of Robert and Jennie Butchart. It has the shrubbery and greenspace of most gardens, with the focal part being a large plaza with the Cross Pond.

Italian Garden with Cross Pond, March 1992, Butchart Gardens, Brentwood Bay, BC

In the above photo from my 1992 visit, you can see the distinct cross-shaped pond in the centre of the plaza. Since it was March when I visited, there weren't many plants in bloom, yet it shows the promise of a spectacular display. 

Do you see the vine-covered pillar with the large round planter in front located to the right of the lattice-work gazebo? This next photo shows how we found it this past July.

Italian Garden Gelateria, July 2025, Butchart Gardens, Brentwood Bay, BC

This vine has certainly flourished outside the Italian Garden Gelateria, travelling up and out from the pillar and hiding anyone playing hide-and-seek behind its beauty. Is it the same one I saw 33 years ago back in March 1992? I'd like to think it is, but I haven't done any research on it. 

Waterwheel Square, July 2025, Butchart Gardens, Brentwood Bay, BC

It was late afternoon when we stopped for a breather at Waterwheel Square. Butchart Gardens is an outstanding example of taking something useless and turning it into something sustainable that holds beauty and meaning and the hope of tomorrow. 

Butchart Gardens is concerned about the protection of our planet and have implemented initiatives in the Gardens and departments toward sustainability. For more information, check out their Sustainability page.

Check out a post I wrote in 2020 on The Butchart Gardens with photos and information of my 1992 visit.

Note: The Butchart Gardens Part 1 and 2 blogposts correspond with February's calendar page.

Road Trip 2025 - The Butchart Gardens Part 1

 

While in the Victoria area of Vancouver Island, we visited the 55-acre Butchart Gardens which we'd passed a day earlier in Brentwood Bay after disembarking the ferry from the BC mainland. A few years ago, I'd written a blogpost about Jennie Butchart and her dream of transforming her husband's depleted limestone quarry into a colourful and imaginative feast for the senses. Jennie wasn't a gardener, yet she knew what she wanted and who to contact. As a testament to her faith in the project, the Gardens, which are still owned and operated by her family, were granted National Historic Site of Canada status in 2004. 

Snail Pond, July 2025, Butchart Gardens, Brentwood Bay, BC

The Snail Pond is the first feature you pass enroute the Sunken Garden. It's one of many fountain sculptures and pond features highlighting the Gardens. The internet abounds with photos of the Butchart Gardens, yet most are views of the same statues, fountains, and garden designs. There were six of us taking photos on this trip and we were attracted to different things. This post shows the beauty, artistry and fun of our visit on that day in July, 2025.

Path to the Sunken Garden, Butchart Gardens, 2025, Brentwood Bay, BC

In this land of beauty, even the drab holds surprises. Moss topiary sculptures hide in places sun-loving plants don't grow, and other surprising locations. There's one lying between the trees on the left side of the photo above. See it close up in the photo below.

 

Moss Topiary Sculpture, Butchart Gardens, 2025, Brentwood Bay, BC

It's hard to believe the Sunken Garden was once a limestone quarry. The rock walls and ground are alive with natural textures. The pathways lead down, around, and wind up again, not straight lines, full of variety and hues to hold your interest with astounding vistas around every curve.  

The Sunken Garden, July 2025, Butchart Gardens, Brentwood Bay, BC

Each year, over 265,000 annuals made up of 900 varieties are planted in the Butchart Gardens greenhouses. They are used in the beds and baskets that colour the Gardens. Add to that the 180,000 biennials, 300,000 bulbs, perennials, shrubs, etc that flourish under the loving hands of the staff who use a holistic approach to protect and enhance the plants under their management. 

Nelson in the Sunken Garden, July 2025, Butchart Gardens, Brentwood Bay, BC

The Sunken Garden, July 2025, Butchart Gardens, Brentwood Bay, BC

We climbed out of the Sunken Garden and followed the path around the Concert Lawn. To the left was the Rose Carousel, as well as the Firework viewing area. Along our sun-drenched path, the dahlias grew almost as high as JJ. 

JJ along the Concert Lawn, July 2025, Butchart Gardens, Brentwood Bay, BC

I took a lot of photos of the magnificent walkways, but it's hard to tell the height of the stems and blooms unless someone is standing beside them. In the photo's background, you can barely see a building hidden under a canopy of greenery.

Jessie, Nelson, and Monkey Puzzle Tree, July 2025, Butchart Gardens, Brentwood Bay, BC

We turned to look for the rest of our crew and I was thrilled to see a Monkey Puzzle tree (Araucaria araucana) entertaining two of my monkeys on the Concert Lawn. 

 

The Rose Garden, July 2025, Butchart Gardens, Brentwood Bay, BC

 We continued down the path, past the dragon fountain, and entered the allure of the Rose Garden.

The Rose Garden, July 2025, Butchart Gardens, Brentwood Bay, BC

The Rose Garden was breathtaking but admittedly, as we feasted our eyes on rows upon rows of roses, we didn't do it justice. The sun was draining our energy and we wanted to rest somewhere in the shade.

We continue our tour of the Butchart Gardens in Part 2 where we explore the cool and meditative Japanese Garden, the historic Italian Garden, and Waterwheel Square.

Check out a post I wrote in 2020 on The Butchart Gardens with photos and information of my 1992 visit.

Note: The Butchart Gardens Part 1 and 2 blogposts correspond with February's calendar page.

Road Trip 2025 - Ferry to Vancouver Island

After a couple of days in Surrey as Crystal and Jessie finished their work schedules, we drove out to the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal to cross the Strait of Georgia to Vancouver Island. We had prepaid for our tickets for a scheduled time and if we didn't make it, the spot would be filled and we would catch the next ferry. That's exactly what happened as we hit the Surrey traffic and then drove through the farmlands of Delta. 

Ferry Route Tsawwassen, mainland BC to Swartz Bay, Vancouver Island, BC

BC Ferries runs an efficient service and as Nelson drove, I kept an eye on the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal webcam. We were about 15 mins out when the webcam showed our ferry leaving on schedule. Many vehicles were already lining up according to size by the time we were directed to our line. We had to wait an hour or so, but we were ready to make the approximately 90 min sailing to Vancouver Island.

Looking out the Spirit of British Columbia as it passes a sister ship, 2025

The Spirit of British Columbia can carry 2100 passengers and crew, and 358 cars. It was huge and comfortable compared to the ferries we crossed over back in 1981. Because we had missed our initial ferry, it was now past noon and we were hungry. The cafeteria was large with good seating and offered a nice choice of menu for a price higher than you would pay on land, as one might expect. It was delicious and just what we needed. 

JJ, Nelson, Nick, Crystal on the Spirit of British Columbia, Strait of Georgia, BC, 2025

After departing the ferry, we headed past the Butchart Gardens sign where we would visit the next day. Bypassing the heavy traffic heading in and out of Victoria, the capital city of British Columbia, we headed toward Sooke. To say the Victoria area is unlike anywhere else in Canada was proven during that first hour on the island as we ogled the waving fronds of palm trees. 

Windmill Palms, Victoria area, BC, 2025

The palm trees are probably a variety of the Windmill Palms, one of the most cold-hardy palms. When mature, they can withstand the occasional frost, temperatures as low as -15C to -20C, and reach several stories high. They weren't crowding the streets, but there were enough grown as ornamental greenery to make us feel like we had entered a secret garden. 

Jessie eyeing the Strait of Juan de Fuca, 2025, Sooke, Vancouver Island, BC 

Our Airbnb was near Sooke, on a hill overlooking the Strait of Juan de Fuca. We saw many cruise ships, container ships, and barges move through the strait which covered the distance from our Vancouver Island shore across to the coast of Washington state. Sometimes the ships seemed to wait in the strait overnight before heading northwest-ward toward the Pacific Ocean. It is likely they were bound for Alaska.

The Royal Princess, 3600-Passenger Capacity, Strait of Juan de Fuca, 2025

We'd seen blows from passing whales as we'd crossed the Strait of Georgia, but they kept their distance from the ferry and we couldn't identify them. We had hoped we'd seen them at Sooke and we weren't disappointed. Over the two days, we saw a blow here and there, and then on the morning of our departure, we spotted them. We were trying to eat breakfast and pack up, yet someone would yell, "I see one!" and we'd all scramble out onto the high deck to watch, cameras in hand. We were so busy whale spotting that I didn't get a photo of everyone lined up the railing, straining their prairie eyes to catch a rare glimpse of ocean life.

Passing Whales, Strait of Juan de Fuca, Sooke, Vancouver Island, 2025

These images are not very good, but they show what we managed to capture in a split second. We suspect some were orcas, but it's only a guess. Spotting a tail rise out of the water was a definite thrill. 

Black-tailed Deer, 2025, Sooke, Vancouver Island, BC

It wasn't just the ocean view that caught our attention. Our sloping yard offered sights of rabbits, deer, and quail. We were used to White-tailed deer, but west of the Rockies they have Black-tailed deer.

California Quail, male, 2025, Sooke, Vancouver Island, BC

Our second morning in Sooke, we were surprised to find a male California Quail meandering along the hedge, scratching out a seed here and there. He looked so elegant with his curled crest, striking facial markings, and overall plumage. He seemed aware of my presence, high above him, but otherwise ignored me. And then I noticed the female, similar colouring but without the fancy details, watching her chicks closely as they scratched about. I counted three chicks before they disappeared beneath the hedge. 

California Quail, female and chick, 2025, Sooke, Vancouver Island, BC

We enjoyed our short stay in Sooke, wildlife watching in the daylight, family table games in the evenings. The next post in our BC Road Trip series will showcase the famous Butchart Gardens which we visited during our stay in this area. We hope you'll join us for that one. 

Road Trip 2025 - Vancouver Aquarium and area

On the first day of our West Coast adventure, we chose the Vancouver Aquarium as the ideal place to retake some of our iconic photos from our only other BC coast visit back in 1981 when we were a family of three...Nelson, Me, and 2 1/2 year old Crystal. The summer of 2025 would give us a chance to update the photos to include Jessie, Nick, and JJ, who missed it the first time around. 

The Vancouver Aquarium is located in Stanley Park, a 1,000-plus acre public park on the northern part of Vancouver's peninsula between English Bay and Burrard Bay. The Aquarium had changed in the forty-four years since we'd been there, but it seemed more amazing than ever. The 65,000 animals within the walls and waters of Canada's largest aquarium includes species from Canada's Arctic and Pacific coasts, the Tropics, the Amazon rain forest, and more.  A profuse amount of shapes and colours everywhere you look. 

Nelson holding Crystal and watching a Beluga whale, 1981, Vancouver Aquarium

The beluga whale that captivated Crystal and Nelson back in 1981 is long gone. In its place, sea otters are shown in the B.C. Wild Coast Exhibit where they entertain the crowds while swimming on their backs and using their nimble forepaws to eat. All of the sea otters at the aquarium are either rescued orphans or too severely injured to be released back into the wild. They have been deemed non-releasable by Fisheries and Oceans Canada and now form part of the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Rescue Team. They are also available for symbolic adoption. 

Nelson with Crystal in front, and Jessie and JJ behind him, 2025, Vancouver Aquarium

Our 2025 retake photo shows Crystal standing in front of Nelson, with Jessie and JJ beside and behind him, in the tunnel of the outdoor portion of the B.C. Wild Coast exhibit. As usual, the sea otter is using its forepaws to eat and although in a somewhat sheltered exhibit, must still keep a wary eye out for seagulls who like snatching the food in a swift flyby.

Crystal found JJ, Anita, and Nick watching a Sea Lion, 2025, Vancouver Aquarium

Along the glass in the lover level of the B.C. Wild Coast gallery, we stopped to watch the antics of rescued California sea lions. The Marine Mammal Rescue Centre at the Vancouver Aquarium is "...the only facility of its kind in Canada and one of the largest rescue facilities in the world..." 

Here are some of the images I found when I went through all of our photographs that show the array of colour and shapes we discovered:

Jessie found a unique Pig-nosed Turtle and some Tropical Fish, 2025, Vancouver Aquarium

Nick showed the size of Jellyfish, 2025, Vancouver Aquarium 

JJ and Nick were caught watching Linneaus's Two-toed Sloth. 2025, Vancouver Aquarium

JJ found some Golden Poison Frogs, 2025, Vancouver Aquarium

Jessie and Nelson attended 4-D Theatre, The Great Salmon Run, 2025, Vancouver Aquarium

Meanwhile, during a coffee break, I was checking out the vegetation. I was surprised to find holly with blue berries instead of the red ones like the Christmas holly that I've seen growing in Vancouver. On the prairies, you can't find holly growing outside at all so just seeing it in its natural state was special.

Mahonia aquifolium, 2025, Vancouver Aquarium

With a bit of searching, I matched my holly image to Mahonia aquifolium, a member of the Barberry Family also called Oregon Grape Holly and Holly-leaved barberry. It appears the main difference in the leaves is that the barberry type leaf is more tapered at the end whereas Christmas holly seems to stay the same width for most of its entire length. 

Fern, 2025, Vancouver Aquarium

A grouping of this fern was growing beside the Holly-leaved barberry. I suspect it's a sword fern, but I know nothing about fern types. What I do know is that each frond contains small capsules called sporangia that are filled with thousands of dust-like spores that will scatter in the wind when ripe. It's the artful display of the sporangia that fascinates me, especially when seen with the sun behind the fronds. 

There is so much beauty connected to the Vancouver Aquarium and too much to see in one afternoon. After several hours of exploration, we headed back to our Sooke Airbnb to do some whale watching and card playing. Join us for the next post as we let you know what we saw. 

Note: For those with a calendar, this post connects with the images shown for January 2026.