Why Victoria Blooms Early
Victoria, at the southern tip of Vancouver Island, has one of the mildest climates in Canada. Winters are wet but rarely very cold, and spring arrives earlier than almost anywhere else in the country. Early bulbs and some ornamental cherries and plums can flower in February, the main cherry blossom period is usually March into early April, and tulips, rhododendrons and other spring displays continue through April and May.
Exact timing changes from year to year with the weather, so treat these months as a guide. Spring is also showery, so bring a rain jacket.
A practical way to plan is to base yourself downtown, near the Inner Harbour, and combine one longer trip out to Butchart Gardens with walks to the city gardens and blossom-lined neighbourhoods closer in. Apart from Butchart Gardens, the main places below are free or ask only a donation, and several can be visited in a single day on foot.
Butchart Gardens
The Butchart Gardens, in Brentwood Bay about 20 km north of downtown Victoria, are the best-known gardens in British Columbia. They cover about 22 hectares and were created from a worked-out limestone quarry. Jennie Butchart began turning the quarry into the Sunken Garden after it was exhausted in 1909, and the gardens were designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 2004.
In spring, the gardens are planted with large displays of tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and other bulbs, along with flowering trees. Besides the Sunken Garden, there is a Japanese Garden, an Italian Garden and the Rose Garden, which blooms later, in summer.
Admission prices vary by season and are highest in summer, so check the official website. The gardens can be reached by car or by public bus from downtown Victoria, and they get busy at midday; arriving soon after opening is calmer.
Beacon Hill Park
Beacon Hill Park is Victoria's main city park, about 75 hectares on the shore of the Juan de Fuca Strait, a short walk from downtown. It mixes formal flower beds, ponds and lawns with areas of native Garry oak meadow.
In spring, the native meadows bloom with camas, whose blue flowers were historically important to Indigenous peoples of the area, along with other wildflowers. The park also has a children's farm, the Mile Zero marker of the Trans-Canada Highway at its southwest corner, and a tall story pole carved by Mungo Martin and others, raised in 1956. Entry is free.
Abkhazi Garden and Government House
Abkhazi Garden is a one-acre garden in the Fairfield neighbourhood, created by Prince Nicolas and Princess Peggy Abkhazi from 1946 and now owned by The Land Conservancy of British Columbia. It is known for rhododendrons that have grown to the size of trees, rock outcrops and winding paths. Spring is one of its best seasons. Entry is by suggested donation, and there is a tea house on site.
Government House, the official residence of the Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia in the Rockland neighbourhood, has extensive public gardens, including rose and native Garry oak areas. The grounds are generally open to the public free of charge from dawn to dusk.
Cherry Blossoms on Victoria's Streets
Many of Victoria's residential streets are lined with ornamental cherry and plum trees, and in the main bloom period whole blocks turn pink and white. Fairfield, Fernwood, James Bay and Oak Bay are good neighbourhoods to explore on foot or by bike. There is no single official viewing site, so wander side streets, and be respectful of residents' property when taking photos.
Other Gardens Worth a Visit
- Finnerty Gardens at the University of Victoria are known for their rhododendron collection, which flowers through spring. Entry is free.
- Hatley Park, at Royal Roads University in Colwood, has formal gardens around Hatley Castle.
- The Dallas Road waterfront, beside Beacon Hill Park, is a good place to combine garden visits with views across the strait to the Olympic Mountains on clear days.
Getting to Victoria
Most visitors from the mainland come by BC Ferries from Tsawwassen, south of Vancouver, to Swartz Bay, about 30 minutes north of Victoria by car. There are also floatplanes and helicopters between downtown Vancouver and Victoria's Inner Harbour, flights to Victoria International Airport, and passenger ferries from Seattle and Port Angeles in Washington State. Downtown Victoria is compact and walkable, and BC Transit buses reach Butchart Gardens and the outer neighbourhoods.
