6 amazing gardens you can visit in Victoria
There’s a reason that Victoria has been dubbed “The Garden City.”
When you walk throughout the city, residents can be seen utilizing every inch of their green space to plant, prod, and garden everything they can. Victoria’s sub-Mediterranean climate can sustain plant life throughout the year, so it’s a natural fit.
Because of this propensity for plant life, we have some of the most stunning large-scale gardens in the country, each unique in its own way.
Here are some of our favourites.
Butchart Gardens
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For over 100 years, The Butchart Gardens in Brentwood Bay, 30 minutes from downtown Victoria, has been the city’s crowning jewel. Here you can meander along winding pathways amidst 150 flower beds, enjoy the mesmerizing sight of the dancing fountain, and enter the Sunken Garden, crafted within a former limestone quarry. This is a must-see for residents and tourists alike.
Where: 800 Benvenuto Avenue, Brentwood Bay
When: Every day, 9 am to 3:30 pm
Admission: Adults $3.70, kids $2.65; purchase here
Abkhazi Garden
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Nestled in a quiet corner of Victoria in the beautiful neighbourhood of Fairfield, this one-acre garden boasts a rich history rooted in Paris, France, and the Bolshevik Revolution. It’s a story of lost love and beauty. Dubbed “The Garden that Love Built,” it was crafted by Prince and Princess Abkhazi for over four decades with careful consideration by the famous couple.
Where: 1964 Fairfield Road, Victoria
When: Wednesday to Sunday, 11 am to 4 pm
Admission: Donation
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Finnerty Gardens
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Renowned for its diverse collection of rhododendrons and azaleas, the Finnerty Gardens is a peaceful sanctuary covering nearly 2.5 hectares of land near the University of Victoria. It covers over 4,000 different types of trees and shrubs and is a woodland wonderland.
Where: University Drive, Victoria
When: Every day, 8 am to 11 pm
Admission: Free
The Gardens at HCP
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The Gardens at Horticulture Centre of the Pacific (HCP) in Victoria features over 40 acres of diverse gardens, including the Takata Japanese Garden, the Mediterranean Garden, and the Pacific Slope Garden. Along with a robust educational program, the Gardens at HCP also hosts Charlotte & the Quail, a fantastic restaurant and patio where you can sit and take in the gardens while enjoying some of the best plant-based dishes in the Saanich countryside.
Where: 505 Quayle Road, Saanich
When: 9 am to 4 pm
Admission: Adults $16, kids (under 16) free; purchase here
Banfield Commons
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Banfield Commons is a permaculture food forest in Victoria West in Banfield Park. It’s a blink-and-you-might-miss-it type of place. In 2006, volunteers helped fill this garden with fruit trees, shrubs, perennials, self-sowing annual food plants, and medicinal and culinary herbs. The garden is open to the public for harvest, making it one of the most accessible and most nutritious spots in the city.
Where: 521 Craigflower Road, Banfield Park, Victoria
When: Every day, all-day
Admission: Free
Hatley Park Gardens
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If this place seems familiar, it’s probably because of Ryan Reynolds. Hatley Castle has been used in a ton of films and is famously featured in Deadpool and the X-Men franchise. Beyond the castle, though, is an absolutely stunning property full of trails and diverse plant life. Between 1913 and 1914, the Dunsmuir family, who owned the property, hired landscape architects to create gardens on their large estate nestled among the Douglas fir forest surrounding the property. The estate is now part of the Royal Roads University Campus and a National historic site.
Where: 2005 Sooke Road, Victoria
When: Every day, 10 am to 4 pm
Admission: Free