Jennie’s Magnificent Gardens

North of the city of Victoria on Vancouver Island, a famous Canadian landmark tells a story of transformation and hard work, showing how even in this troubled world, mankind is capable of amazing achievements.

In the 1850s, George Butchart moved from Dundee, Scotland, to the village of Owen Sound, Ontario. Butchart, a young man in the hardware business, had learned of an English bricklayer’s invention of a new material called “Portland cement,” named after the island of Portland—near Dorset, England—as the new cement product looked a lot like Portland limestone.

Butchart had a son named Robert, who would in time take over his father’s hardware business. By 1905, Robert had identified great business potential along Canada’s west coast, in the growing colony of British Columbia, and had moved there with his wife, Jennie. When Robert learned that the Canadian Pacific Railway sought to replace its wooden rail-bridge bases with concrete ones, he saw an opportunity. Just north of Victoria, he found a large soft limestone deposit suitable for making Portland cement. He bought the property, and he and Jennie built a home there, next to what would become the quarry and cement works.

The family’s fortunes improved marvelously when Robert began to ship cement in paper bags instead of barrels. This made their product cheaper and easier to transport, and demand for it grew. The 1906 San Francisco earthquake spurred a huge increase in demand for Portland cement—and Robert met the need, becoming very rich.

Eventually, the old limestone quarry became exhausted. With the empty quarry and retired cement works wearing on her nerves, Jennie made frequent appeals to have the whole unsightly place cleaned up. Robert finally acquiesced and gave her free rein to do whatever was needed, money being no object.

Jennie went to work. Part of her motivation came when friends told her bluntly that no one could get anything to grow on that barren rock. Jennie, who had been quite bold and adventurous in her youth, was determined to prove them wrong. But what was she facing? A huge quarry, waterlogged at the bottom, strewn with rusting, abandoned equipment and other debris—it was the very definition of ugly.

Not yet knowing much about gardening, Jennie hired some expert gardeners. She herself worked very hard, sometimes hanging on a rope above the quarry floor, pushing soil and vine roots into cracks in the rocky wall. Debris was cleaned up, hundreds of horse carts of soil were brought in, and drainage was installed. Between 1912 and 1921, the quarry was slowly transformed and named the Sunken Garden. Nine years of work had paid off.

And Jennie did not stop at the Sunken Garden—she also hired an expert Japanese gardener to build one of the finest examples of a Japanese garden in existence, worked to transform the family’s former tennis court into an Italian garden, and cultivated an abundant rose garden. Her projects were seemingly endless, and her work eventually became a family effort.

Repairing Desolation and Pollution

Today, the Butchart Gardens have become renowned as some of the most beautiful gardens on earth. No longer an unsightly place to avoid, people by the thousands come to see the remarkable Sunken Garden twelve months of the year. More than a million visitors annually visit this former wasteland transformed into a garden of breathtaking beauty—the result of what just one hardworking family accomplished. Such an incredible achievement holds lessons of great encouragement.

A Wasteland Replenished

Desolation can be reversed. The quarry was not mere wilderness—it was desolate, ugly, and lifeless, its natural habitat destroyed. The Butcharts’ work is an encouragement to mankind, giving us confidence that even desolate, ravaged areas of the earth can become beautiful, desirable, and productive.

Many Working Together

Great strength is unleashed when people work in harmony under a common cause and leadership—when any large project is successfully completed, it is because people are working together. In this case, Mr. and Mrs. Butchart were in total agreement. Mr. Butchart became more and more interested in the work, and the project expanded. Over the generations, family members continued the project, and continual effort proved essential to maintaining such a treasure. One of the most picturesque sites on earth resulted from one family’s desire to work diligently toward a common goal for as long as it took to achieve it.

Power in Moral Principles

There is power in sharing and generosity—sharing makes effort more worthwhile and enjoyable. The Butchart family wanted to share their gardens with others, and they were generous with all they had. While Mr. Butchart made sure his family was looked after, he was most kind with the surplus, as was his wife. As a result, millions of people have enjoyed their gardens. In the early years—until it became impossible—every visitor received a cup of tea in a teahouse built for this purpose. Jennie was a hands-on gardener, and her joy was magnified when others received pleasure from her work. Although very wealthy, she was often in work clothes tending the garden with her staff. There is a story that goes as follows: One day, two visitors, thinking she was a paid worker, plied her with questions that she took great pleasure in answering. When leaving, they offered her a tip, to which she replied, “Oh, no, thank you—the old lady wouldn’t like that.”

A Sustainable Vision

Vision, diligence, and perseverance produce good fruit. Jennie Butchart had a vision, and she was willing to overcome great challenges. The Butcharts exemplified industry—the willingness to work hard toward a goal and to struggle to surmount obstacles. Their vision for their gardens was to develop something beautiful, and they never lost the desire to make it better. Vision is essential to bringing about a desired result, to stick to a task, and to sustain morale—and the Butcharts had a vision that would benefit them and their community.

The Entire World Can Be Restored—With Your Help

Despite the skepticism of a modern world, the Bible clearly predicts a future ruled by the returned Jesus Christ and His Family—resurrected “firstfruits.” It describes a world restored from destruction to great beauty, peace, and productivity. “The wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them, and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose; it shall blossom abundantly and rejoice, even with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the excellence of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, the excellency of our God” (Isaiah 35:1–2). This will be a time when people will live by God’s law, which will produce generosity, kindness, diligence, and creativity.

The Butchart family achieved a great feat, transforming a desolate quarry into what the Canadian government has designated as a National Historic Site. Yet this is just a minuscule example of what is pictured to come, when God’s Kingdom administers His law on this earth, creating a paradise infinitely more spectacular, joyful, and lasting than even Jennie’s magnificent gardens. To learn more, request our free Bible study guide The World Ahead: What Will It Be Like? from the Regional Office nearest you, listed on page 4 of our magazine, or claim your free copy here at TomorrowsWorld.org.