What started out as a limestone quarry and cement factory has turned into one of the most beautiful gardens in the world.  Butchart Gardens, created by Jennie Butchart more than 100 years ago, provides a spectacular display of flowering plants that thrive in the Pacific Northwest.  The gardens, which cover 55 acres, attract visitors from all over the world.

When we visited the gardens in spring we saw flowering cherry, plum and crabapple trees and an amazing display of over 250,000 tulips, narcissus and daffodils.  During summer you’ll see roses in full bloom, along with Himalayan blue poppies, rhododendrons, Columbine, and delphiniums. If you’re there during the summer, catch their fireworks display on Saturday evenings. The explosion of color continues in September when the begonias and dahlias are at their peak.
 
Take a break and grab a bite at one of their restaurants, coffee shop, soda fountain or gelateria.  Be sure to bring a camera – the sunken gardens are a perfect backdrop for a group photo with the girls.

This entry was posted on Friday, March 3rd, 2006 at 8:52 pm and is filed under Entertainment, Exploring, West Coast. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.