[1] Robert Pim Butchart (1856–1943) began manufacturing Portland cement in 1888 near his birthplace of Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada.

He and his wife Jennie Butchart (1866–1950) came to the west coast of Canada because of rich limestone deposits necessary for cement production.

In 1904, they established their home near his quarry on Tod Inlet at the base of the Saanich Peninsula on Vancouver Island.

Samuel Maclure, who was consultant to the Butchart Gardens, reflected the aesthetic of the Renaissance Era and the English Arts and Crafts Movement.

A fountain statue of three sturgeon, also by Tofanari (cast by Ferdinando Marinelli Artistic Foundry), is installed near the Japanese garden.

In 1993, "Circle of Doves", which Ann-Lee Ross gave her husband Ian in 1991 to commemorate their 50th wedding anniversary, was installed in front of the begonia bower.

The menagerie includes thirty animals ranging from bears, to horses, to ostriches, to zebras, to cats and mirrors the world from which The Gardens draws its visitors.

The designs were hand-picked by Robin Clarke, The Gardens' owner and great-granddaughter of Jennie Butchart, in consultation with an artist from North Carolina.

During the Winter, lights and seasonal decorations adorn the gardens along with an ice-skating rink in the Waterwheel Square.