Butchart Gardens in Victoria, British Columbia is nothing short of dazzling. It’s the product of one wealthy woman's early 1900’s dream of turning her husband’s defunct cement pit into a floral glory.

Each year more than 1,000,000 bedding plants in some 700 varieties are used throughout the Gardens to ensure uninterrupted blooms from March through October. To see what’s ending or blooming before you go, be sure to check Butchart’s Weekly Flower Report.

During our late May visit, rare yellow wisteria, brought here from China, dripped over rows of arbors by the entrance. Magenta peonies were just blooming, and the first blue delphiniums had started their spires. We found azaleas and rhododendrons of every imaginable color, even bright orange.

Some of their begonias are as big as a human hand. Himalayan poppies glow light blue and lavender in the light. And you shouldn’t miss the Japanese garden; it’s a triumph of composition.

Whether you have a meal here in the English country house of a dining room or are just here to walk around with your mouth hanging open, a visit to Butchart Gardens is a must-do in Victoria.

Getting there: Victoria is found on the southernmost tip of British Columbia’s Vancouver Island. It has an international airport, served by Horizon Air/Alaska Airlines, United, and Air Canada. See this Seattle Times article to explore all the different ways to travel between Seattle, Victoria, and Vancouver. Butchart is an approximately 35 minute drive or taxi ride from downtown Victoria.

Melanie writes the couple's travel blog, Travels With Two (http://travelswithtwo.com)

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