Parks & Gardens - local

Beacon Hill Park
The city's showpiece garden dating from the 1890's featuring formal gardens and wildflower meadows, a bandshell, a wildfowl sanctuary, picnic tables, tennis courts, playgrounds, a 100-year-old cricket pitch, and a children's petting zoo. 10 minutes by car from Across the Harbour.

Government House
Fifteen acres of gardens open to the public. A series of formal displays with a wild native plant garden reminiscent of a Monet painting. Take a self-guided tour through this wide variety of gardens. Visit Government House at 1401 Rockland Avenue in Victoria - just 10 minutes drive from Across the Harbour.

A Japanese Garden
Set next to the oceanshore on Victoria's Outer Harbour, the Laurel Point Inn's Japanese garden is an enchanting acre of trees, flowers, rocks and water, representative of the aesthetics of Japanese garden design. Just as the famous Japanese technique of garden design, called shakkei (borrowed scenery), involves the incorporation of adjacent and distant landscapes into the garden setting, the Laurel Point Inn's garden features panoramic views of Victoria's Outer Harbour and Sooke Hills. One of the dominant features of the garden is the large reflecting pond - a glassy surface that captures the ever changing sky, the other dominant feature of the garden is the waterfall. One 300 year old lantern was a gift from the mayor of Morioka, our sister city in Japan. A ten minute drive from Across the Harbour.

The Horticulture Centre of the Pacific
An absolute must for the avid gardener. This centre has it all. Visit 505 Quayle Road, Victoria. 20 minutes from Across the Harbour.

Hatley Park
The estate of James Dunsmuir is the current site of Royal Roads University. With lakes, heritage trees, roses, Italian and Japanese gardens these grounds are a treat. 15 minutes from Across the Harbour.

Butchart Gardens
Fifty acres of meticulously kept gardens. Self-guided and visitors are welcome to stay for the day. Free parking, tour buses and public transit. Restaurants and gift shop. Located at 800 Benvenuto Drive, Victoria. For more information call (250) 652-5256. 35 minutes from Across the Harbour and downtown Victoria.