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Victoria Canada Garden City, By Margaret Cadwaladr |
By:
Rajinder Dogra |
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Victoria is special in many ways but especially for those who
love to walk and who enjoy gardens. The best know of all its
gardens is Butchart Gardens which is open every day of the year.
Jennie Butchart began to develop the garden in a limestone
quarry in 1904 and this year it is celebrating its 100th
anniversary. The five-acre garden has several sections and
features various garden design styles and seasonal blooms. There
are rhododendrons in spring, roses in summer, fireworks in July
and August, colorful autumn maples and a spectacular annual
Christmas light display.
Like Butchart Gardens, Victoria Butterfly Gardens and the
Horticulture Centre of the Pacific are located on the Saanich
Peninsula. A stroll through the Butterfly Gardens is to be
transported to a tropical fantasy. Members of the 35 imported
species of butterflies gracefully fly among tropical plants and
orchids in the covered garden.
The Horticulture Centre of the Pacific is an educational and
demonstration centre featuring a collection of the plants,
shrubs and trees that grow on Vancouver Island. It is open daily
for tours. Special events and lectures are regularly scheduled
and the wetlands are ideal for bird watching.
Victoria also features a number of public gardens and parks,
many of which are located in the heart of town. Beacon Hill Park
is a short distance from the Provincial Legislature Buildings
and a walk here will lead to both formal gardens and wildflower
meadows. Also here is the Gary Oak meadow park which links to
the gardens at St. Anns Academy, a former girls school which is
surrounded by a mature garden with a historic orchard, herb and
perennial beds.
A few kilometers away is the lovely one-acre Abkhazi Gardens, a
small heritage garden which features native Garry Oaks, Japanese
Maples and splendid rhododendrons set in a rocky outcrop. A gift
shop and tearoom help support the garden. From here it is a
short walk to Government House, an estate which is home to the
Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia, the Queens
representative in the province. The grounds are easily
accessible and feature a rose garden, perennial and herb gardens.
Also worthy of a visit is Hatley Park Castle, a National
Historic Site located on the campus of Royal Roads University.
This oceanfront estate was built in the early 1900s as the home
of James Dunsmuir, son of coal baron Robert Dunsmuir. The
gardens are open year-round and include rose and Italian
gardens. Contact: 800-663-3883, www.tourismvictoria.com
This article is sponsored by: www.grouptravelblog.com
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Article Source: http://www.PopularArticles.com/article13591.html |
Article: Victoria Canada Garden City, by Margaret Cadwaladr
Author: Rajinder Dogra
Total Views: 25
Word Count: 375
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Home and Garden / Gardens
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