Last September I stumbled across a fragrant surprise
behind the British Columbia Parliament Buildings:
The Premier's Rose Garden.
The Premier's Rose Garden
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
September 10, 2017
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
I've visited this lovely spot
a number of times,
and I rarely see anyone in it.
It's quiet, peaceful, and beautiful,
and I enjoy wandering around
seeing and smelling all the gorgeous roses.
Kosmos Fairy Tale White Floribunda Roses
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
Livin' Easy Orange Floribunda Roses
The Premier's Rose Garden
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
Buxom Beauty Pink Hybrid Tea Roses
The Premier's Rose Garden
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
Julia Child Yellow Floribunda Roses
The Premier's Rose Garden
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
Henry Whittaker, Chief Architect for the British Columbia Department of Public Works,
designed the rectangular-shaped garden with its boxwood hedges and central sundial.
Paved paths in the shape of a cross divide the rose garden into four quadrants
featuring different rugosa, tea, floribunda, and grandiflora roses.
Central Sundial
The Premier's Rose Garden
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
Central Sundial
The Premier's Rose Garden
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
Satellite Imagery of the Premier's Rose Garden
Behind the West Annex of the British Columbia Parliament Buildings
Imagery: Google
Map Data: Google 2017
The Premier's Rose Garden was constructed
as a relief project in 1935-36 during the Great Depression.
It sits on the former site of one of the original
parliament buildings known as the "Bird Cages."
The garden was dedicated to British Columbia's Premier Bill Bennett
in 1986 and renamed "The Premier's Rose Garden."
The old parliament buildings ("bird cages") and land office
Source: City of Vancouver Archives
Reference Code: AM54-S4-: Out P1027
Copyright Status Public Domain
Anywhere you walk among the colorful roses,
you can smell their beautiful fragrances
and hear the sound of honeybees buzzing among the blooms.
Apricot/Pink Floribunda Roses
The Premier's Rose Garden
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
Easy Going Yellow Floribunda Roses
The Premier's Rose Garden
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
Buxom Beauty Pink Hybrid Tea Roses
The Premier's Rose Garden
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
Living' Easy Orange Floribunda Roses
The Premier's Rose Garden
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
Pink/White Hybrid Tea Roses
The Premier's Rose Garden
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
When you sit on one of the quiet benches in a shady spot in the garden,
it's hard to imagine that Victoria's bustling Inner Harbour is only a few hundred yards away.
If you let your imagination drift, it's easy to imagine that you've
stumbled across Briar Rose's enchanted castle.
The Premier's Rose Garden
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
but this is my favorite.
Information Source: leg.bc.ca