In a word:  Spectacular.

In another word:  Stunning.

A few more words…. colorful, beautiful, rainy, misty, gorgeous, tasty, charming, friendly, delightful, funny (or maybe that was just the company). 

On Day 3 of our Girls Weekend, we spent 3 heavenly hours wandering the paths of the gardens, pausing to take photos – which was sometimes a bit of a production in the rain. 

And my dear friends never complained about my pain-in-the-butt camera bag on wheels.  They even offered to pull it around for me.  True friends.

We were lucky enough to visit on a day with minimal crowds, due, in part I’m sure, to the rain.  But the overcast skies and light rain really brought out the colors of the garden.  Our first glimpse of the Sunken Garden (above) drew gasps.   It was literally aflame with color – and the misty trees provided the perfect backdrop.   

Tip #1:  When visiting Butchart Gardens, don’t bother to bring an umbrella even if you KNOW it is going to rain. 

We finally persuaded Michelle to swap out her functional and yet obstructive blue umbrella in favor of the “oh, what a great idea” clear umbrellas provided at various locations all around the garden.  

Whoever came up with that idea should get a bonus.

Tip #2.  Wear a waterproof jacket rather than one that soaks up the rain like a dishrag;  especially if you find yourself sans umbrella, hauling around a camera in one hand and pulling a camera bag in the other.   Otherwise you might look and feel a bit like a drown cat. 

And bring good natured friends who are willing to hold their umbrellas over you and your camera when you take photos.

There was an entire wall of dahlias, winding paths under golden and crimson trees, waterfalls, ponds, statues, and ivy covered arbors, which I imagine would be full of rose or clematis blossoms in other seasons.   

At one point there was a path with several arbors, making for a nice photo opportunity.   Some woman kept standing right next to the first arbor, staring off into space.  We waited and waited for her to move so we could photo the path – but she just stood there.   So I took her photo.  She reminded me a bit of Audrey Hadley. 

The Japanese Garden was a group favorite, and where we decided to monopolize a cute bridge to take a group photo.  I pulled out the tripod and we posed for a good 10 minutes trying to get a good shot of all of us, which was a bit of a challenge. 

I was having issues with my damp red shirt clinging in all the wrong places and an ill-advised recent haircut.  Kristin wanted to take off her jacket, but realized she was wearing a “Grinch” sweatshirt underneath.   One of the Hunsaker sisters noted, “Nothing says Butchart Gardens like the Grinch.”   (They kept us in stitches with their witty one liners).  

Notice that while Kristin and I look a bit damp and bedraggled, Chris looks ever stylish  in her coat and red scarf and Michelle is a complete fashionista – even her hair is fluffed and in place!  How did she do that???  (Maybe by staying under an umbrella when it rained? ) 

We finished off our day in the garden with our first “Afternoon Tea” experience.   The charming dining room was surrounded by windows looking out onto a lovely garden, and the fire in the fireplace added just the right warmth and coziness we needed on a rainy day.  

Click here to see the menu. 

Michelle ordered a peppermint tea, not on the menu – and the rest of us all went for the TeaBerry blend.  Excellent choice.    Tea was a forbidden drink as I was growing up and something I always assumed would taste yucky.   But as an adult, I have found I love good tea….  and this blend was exceptional.  

Finger sandwiches and desserts covered 3-tiered serving trays. General consensus was that the mango-curry chicken salad with cashews was the best sandwich, and the cucumber the most boring.   All of the desserts were yummy. 

The tea and treats were great – but the ambiance and the company made it a perfect afternoon.

If you actually made it to the end of this post and still would like to see more photos that I took at Butchart Gardens, CLICK HERE.

And be sure to check out both Chris & Michelle‘s blogs for their photos and write-ups from our weekend getaway.   Kristin, when are you going to start a blog?