Floral Fest Friday: Butchart Gardens

"But you, oh gardener, poet that you be

Though unaware, now use your seeds like words

And make them lilt with color nicely flung."

VITA SACKVILLE-WEST

I sit here and type words to reflect the summery day outside—warm sunshine and not a cloud to mar the blue, blue sky. Perhaps it knows rain is forecast for the next few days (which we need, so there's no lament here) and is making the most of the sunny day.

We were a few short days away visiting family on the West Coast (Vancouver-Victoria areas). It was so sweet to see the faces of people we love and share times together after so long a time apart. One afternoon we visited Butchart Gardens with Rick's sisters. An overcast day with chances of rain, we were glad it held off during our visit. Lots of people wandered the gardens, all eager to enjoy the early summer beauties. As author Clare Ansberry once said, "Gardens and flowers have a way of bringing people together, drawing them from their homes."

The roses you see above were in full bloom in front of my sis-in-law's residence. I don't know their name, but the colour made me think of a sunset. We were told it's been a cool spring on the Island, so the roses at the Butchart Gardens are late this year. Shrubs in the rose garden promised a great show of blooms in a week or two but we only saw a sparse few the day we were there. 

In spite of the still green rose garden, there were flowers in abundance everywhere else in the gardens. It was such a lovely afternoon, I have to share a few photos for you. I hope you enjoy. For more about these beautiful gardens, do check out their blog HERE.

At the entrance...

 

Rick and his sister...

The two of us under the Laburnum anagyroides

Golden chain tree

The tulips were mostly done and gardeners were busy pulling them out,

getting the beds ready for summer blooms. Clouds of blue Forget-me-nots,

in the midst of the dying, drying leaves, still created a delightful display. 

"Until we can comprehend the beguiling beauty

of a single flower, we are woefully unable to grasp

the meaning and potential of life itself."

VIRGINIA WOOLF

 

"Just living is not enough...one must have sunshine,

freedom, and a little flower."

HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN

Two siblings who share the love of gardening. 

A little bee having a dip in a blossom. There's a lilt in the heart

watching that little bum wiggle in its beesome reverie.

"Joy does not simply happen to us. We have

to choose joy and keep choosing it every day."

HENRI J.M. NOUWEN

And I admit, it's so much easier to choose joy when one is amongst

such glimpses of heaven. That's me standing by the water fountain,

lost in my own reveries.

"Small pleasures must correct great tragedies,

Therefore of gardens in the midst of war

I boldly tell."

VITA SACKVILLE-WEST, The Garden

Meconopsis

Himalayan blue poppy

"Where flowers bloom, so does hope."

LADY BIRD JOHNSON

Our meander through the gardens wound up at the cafe where we had tea and current scones, with a poke around the gift shop afterwards. My purchases included notecards of floral watercolour artwork by Jennifer Sammons and a bottle of French 'Champagne Peony' Eau de parfum by Mistral. The scent of summer in a bottle: "A sparkling mix of pink grapefruit, effervescent prosecco, raspberry, French cassis, violet leaves, peony, crisp mint, and grape leaf."  We all made our way home with hearts refreshed and filled with that certain lift to the spirits that only nature's bounty in a flower garden can bring. 

During the few days we were away, our own garden grew leaps and bounds—alas, so did the weeds. So I'm off to tackle them on this sunny afternoon. I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

❦

Heart hugs,

Brenda

All photos are mine, except the one where I'm standing

by the fountain, which was taken by my sis-in-law, Wendy.