Three French hens

Butchart Gardens makes the best of the winter season by swapping flower blossoms for twinkling nighttime lighting for. There’s an ice skating rink for the agile or brave. And as visitors walk through the gardens there are lit displays illustrating the twelve days of Christmas. My favorite – and the only one close enough for my pocket camera to capture – was the “three French hens,” vignette shown above. That’s a miniature Eiffel Tower in the background, and on the plate? A croissant, of course!

The rendering of “four calling birds” included a parrot with a cell phone.

The gardens are spectacular, beautifully lit with lights that convey motion, magic, and color.