The Story of Butchart Gardens

Late one mid-December afternoon in 1950, an elderly woman looked out of the window of her home in Victoria, and softly whispered to her nurse: "I've never seen a more beautiful sunset."… a moment later, she died.

The woman was Jennie Butchart, and during her eighty-two years on this earth she helped make a small corner of it so beautiful that almost a million people a year travel to see it. Taking over her husband’s disused limestone quarry, she oversaw the design and development of the world’s most famous private garden. The legacy she left rivals the splendor of any sunset and Butchart Gardens continues to amaze visitors from around the world... it's a remarkable legacy, left by a remarkable woman. And one which her family continues to cherish.

The stuff of legend is what makes a good story, and the stuff grows here as quickly as a well-tended flower bed. Legends cannot be proved or disproved, merely recounted and enjoyed. Mystery and speculation only serve to make them more durable. Butchart Gardens is certainly a legend.
The story of Butchart Gardens is an amazing one, but well illustrated and cheerfully and simply told here.

“Well researched and concise… reader friendly material of historical value.” – B.C. Historical Federation
“An amazing story about an amazing garden… a must-read for visitors and locals.” – CKNW Radio
“What a remarkable story and what a pair the Butcharts were!” – CBC Radio