Welcome to Victoria, BC, Canada’s Garden City. Nestled on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, Greater Victoria is a patchwork of vibrant communities stitched together by expansive green spaces, manicured gardens, and mighty ancient rainforests. The region’s stunning natural beauty is made endlessly explorable by a distinctive microclimate that keeps temperatures mild year-round. Greater Victoria is a wonderful place to call home and an unforgettable place to visit.
Amidst breathtaking scenery, the city itself is a blend of rich history, contemporary style, and a forward-thinking, infectious energy that is certain to inspire. Take a stroll along the iconic Inner Harbour, where the tranquil waters of the Salish Sea spill into the heart of the city. Explore a history ten-thousand years in the making, as you visit world-class museum, connect with Indigenous culture and wander streets lined with Victorian-era architecture, brought to life by the local shopping scene.
No matter how you choose to explore Greater Victoria, a vibrant floral tapestry leads the way, with gardens, planters, and hanging baskets connecting nature & city. Being a temperate, four-season city, Victoria offers an ecological diversity unlike anywhere else in Canada, and our landscape is a cacophony of ever-changing colour to match the seasons.
Discover the City of Gardens. From urban flower beds to public parks and sprawling greenspaces, you’re never far from year-round floral beauty in Greater Victoria. Garden enthusiasts in particular can visit Gardens British Columbia to find gardens near you. Victoria and surrounding area are fortunate to have so many spectacular gardens, including our favourites below.
Walk into a dream at The Butchart Gardens, a National Historic Site of Canada. Once a quarry, visionary gardener, Jennie Butchart, brought one of the world’s most iconic gardens to life through the rubble of the past. This 55-acre display garden, offers five distinct gardens to explore, including the Rose Garden, Italian Garden, Japanese Garden, Mediterranean Garden, and the world-renown Sunken Garden, as well as dining experiences and a carousel ride.
Step into a love story 80 years in the making at Abkhazi Garden. The garden tells the story of Prince Nicholas Abkhazi and Peggy-Pemberton Carter, who after being separated by war, would reunite and start a home in Victoria. The couple developed the one-acre property into a discreet, but beautiful garden home to glaciated rocky slopes, magnificent Gary oaks, Japanese maples, rhododendrons, heathers, irises and daylilies. Be sure to stop by the iconic Abkhazi Teahouse, for a garden-side afternoon tea.
Students and schools may be particularly interested in The Garry Oak Learning Meadow at Fort Rodd Hill and Fisgard Lighthouse National Historic Sites – a great place for learning and counting flowers. See how 6,000 wheelbarrow loads of leaf mulch, 2 dumpsters of cardboard, 125,000 native plants, and countless hours of hard work by Parks Canada staff and volunteers have transformed this meadow. The Garry Oak Learning Meadow at Fort Rodd Hill and Fisgard Lighthouse National Historic Sites features a wildflower meadow, rock outcrop, native shrub thickets and Garry oak woodland. Over 100 different species (many of them labelled) flourish in this beautiful natural habitat. Escape from the noise and rush of the city in a natural oasis.
Click here for more information about the fantastic parks in the region and even more reasons to visit Greater Victoria.
