The Gardens
What To See in November
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.
Greenhouse tours available this November. Learn more.
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.
Berries:
- Callicarpa (Beauty Berry)
- Cotoneaster
- Euonymus
- Holly
- Mountain Ash
- Pyracantha (Firethorn)
- Stransvaesia
- Viburnum
Flowers:
Showhouse: Amaryllis, Begonia, Browallia, Chrysanthemum, Coleus, Fuchsia, Gerbera, Mandevilla
Fall planting is completed and the clean up of the garden commences. Rose foliage is stripped and burned to reduce the spread of pathogens. Roses and hydrangeas are lightly pruned, primarily by removing the spent flower heads and removing dead or damaged wood. Climbing roses are pruned and retied to the structures on which they are growing. The fallen leaves from trees and shrubs are collected and composted for use in the garden for the following year.
Arts & Entertainment crew: The twelve full time staff working throughout last month on Christmas installations are joined by twelve to fifteen more. Installation of Christmas greenery and all Christmas remaining prop elements and lighting is conducted. The Ross Fountain is changed over from its animated design and lighting to the winter configuration and lighting. In Waterwheel Square, the large tree filled planter in the square's center is removed. The construction of the ice rink begins with a layer of sand, followed by the coolant pipes. The siding and rails are put in place, then the rink is flooded. By late November, the ice is well frozen and ready to welcome its first skaters on December 1st.