Sunday, November 03, 2019

Butchart Gardens in November




I had a mid-week birthday last week.  It was a lovely day, with cards, best wishes, and phone calls. Tim and I celebrated on Saturday by going out for breakfast together followed by a wander around Butchart Gardens. I had expressed a wish for another annual pass. 

The Gardens were not very busy in the morning and it was lovely to stroll, backtrack, and to stop and gaze as we wished. Although the leaves are thinning on the trees, there is is plenty of colour left.


Although the sun burned through the morning mist quickly, it was cool in the shade and we were glad for jackets and scarves. A few summer blooms remain, framed by the golds and reds of autumn. 


Flowers bloomed mostly in sheltered spaces, overhung by other plants that protected them from the recent frosts we've had. The fuschias look like jewels - crisp and glowing in the autumn light. 


We looked up, way up at the Sequoia tree, one of a pair guarding a pathway. The seedling was planted in 1934, the year my father was born. They are both going strong!


One of my favourite spots in the garden is the stone path across a pond in the Japanese Garden. I love how it curves so beautifully. Of course, I have to step across it each time, even if the path we take doesn't require it. 


There is a large cedar hedge with a "window" cut into it, with a beautiful view of a cove and the inlet beyond. 


Preparations for Christmas are beginning, with garlands adorning some of the pathway rails, and a series of large decorated balls hanging from a roof overhang. A friend of mine used to work at the Gardens and she said that the staff work hard all of November to prepare for December's festivities. 


These Three French Hens are enjoying tea in front of a wire Eiffel Tower. The Tower is a bit hard to see in the daylight, but at night, in December, it's well lit. The theme throughout the garden is the Twelve Days of Christmas and it's fun to look for all the characters. 

And so begins another month. We're enjoying mostly clear skies, dry days, and stunning sunsets. I worked in my own garden after returning from our outing. Dahlias have been lifted and I tidied some of the pots, pulling the old summer flowers, planting bulbs deep in the soil and winter pansies on top. 

How is your month starting out? 

23 comments:

  1. A lovely fall visit to the garden. Happy belated birthday to you! I still need to clear out my beds...oye.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Beautiful scenery and photos! I’ve been there many times and still haven’t seen the Christmas lights there, surprising since I live in the lower island. I must go this winter!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh the beauty of the Butchart Gardens. I have only been there once, many years ago, but I love it.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Missed the Eiffel Tower...thanks for mentioning it. Such beautiful photos of an exquisite garden. I am surprised by how many flowers are still going strong. Enjoyed the peek through the hedge. It is reminiscent of some local, familiar scenes. November has begun simply and well thus far.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Happy belated birthday! The first photo is fairytale like. Happy MM & new week.

    ReplyDelete
  6. That first photo looked like a painting. So beautiful. It’s lovely to have a pass to see the changes in a beautiful garden. Happy birthday for last week. B x

    ReplyDelete
  7. Happy Birthday Lorrie!
    Beautiful garden. The hens are charming. The theme has many possibilities.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Wonderful photos, Lorrie! I had to check the date many times to believe these are recent views. We have snow by now.
    Thank you for your comment on my post. The white and grey birds are whooper swans. They look handsome and slightly comical at the same time.
    Belated happy birthday!

    ReplyDelete
  9. What a terrific place to just wander about. As for my Nov. start. It's slow but then so am I. he he.

    ReplyDelete
  10. What a lovely place for a stroll! The first picture looks like a watercolor painting! Happy Birthday!

    ReplyDelete
  11. That first photo is a work of art! I would frame that one!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Many happy returns of your birthday, Lorrie. What a lovely stroll through the gardens. Such fun to see the three French hans!
    I agree, your first photo is just beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Belated birthday greetings to you, Lorrie. Thank you for taking us along to the beautiful Butchart Gardens. Interesting to see how it changes with the seasons. I would love to visit at Christmastime. How pretty it must be all decorated. Love the photo of you both reflected in the ornament.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Happy belated birthday Lorrie and what a lovely way to spend it, breakfast out, and then a wander around the lovely Butchart Gardens. Everyone has rightly been taken by the first photo, and when I first saw it, Monet's garden came to mind.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Oh those stepping stones are just so inviting! I love your photos. The New month started with a 7 inch snowfall on halloween. But we have had some sunny days and outdoor yard work anyhow! Ive helped with all the leaves more this year than ever. I brought a few plants into winter over.....green thumbs crossed

    ReplyDelete
  16. So many beautiful photos! Your birthday outing was a wonderful choice! I love the meandering stepping stones (of course you should step across every time) and the view through the "window" in the hedge and your reflections (correct?) in the hanging Christmas ornament!

    Happy (belated) birthday . . . and a happy November to you!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Happy Belated Birthday, Lorrie. Your first photo looks like a painting!

    I must confess that I've already started thinking about Christmas. I'm not the only one though--I think I've received at least 4 notices about holiday events at the office!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Lorrie - belated happy birthday! Your pictures of the garden are stunning. My favorite is the silver ornament with the reflection - fabulous! Our November is off to a great start with our getaway to Germany and the UK. Now we are home again … it will take a few days to get back to "normal"!

    ReplyDelete
  19. We visited the Gardens during the Christmas Season one year ...too long ago. It was beautiful as I’m sure it is now (and know it is in June, also from way too long ago). Fabulous to have a season pass! Happy Belated BD.

    ReplyDelete
  20. So lovely and the perfect place to celebrate a birthday! I hope you had a very happy day!
    Butchart Gardens is still on my bucket list.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Such gorgeous looking gardens and this time of year the colours are just wonderful.
    Happy belated birthday wishes to you.

    All the best Jan

    ReplyDelete
  22. PRECIOSAS FOTOS!!
    SALUDITOS

    ReplyDelete
  23. Happy belated birthday wishes, Lorrie! You’re so lucky to be able to stroll through Buchart Gardens. I enjoyed my walk with you. I may have mentioned that my late beloved and I went there as I stopover on our Alaskan cruise. I loved your pic of the hens having tea!

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for your comment. I read and value each one, cherishing the connections we can make although far apart. Usually, I visit your blog in return, although if you ask a question I try to contact you directly.

A Wander Through my Mind

  Nothing is so beautiful as Spring -  When weeds, in wheels, shoot long and lovely and lush; Gerard Manley Hopkins When I opened my bedroom...