I live in Idaho so driving to Vancouver is only about a nine hour trip (time the trip to avoid Seattle traffic and the busiest time at the US/Canada border). We spent a few days in Vancouver before a cruise to Alaska and then a ferry over to magical Victoria before heading home. The three most iconic scenes of Victoria are (in my humble opinion) the Empress Hotel, The Parliament buildings and last but not least Butchart Gardens. This was our first trip to the garden we made sure to make reservations for afternoon tea. Even though it was July, a beautiful sunny day and crowded it was still wonderful and to call it just a garden is really a disservice as it is so much more, it is simply stunning. The tea was just lovely starting off with a delicious seasonal berry trifle with layers of sponge cake, blackberry compote finished with Chantilly cream. Served in small individual compotes. Then the three tiered tea rack with both sweet and savory, served with a choice of tea - we chose the 100th Anniversary tea. One of the items I loved the most was the ginger scones and they share the recipe.
Ginger Scone (makes 10)
1½ cups All purpose flour
1tsp Baking powder
1tbsp White sugar
¼ cup Crystallized ginger (chopped)
1/3 cup Unsalted butter (cubed)
2 Medium eggs (fork beaten)
½ cup 2% Milk
1½ cups All purpose flour
1tsp Baking powder
1tbsp White sugar
¼ cup Crystallized ginger (chopped)
1/3 cup Unsalted butter (cubed)
2 Medium eggs (fork beaten)
½ cup 2% Milk
Method
Set oven to 350°F
Blend flour, baking powder, sugar and crystallized ginger together.
Use hand cutter to blend in butter cubes until crumbly.
Add eggs and milk until all ingredients are combined (being careful not to over mix).
Drop by large tablespoon on parchment lined baking sheet.
Brush the tops of the scones with an egg wash and then sprinkle with sugar.
Bake for 15-18 minutes until light brown
Set oven to 350°F
Blend flour, baking powder, sugar and crystallized ginger together.
Use hand cutter to blend in butter cubes until crumbly.
Add eggs and milk until all ingredients are combined (being careful not to over mix).
Drop by large tablespoon on parchment lined baking sheet.
Brush the tops of the scones with an egg wash and then sprinkle with sugar.
Bake for 15-18 minutes until light brown
The other thing that I most loved was the trifle and the recipe is NOT given out so I will make a humble attempt to recreate this awesome treat sometime soon and if it turns out I will share the recipe for sure! There are also options for children and gluten free selections.
*A BIG THANK YOU TO BUTCHART GARDENS FOR FEATURING THIS POST ON THEIR FACEBOOK PAGE!
*A BIG THANK YOU TO BUTCHART GARDENS FOR FEATURING THIS POST ON THEIR FACEBOOK PAGE!
Beautiful sign at the entrance to the gardens.....
Along every path are beautiful flowers, the inpatients, begonias and petunias were just a riot of beautiful color. I passed a wall of sweet peas the scent brought me back to my childhood.
A little rustic cabin over the sunken garden, a great place to view the gardens below.
Beautiful pond and latticed cottage outside the dining room restaurant.
Another iconic item in Victoria and all around the Butchart Gardens are hanging baskets. They sell seeds in their gift shop and my husband bought several packages (OK to bring back to US as long as the seal that they put on the package at the gardens is not broken, you just declare at customs). They sell a package of seeds for hanging baskets and I look forward to giving them a try for next year as well as several other floral varieties.
Butchart Gardens was on my bucket list, it not only did not disappoint, but was oh so much better than I expected, so even though I get to check it off the list, I hope that I will visit many more times.
Resource
Butchart Garden Hours
Whether you’re planning to visit this season or later, there are
always interesting things to see and experience. During our peak season
(July and August) we can experience congestion on our paths and
facilities between 11:00 am and 3:00 pm—many visitors enjoy coming late
afternoon and staying on to dusk to enjoy Night Illuminations. Our ever
popular Rose Carousel begins 1/2 hour after opening.
The gardens themselves remain open for one hour after the admission gate closes.
We have a no smoking policy throughout The Gardens, however we have two designated smoking areas.
The gardens themselves remain open for one hour after the admission gate closes.
We have a no smoking policy throughout The Gardens, however we have two designated smoking areas.
| Spring | |||||
| March 1 – 31 | 9 :00 am – 4:00 pm | ||||
| April 1 – June 14 | 9:00 am – 5:00 pm |
| |||
| June 15 – August 31 | 9:00 am – 10:00 pm |
| Autumn | |
| September 1 – 15 | 9:00 am – 9:00 pm |
| September 16 – 30 | 9:00 am – 5:00 pm |
| October 1 – 31 | 9:00 am – 4:00 pm |
| November 1 to 30 | 9:00 am – 3:30 pm |
| Christmas | |
| December 1 – January 6 | 9:00 am – 9:00 pm |
| December 25 | 1:00 pm – 9:00 pm |
| Winter | |||
| January 7 – February 28 | 9:00 am – 3:30 pm |
The garden is located at:
800 Benvenuto Ave, Brentwood Bay, BC V8M 1J8, Canada
Thank you for stopping by.
WONDERFUL TRIP !!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteThank you Anonymous - it was a wonderful trip and Butchart Gardens was a bucket list item that did not disappoint!
ReplyDeleteIt was absolutely beautiful! So glad that we got to make the trip...even with the tired kiddos!
ReplyDeleteA very special place, oh so much more than a garden - next time we go we will have to go late in the day so we can see the garden at night and the summer fireworks show. So lucky to live a long days drive to this beautiful island. Was on our bucket list too! Thank you for your nice comment.
ReplyDeleteAnother treat not to be missed is the Holiday Lights in winter. Magical...
ReplyDeleteThank you Irene - great idea. Will have to plant this seed with my hubby. Appreciate the comment. j.
ReplyDelete