Vancouver Island, BC : Government House Gardens

Government House Gardens

Capital Area

Victoria

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Address http://www.ltgov.bc.ca/gardens/default.htm 1401 Rockland Ave. Victoria, BC V8S 1V9 (250) 356-5139	Hours Every day Dawn - Dusk

Directions
From downtown, either walk or drive up Fort Street, turn right on Vancouver Street, then left on Rockland Avenue. If you reach St. Charles Avenue you have gone too far.

Description:
One of the many nice things about Victoria is that so many of its pleasurable activities are free. A visit to the 36 acres of beautiful gardens at Government House is just one of these. In fact, rather than being a tourist attraction, the Government House property is a great place for locals and tourists alike to get away from it all and relax in beautiful surroundings. Think of it as a downtown version of Butchart Gardens only without an admittance fee or all the crowds.

Government House is home to the Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia, who is the Queen’s representative in this province. Your trip to the mansion will begin with a 15-minute walk from downtown along Rockland Avenue, a street lined with beautiful Victorian mansions. Once you get to the Government House gates, you’ll be entering a world full of breathtaking colour and aroma.

Unfortunately, the gardens haven’t always flowered. Over the years, the gardens, originally laid out by English landscape architect Robert Savery, have bloomed and withered in proportion to the budget available to maintain them. And not all Lieutenant Governors have had the deep pockets to augment these tight budgets. That is, until 1991 when the Lieutenant Governor of the day appealed for volunteers and corporate sponsors for help. The response was enthusiastic and the results have been nothing short of spectacular.

Neglected gardens have been brought back into outstanding condition and many new plants have been introduced. Within the property can be found 27 stunning gardens that include a relaxed English Country Garden, a formal Victorian Rose Garden, and a Woodlands Garden where native BC plants are carefully conserved. Gardening and horticultural groups may book special garden tours through the Friends of Government House Gardens Society.

This is a visit you don't want to miss.

Written By: Maria Lironi

Features
Wheelchair Accessible

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