Butchart Gardens – gardens in a quarry – Part 2
Further generations continue the tradition
In 1939, Robert and Jennie Butchart left the gardens to their grandson Ian Ross, who actively participated in their propagation and development until his death in 1997. He bought the most famous fountain in Butchart Gardens, the Sturgeon Fountain, in Florence. It was also Ian Ross who also brought with him the bronze casting of wild boar – a copy of a marble statue from the gallery Uffizi in Florence.
In honour of Pietro Tacca, who made the original in 1620, the wild boar is called Tacca. Its snout is polished from thousands of visitors who touched it for good luck. Tacca is dedicated to all the children and dogs who visit Butchart Gardens. The Dragon Fountain was added in 2015. It was given by the Chinese city Suzhou in the conjunction of the 35th anniversary of the Sister-City relationship with Victoria City.
After Ian Ross died, his son Christopher was in charge of the care for the gardens until his death in 2000. His sister Robin-Lee Clark and her daughter Barnabas Butchart Clarke continue the tradition in the gardens.
Year-round floral exhibition
Current exhibition gardens continue being privately owned property. They present especially decorative plants – hundreds of thousands of blooming flowers and hundreds of ever-green woody plants. Today, The Butchart Gardens is a National Historic Site of Canada
Gardens take up to 22 hectares and they are situated in a valley that is protected from the predominant winds. The temperatures are much higher in the summer and much lower in the winter than in the surrounding areas. There is more than a million of annual plants in 700 varieties planted in the gardens in order for them to bloom continuously.
The visitors have something attractive to admire in every season of the year in the flower beds thanks to the year-round care of local gardeners. The gardens are lit at night since June to September. Magnificent fireworks and musical productions take place there.
Benvenuto, the original seat of the Butchart family is open in winter. The history of the gardens, since the limestone quarry till today, is kept there.
More than a million and a half of visitors visit the gardens every year. They have the Plant Identification Centre at their disposal, with more than gardeners who provide the gardeners with professional information and help them identify particular plants.
Magic of the gardens
Today, Butchart Gardens belong to the most beautiful gardens in the world, they are filled with the scent of roses, magnolias, and tulips. The Sunken Garden with its gushing fountain, Japanese and Italian gardens that are next to the Star Pond in the shape of a star, and the view of the sea from the Butchart’s View are certainly among its most beautiful parts. There are many other beautiful fountains and ponds in the garden, where people throw coins for their wish to come true. For many years these coins have been used to help children in need. And of course, there are many pleasant places to rest and refresh yourself around the garden.
Although in this case, it is not a purely botanical garden, the visit of this place certainly belongs among unforgettable experiences. These magnificent gardens can certainly be proud on the fact that they do not lose any of its magic in any season of the year. If that is actually true, you have to decide on your own. Gardens filled with thousands of flowers, with the background of bird songs, the gushing water in the many fountains. These are the gardens of the Butchart family.
Source: Lomy a těžba
