The year 2004 is the 100th anniversary of the establishment of Butchart Gardens. In 1904, Jenny and Robert Pim Butchart began what would become one of North America's earliest industrial environmental restoration projects.
Taking their exhausted limestone quarry, they developed, over a twenty year period, a beautiful display garden reflecting the vision of Jenny Butchart. The development of this Sunken Garden and the other display gardens (including the Rose garden and Italian garden to name but a few) were built upon her love of adventure, her artistic talents (a talented amateur artist who had been awarded an art scholarship to study in Paris) and her scientific attributes (chemistry), as well as her passion for gardening.
Her vision is reflected in the almost Monet feeling of the weeping willows cascading over the pond in the sunken garden.
Remember to look up to see the wonderful foliage combinations and pass by the newly established winter garden to arrive at the Japanese Garden. The Japanese Garden was one of the first to be established (click here to see more on the historic Japanese Garden).