Five Gardens to Visit in Victoria (and that don't start with Butchart)
You may have heard Victoria referred to as the City of Gardens and thought that we just like to garden a lot (which we do!) But we are actually home to some amazing gardens to visit as well. Most tourists will have Butchart Gardens at the top of their list of places to see in the city. And while it is a little pricey, Butchart Gardens is a beautiful place. However, if you want to visit gardens in Victoria, there are a lot of amazing options and some of them are even free. This is a non-exhaustive list of gardens besides Butchart, that are worthy of a visit for locals and tourists alike.
Beacon Hill Park
While Beacon Hill Park has had a rough ride in the media over the last few years, the City of Victoria Park Staff do an absolutely astounding job of gardening. At over 180 acres, Beacon Hill Park is a big space and while most of the space are not tended gardens, a lot of is. Particularly in the centre of the park around Goodacre Lake and south to Circle Drive. In this area you will find a Rose Garden, a Native Plant Garden an Alpine Garden as well as many other tended beds. There are also multiple ponds, bridges and pathways through the garden which are wonderful to wander around and explore. Best of all, visiting the gardens in Beacon Hill Park is free, (the city couldn’t charge you if they wanted to) and there are large public washrooms as well.
Abkhazhi Gardens
Perhaps one of the lessor known gardens in Victoria and likely the smallest one on this list, Abkhazi Gardens has a fantastic history that you can read about here. The garden is located just across the Oak Bay border from Victoria on Fairfield Road. If it were not for the sign you would assume that it was just another big property with a mansion on it. The property was gifted the Land Conservancy many years ago and is likely one of its most popular holdings. The garden is about an acre in size, but don’t fooled by the diminutive size, the space is packed with walkways, rocks and beautiful plants. As a bonus, there is also a teahouse on the property which has a great selection of tea sittings. The garden is accessed by a strongly suggested donation of ten dollars however, if you are eating at the teahouse a walk around the gardens afterwards is expected and encouraged.
Royal Roads University Gardens
Also known as the Hatley Park Gardens. These beautiful and not well known gardens are at the site of the current Royal Roads University, however the gardens themselves, at least in part, date back to the time of the Dunsmuirs (the famous Vancouver Island coal family) living on the land. There are many parts to the gardens and it is good to plan to have some time to really enjoy them. There is good transit access and the university is actually quite close to the Galloping Goose Trail. If you are going to drive there is lots of paid parking available.
When you arrive, you will be greeted by the majestic Hatley Castle, the former home of the Dunsmuirs. It is quite the building and you can walk around its many terraces. Access to the inside of the castle is restricted, though there have been times when the public can sign up for tours.
Just to the west of the castle are the Italian gardens which are outlined in a stone wall. Beyond that are the largest maintained gardens on the property, the Japanese Gardens. Once you have walked through both of those you can find the Rose Garden just northwest of the Japanese Gardens. If you have some extra time, I would strongly encourage you to take a longer walk around the whole campus down to the lagoon and boathouse. There are also trails that can be explored through the woods to the east of the castle. Really and excellent destination for a daytrip in Victoria and a lovely set of gardens. Best of all, despite attempting to put in a charge a few years ago, visiting the gardens is free!
Government House
This is likely the garden that I visit the most on this list. For those opposed to the monarchy, this may not be the place for you, but for everyone else this is one of the most magical places we have in the city and the best part of it is that you will often find that you are one of the only ones there despite being in the middle of the city.
The property is the residence for the King’s representative in British Columbia. I won’t get into a long political story on what they do, but for the most part it is an honorary position that is appointed on the recommendation of the provincial government. The property itself is is about 36 acres in size and the majority of that is open to the public in some form. The northern third of the property is tended garden, while the larger two thirds to the south are natural Garry Oak meadows. You can walk trails through the larger portion, but this post is about gardens and the northern portion is absolutely astounding. I won’t go into all the various gardens but will say that you can’t leave without visiting the rose garden or the herb garden. There is a second sunken rose garden which is also quite amazing. You could easily spend a couple of hours on the property especially if you time it when the Cary Castle Tea House is open so you can get some tea.
Like Hatley Gardens, Government House is free to visit and it is easily walkable and bikeable from downtown. There is also free parking at the site, though the main lot in front of the house fills up pretty fast, especially if the Lieutenant Governor is having an event.
Horticultural Centre of the Pacific
HCP as it is called, is likely the largest tended garden on this list and is perhaps both the best one and the least known as well. Located out in rural Saanich, in-between Interurban and West Saanich Road, it is a bit of challenge to find. Once you do find it, you will be amazed, as the name belies the true beauty of the place. At the entrance is a ticket booth, an event space and the wonderful Charlotte and the Quail restaurant.
As you walk through the gardens, you can easily get lost, maps are available when you pay admission. There are rose gardens, herb gardens, a bridal garden, a Japanese garden and many many more. If you are going I would suggest calling and getting a spot on the waitlist at Charlotte and the Quail when you arrive, enjoy the gardens till your table is ready, and then sit on the deck surrounded by the beautiful plants. After you have eaten get back out and enjoy the rest. Admission is a very worthwhile $12 and kids under 16 are free!
This list just touches the surface of gardens big and small that you can visit in and around Victoria. Another two just off the top of my head are the Finnerty Gardens at UVic and the Japanese Gardens at Esquimalt-Gorge Park.
Let me know in the comments your favourite gardens in the city and then get out and enjoy some of these.