It takes a lot for me to be rendered motionless, but this weekend I literally couldn’t move from the couch. After demolishing a few boxes of tissue, my abs feel like I spent 72 hours doing a crunch marathon and my nose feels and looks like it was raked with metal prongs. Eric has since given me the adoring nickname of Rudolph.
I tend to go stir-crazy when forced to rest, so my full-time job became beating the cold. Eric, bless his soul, arrived home with an arsenal of cold-blasting loot. I did fresh juices, hot tea, homemade soup (luckily I had some Carrot Apple Ginger soup in the freezer!), oranges, Green Monsters, zinc & vitamin D, oil of oregano, steaming, and even dug out the neti pot. Probably a combination of good nutrition, rest, and the placebo effect, my symptoms were reduced by half by the next day. This morning, I just feel like I have a mild cold. In a strange way, I feel this cold was just the nudge I needed right now. It’s so easy to fall out of healthy habits when life is cruising along at mock speed, but being sick is a good reminder to stick to those habits even when we’re well.
I can’t remember the last weekend I wasn’t in the kitchen making recipes, but this weekend I sure as heck didn’t have the desire. So for today’s post, I’m going to share the photography from our visit several weeks ago to the famous Butchart Gardens – a stunning 50 acre floral garden with over 1 million visitors each year. It’s located 23 km north of Victoria. We went for opening on a Monday morning and it was the perfect time to enjoy the gardens without the huge crowds.
After warming up with a coffee, we walked along the huge pathway system throughout the garden. I had major gardener envy! The Butchart Gardens is world-renowned and I could quickly see why. We had so much fun with photography here. If you are ever in the area, I highly recommend a visit.
I’m not using the gallery plugin for the images since it was acting wonky on me recently. Hopefully this post doesn’t self-destruct with all these images. If you click on the first image, you can click through the entire lot with a slideshow.
Enjoy!
and another HDR pic by Eric of a beautiful tree.
I reeeeally hope their green thumbs rubbed off on me. Odds are not looking good considering my rosemary plant looks like something out of a horror flick.
I’ll be back soon with food, glorious, food.
so gorgeous! I love my city oh so much xoxo. And I know exactly what you mean about it taking a lot for you to be laying on the couch all day resting…and that was me last week! I really hate not feeling like/being able to do anything but the colds this season are hitting harder than usual, I find. Feel better very soon xo
Oh, that is BEAUTIFUL!!! I feel you with the being-sick — I think I caught what you have (somehow…in Pennsylvania…), and the “this is a reminder that healthy habits are good!” rings very true right now!
Here’s to your full & fast recovery.
Sooo gorgeous. Glad you’re feeling better!
Those photos could make anyone feel better! Gorgeous!
Seriously stunning! I love going to botanical gardens, it’s so relaxing and can give you some great ideas for your own place if you’ve got a green thumb. *I* don’t but someone else could get ideas! :-)
beautiful photography.
Ohhhh so gorgeous! Your photos are so gorgeous I practically feel like I’m there with you. I’ll have to add it to my must-visit list. Hope you’re all better soon!
Your photos are spectacular. What a great place to take in all the healing energies of the earth :)
I hope you feel better!
Gorgeous!! Is your cookbook still in the works? I can’t wait to see the outcome!
Thank you! Yes it is – due out in 2014. Thanks for asking!
Aww hope you feel better :) The pics are marvelous!
Those garden pics are just breathtaking, Angela! Wow, it feels like spring has sprung on this very gloomy and rainy icky fall morning I’m experiencing at the moment. Thanks for the sunshine :)
Oh I love these gardens my hubby and I went on our alaskan cruise and it was one of my favorite places I have ever been. Your photos are great
whooooaaamygosh! What a beautiful beautiful place! My husband and I are complete suckers for finding a good garden where we can walk around and smell the flowers….One of our favorites is called the Huntington Gardens in LA! Have you heard of that one? If you’re ever down here, I highly suggest it. And I love that rose and cob web picture!
I will have to get there sometime! I’ve never been to LA before, but it’s on my must-visit list. I hear there are lots of vegan restaurants too.
I haven’t been to butchart gardens in ages, but after seeing those pictures I think its about time I go for another visit, just stunning!
I love Butchart gardens…especially because that’s where my husband and I got engaged!! Thanks for your beautiful pictures…it was nice to browse through and remember that great day!
wow that’s so neat! a belated congrats to you both.
Just beautiful!
Angela–Love your blog, looking forward to your book! I plan to buy a my husband a camera for Christmas. What camera do you use, any special lens? If you were buying a good camera today ($400-$650) what model would you buy?
Hey Val, Although I haven’t tried it myself, I’ve heard good reviews on the Canon Rebel (they have a few different models – check Amazon for more info). I believe it’s around that price point (and I’m assuming you are looking for a dslr!) As for the type of lens, it depends on what type of photography you will need it for. I think the Rebel comes with a lens so it might be useful to try that out and see how it is first. :) If anyone else has suggestions in that price range feel free to leave your two cents! Also, you can buy refurbished models from places like Henry’s and get even better bang for your buck. When I first got into it, I used the Canon 30D and then upgraded last year to the Canon 7D. All my camera and lens info can be found on my FAQ page. goodluck!
PS- glad to hear you are looking forward to the book, thank you!
Just got my copy of VegNews. Congratulations on the Best Vegan Blog win! Also, I love these pics from Butchart Gardens!
Thank you Sally! Im anxiously waiting for my copy to arrive.
Wow, beautiful gardens! I especially love the photo looking at the river through the trees.
I hope you feel better soon – homemade ginger, lemon and honey tea is my go-to remedy when I have a cold (although I guess you could sub out the honey for stevia maybe to make it vegan?) Take care.
I’ve been making that tea actually with maple syrup – it’s so good! A little pinch of cayenne really clears the sinuses. :)
It looks so beautiful!! :) And I hope you soon feel better :)
Beautiful photos! I especially love the spider web… so gorgeous.
I love gardens like this! I’m currently visiting London and spent all day Saturday in Kensington gardens. Not quite the same as the one you photographed but I love parks, gardens, etc. they are so peaceful
So glad you’re on the mend and had a chance to reminisce on your visit to Butcharts. It’s such a gorgeous spot. A friend and I had annual passes a couple of years back. It was amazing to see the season’s changing there. You’ll need to visit at Christmas sometime. It becomes quite magical!
I didn’t even think it would be open during the winter, but now that I do it makes sense given the climate. I can just imagine it all lit up and gorgeous! I’d love to see it sometime. Does it run for a few weeks around the holidays?
Intruding on this comment but I’m from Victoria and planning to go see the Christmas lights at Butchart this year as it’s been quite a while since I’ve gone so I had to look up the dates: December 1 – January 6.
thanks for the tip!
Hope you feel better – this is such a common time for colds! Inhale the soup :)
Butchart is insanely delightful in the winter, and it has nothing to do with the plants. I posted a bunch of pix of it on my blog: http://rebstevenson.com/2011/12/into-the-electric-garden/
Love it…looks magical!
Beautiful pics!!
Talk about beauty. wow. Great photos. I hope you feel better, and glad to hear tour battle with the virus had such a big impact. I have found that if I ingest a lot of orange, carrot, ginger, I tend to reduce symptoms and get better quickly. Every winter, I try to sneak ginger into any and everything and use more citrus.
I hear you…I swore that soup was healing!
Oh Ange, these photos are beautiful! Gardening is not one of my strong suits at all (unless it’s weeds we’re talking about!) so I have crazy admiration for people that can make flowers live. I hope you’re feeling better now! :)
Thank you for your suggestion Angela. I’m guessing I need to increase my
budget for a good camera. My husband took photography classes in college
and even had a dark room at one time. We’ve had a variety of cameras but
never a DSLR. When I look at your photos from your travel adventures, I
yearn for something similar, alive, and stunning. Do you have occasion to
use PhotoShop, or are you able to manipulate all your images through your
camera? Thanks again! Val
Hey Val, I use Lightroom for photo editing and I really love how user friendly it is. Im horrible when it comes to photoshop so the only thing I use that for is for adding text on a photo.
amazing! i lack a green thumb also.. i manage to kill bamboo.
hah I did before too! That was a low point in my life.
Wow, that’s some nice color and blooms for fall in Canada…at least more than I expected. Love it! A lot of inspiration in there…
Beautiful photos! I absolutely love Butchart Gardens – it’s an absolute must-see! :)
Get feeling better!
I have so many fond memories of the Buchart Gardens. I used to go there with my Grandparents when I was a little girl. I remember going at Christmas and excitedly trying to find the “12 days of Christmas” hidden in the gardens.
It’s a truly stunning, but expensive, place to visit!
I so want to go there around the holidays now!
Buchart Gardens at Christmas time is awesome! When I was growing up they were introducing one more day of Christmas each year. I haven’t see it with the full 12 days, though. Perhaps this year…
Absolutely amazing pictures by the way!
Hi, I love this place! Thanks for reminding me. I went last year and loved the zen garden, roses and dock near the water. Kristine :)
You just reminded me that I have a Botanical Garden around here that I should go to again. Nature is always so beautiful and a great way for me to relax, remember what I’m grateful for, and get my Vitamin D3 in for the day. ;)
Wow, those are some gorgeous photos! I especially love the detail of the spider web…stunning!
I hope you feel better soon Angie!
Hi Angela,
I’ve been following your blog for a while now, and I think it is absolutely amazing!
I have been a vegetarian for some time, but somehow, I developed IBS and my trigger foods are dairy and white starches, so I have been looking for interesting things to eat without the two, and you have so many great ideas and recipes!
Have you considered joining the 365project? I don’t know if you’ve heard about it, but it’s a project where you take one photo every day for a year, to document your life and develop your skills. Thought it would be fun for you, you seem like you really enjoy photography!
I have been doing it for almost a year, only 35 photos to go :D
Hey Finn, Thanks for your lovely note!
I’ve heard of the 365 project before, but havent tried it out. Would be a fun project for sure!
What gorgeous photos. I was there in May 2010 when I traveled to Canada for a friends wedding. I had to laugh at the name of the gardens. Never seen the name Butchart outside of Aberdeen, Scotland where I went to University. Butchart is a local name and was the name of our sports facilities!
Wow–these pictures are gorgeous! Thanks for sharing. Absolutely beautiful.
Hope you’re feeling better!
Hope you’re feeling better Angela! :) These pictures are amazing!
So beautiful pictures! Gorgeous!
Reminds me of our National Arboretum down here in DC. Is it unpatriotic of me to say that your Butchart Gardens is prettier?! :-)
Lovely photos. We get an annnual pass to Butchart every year so we can go whenever we like. It is fun to see the seasonal changes and the gardens are lit up for Christmas with gorgeous and fun displays of the Twelve Days of Chrismtas.
Did you see the boats moored in Butchart Cove? We love to take our sailboat there and then dinghy to the dock to enter the gardens.
Hope you feel better soon.
Great pictures! I recently moved to Bellingham, WA and am hoping to visit the gardens sometime.
Hey Angela! This is where my husband and I went for our honemoon 3 years ago! Thank you for sharing your beautiful pictures. What a gem of a spot!
That would be a great honeymoon spot!
Absolutely stunning photos. Beautiful. Makes me want to head up to B.C once again even more.
Angela, this makes me miss home SO much! I am living in England right now, but grew up on Vancouver Island! Love these pictures!
Cx
http://mixedmediumstheatre.blogspot.co.uk/
You should see it at Christmas time! I rarely go to the gardens during the year because its so expensive but I never miss a Christmas visit. From December 1 until the first week of January they deck the gardens up with christmas lights everywhere! Its beautiful. I’m getting excited for it already!
You are an AWESOME photographer!!
The Butchart Gardens are gorgeous! Have you ever been to Montreal’s Botanical Gardens as well? It’s my favourite in Canada because of the massive veggie patch! :)
Hi, I love this place! Thanks for reminding me. I went last year and loved the zen garden, roses and dock near the water. Kristine :)