Several years ago, we visited Hatley Castle during the filming of the second X-men movie. We didn't see Hugh Jackman but he was in Victoria at the time. In the movie, the castle was called Xavier's School for the Gifted and we have referred to it as such ever since. Yesterday, we went to see its gardens.
Hatley Park Historic Site Gardens begin through wood gates to the right of the main entrance of the castle. We missed getting a map at the museum but the paths were well marked so that wasn't necessary. The Honourable James Dunsmuir, a successful coal baron and former Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia, bought the estate, some 650 acres, built the castle and worked on the extensive gardens. There are three formal gardens, the Italian, Rose, and Japanese gardens. The Bog Garden is a wild section of a salt marsh estuary and is an unique ecosystem in the area.
We spent two hours wandering through ancient trees, some over 250 years old, and enjoying the tranquility of the Japanese pond with its picture-perfect reflections. The Rose garden was behind stone walls reminiscent of the book by Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden. The roses were past their peak but I was still able to snap a few pictures.
We watched a squabble between pea hens over their chicks--three or four brown ones and two or three white ones. A proud papa stood close by but didn't interfere. I guess they were all his children.
Next time we hope to do a tour of the castle's interior. Yesterday they were preparing for a wedding so some sections were not open to the public. We spoke to one of the gardeners and she said the bride's mother had been difficult. I guess the photos would be taken in the Italian garden as two gardeners were working to spruce it up.
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