Abkhazi Garden
A 'garden born of love': a small garden on a rocky slope created by an exiled prince and his wife, with rhododendrons, Japanese-style features and a tea room.
In 1946, Prince Nicholas Abkhazi, a Georgian exile who had been separated for years from his English-born wife Peggy by the Second World War and a prisoner-of-war camp, was reunited with her in New York, and they married. They then bought this rocky slope in Victoria and spent forty years hand-building a garden of about 0.4 hectares. Using natural rock and Garry oaks, they planted rhododendrons, maples and ground covers, and added a pond and Japanese elements. The original house has been converted into a tea room, where you can have afternoon tea on the terrace. The garden is now managed by a land conservation organisation, and admission is about C$15.
Opening hours
Approx. 11:00–17:00 (shorter in winter)
Nearby sights
- Government House Gardens
- Craigdarroch Castle
- Art Gallery of Greater Victoria
- Willows Beach & Oak Bay Village
- Beacon Hill Park & Mile 0
- Royal BC Museum
- Inner Harbour & Fairmont Empress
- Market Square & Lower Johnson