The Gardens The Gardens
What To See in January
Throughout the seasons there is always something of interest in the garden: from the fragrant, winter blooming shrubs, to the fresh delights of spring, to the abundance of summer colour, to the grand finale of autumn.
This collection highlights those plants most often asked about at our Plant Identification Centre. It is neither a complete list, nor may all the plants listed necessarily be growing at The Butchart Gardens when you visit. Naturally, weather conditions may alter the blooming time by as much as several weeks.
Place your cursor over the underlined plant name to see a photo.
Showhouse: Amaryllis, Christmas Cactus, Chrysanthemum, Cyclamen, Kalanchoe, Primula
With the design plan in hand, the gardeners, in only 7 - 8 days, completely install the ponds, water and landscape features for the spectacular Spring Prelude. January is one of the few months where we are able to do repairs and/or new construction projects. Gardening activities also include fruit tree pruning and the application of Lime Sulphur/dormant oil to help control pest and disease problems.
Arts & Entertainment crew: Removal of Christmas displays and lighting. These are cleaned, an inventory taken, then stored. More than 250 large plastic tubs are used to store 8 km (5 mi.) of extension cords and 40 - 56 km (25 - 35 mi.) of Christmas tree light strings, not to mention the "partridge in a pear tree" all the way through to the "12 drummers a-drumming". In the Spring Prelude display you may also see the crew installing lighting.
The Magic of Christmas runs through December and into January. The gardens are dressed up for Christmas in glorious style with a remarkable display of thousands of twinkling lights and seasonal decorations. Fresh evergreen swags, and wreaths of holly and winter berries adorn the walkways and lamp posts. Displays depicting the Twelve Days of Christmas are tucked into the landscape as a surprise for visitors. In Waterwheel Square visitors can also enjoy ice skating. Details will be found on our Christmas page.